Fire Risk Assessments

Hi Is a nominal type Fire door which is at least 44 mm thick still legal on an apartment front door in a communal area if it is good condition. Do you need to retrofit it with a door closer and intumescent / smoke seals or can it be used without them.

Hi. Can anyone give me some general guidance? What does a 4-story building with one 1 bedroomed apartment on each floor need regarding fire doors, alarm system and emergency lights. The building is approx 100 years old and was converted pre-1991. It currently has a battery smoke alarm on each communal level, no emergency lights at all, and the flat doors are 45 mm thick but have no self-closures or intumescent strips fitted. I know a fire risk Assessment will be needed, but can anyone give me any general advice on the minimum works to be done to bring it up to current regulations?

Will a detached single-story commercial unit of approximately 2400 sq ft split into 3 units each about 800 sq feet need an individual fire risk assessment for each tenant, or can the building as a whole be done in one assessment? The building is owned by one person.

I live in a top floor Victorian conversion of 4 flats which pre date 1991 Building Regs - basement, ground, floor 1 and floor 2. All flats have their own external entrance. There is an open concrete staircase which leads to the flats on floor 1 consisting of 2 flights (10 steps each) and another 2 flights to my external door. A FRA was undertaken in 2021 and it did not mention escape routes or fire doors. Does the building need a new FRA? Does the external door on Floor 1 need to be a fire door as it is necessary to pass it to leave the building? Does my door need to be a fire door? Does the freeholder need to provide information about fire safety and an evacuation plan? …

Hi. If a ground floor commercial property also owns and lets out a first floor flat above, will the ground floor commercial property and the first floor flat both need a fire risk assessment. The flat has its own entrance.

do they have to be registered

I have a detached property that has been converted into 2 apartments, one on the ground floor and one on the first floor. The g/f lobby area measures approximately 2 metres x 1 metre and contains both the entrance doors. The left-hand door leads straight into the g/f apartment and the right door leads up the stairs into the first-floor apartment. The g/f apartment has an additional 2 exit doors into the rear and side of the garden, the top floor apartment only has the one front exit door. Should the front doors into the apartments be Fire doors?

Hi all I live in a standard 3 story (ground, 1st 2nd floor) residential conversion with 3 flats and a basement flat. The communal area currently has emergency lighting and a mains powered smoke alarm on the entrance floor and first floor, together with appropriate signage (which is a bit OTT considering it is obvious that the fire exit is the front door!) We have had a new fire risk assessment done and it is recommending two things (copied from report): 1. These flats pre-date the relevant Building Regulations standards. A BS5839 Part 6 Category LD3 domestic fire detection and warning system is provided within the common areas of the premises. In addi…

Hi there, I have 2 short questions related to FRA's: 1. With the Home Office guides suggesting 60 min fire separation between basement and GF, I just wondered what the rationale was behind this requirement? 2. Where elevator doors open onto a protected escape route - how can you tell that the doors are fire rated? Similarly, would you expect kitchen dumb-waiters that pass between levels to typically have fire-rated doors? Thanks

Hi there, I have 2 question about protected escape routes in a pub with live-in accommodation upstairs: 1. There are 2 escape routes from the first floor accommodation flat via separate corridors & stairs. Some of the doors on these routes are not FD30S. Question is, would they need to be as there are two escape routes? Risk assessment could argue that if one escape route becomes compromised, another will be available. So for life safety, 30 min fire protection is not required along either of the routes). 2. In an older builder, can a 25mm doorstop still be accepted as a alternative to intumescent seals/cold smoke strips. Thanks!

I have some fd30 doors within a care facility with that only have 2 hinges fitted . Am I looking to install a third hinge to comply? or was 2 hinges once allowed and the legislation not retrospective when it comes to a FRA. ? The fire brigade inspection did say that intumescent strips had to be fitted (since done) but no mention of hinge quantity.

In an small office environment, is there a requirement for the incoming electrical mains to to encased to offer 30 mins FR? In this example the incoming cable is housed in a wooden cupboard along with the consumer unit ( a new metal case type.)

Hello all, Have a slight conundrum with a new basement I would like to put partially under a new extension. 1/3 will be under the extension, 2/3 will be in the garden. size is approx 5 x 5 x 3 high There will be skylights in the garden bit. Access to the basement will be via a spiral staircase from the open plan kitchen/dining area. Building regs require an egress window and then stairs up to ground level - in this situation that means we will have a wall/banister 1000 high in the middle of the garden - that is enough to scrap the idea. HOWEVER... It has been suggested that other measures may negate the need for an egress opening - domestic mist s…

Hi, what regulations should I use to assess a 100 year old industrial building which was originally a print works which has had a change of use and is now a craft shop with a small warehouse. I assume it'll be offices and shops? The travel distances are different for each guide and will conflict with what is currently in place. Thanks.

Hi folks, Please see the attached with reference to some work being carried out to build a self contained customer service outlet within a local council building. It will be self contained with security access for staff only. The area to the left bounded by the green walls is the staff area where a maximum of 3 people with be at any time. The majority of times will be 1 or 2 staff members. The public area to the right of that will be separated by security screens floor to ceiling. The architects have designed in an escape hatch through the screen as shown in the event of a fire. I have no idea why the door at 2 will not suffice as this will be the main entry/eg…

Hi, We have just taken on the management of a converted manor house into flats. In the communal area there is one door which leads down to a basement containing the boiler system and electric meters etc. The ceiling in the basement is not plaster boarded at all and the floorboards to the flats above are visible. My understanding is that this would need a lot of work to bring it up to standard. Is there any way around this? It has been mentioned that by implementing a full Evacuation Policy with a Fire Alarm System could be the way around this? This will probably be required anyway as the Property is not likely going to be able to support a 'Stay Put' policy…

Hi, I recently moved into a new build apartment in Manchester and the front door to my apartment has a quite large gap at the bottom (4cm) the apartment door leads to the hallway with other apartments which all seem to have similar sized gaps . I’ve attached images . What could be the reason for these large gaps and does this affect fire & smoke compliance

Can anyone help me. I've been asked by a client if they could avoid the expense of providing 60 minute fire rated boarding between their commercial units and the flats above, if the commercial units became empty? I can't find any particular guidance around this and wonder if it just comes down to a risk assessment? Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks.

Is anyone aware of CEW specifications within the HTMs. The only specific reference to CEWs I can find is in Health Building Note 00-04: ‘Circulation and communication spaces’ - HTM 05-02 does not specify CEWs in detail but directs you to this document. My question is, does Health Building Note 00-04 only apply to circulation and communication spaces or does it apply throughout a hospital i.e. to wards and operating theatres where bed and/or trolley evacuation is required?

Hi all, The kitchen in my rugby club has just undergone extensive refurbishment. There are 2 separate doors, neither of which has currently been designated or signed as a fire exit. I've been down and inspected the refurb and was concerned that both doors open inwards into the kitchen. I thought this was odd and the Operations manager said he would confer with the architect about why this has happened. If the doors were to open outwards (in the direction of escape) one would open into the main bar area and one would open into the foyer which is where I suspect the majority would be exiting in the event of a fire. I thought the RRFSO was quite clear about emergen…

Good morning,can anyone help please.I have a 2 bed flat with 2 tenants, it's a private rental in a converted house.Downstairs is another private rental with 2 tenants . I had a fire risk assessment of the hallway as a friend of mine said I needed to ensure it was safe ,and now have many works that need to be carried out .Including a fire alarm system in the hallway .I haven't got any issues with this ,but being a small set up it says online that these systems as well as monthly checks they also need weekly checks and recording of this . Is this system necessary for communal hallways in non HMO dwellings ? I'm so confused as the maintenance of this seems a l…

Evening, These emergency lighting control units are wall mounted in the communal corridor within a high rise block. mains fed and house 12 lead acid back up batteries. the corridor forms part of the escape route from the FED to the stairwell. what are your views on fire separation and would you recommend they are encased in a fire resisting enclosure to REI30 cheers all.

Hi all, Is there a requirement to undertake an audibility test under BS5389 apart from service & inspection by a specialist contractor? Weekly fire alarm test & check of audibility in areas are carried out in-hose. Thanks

Hi all, in the case of a large site with multiple buildings, would every building require an individual fire risk assessment? I understand most occupied buildings would certainly require one but what about say a small GRP security kiosk, single unit portacabin or vacant/derelict buildings etc?

Hi, am looking to remove a wall in our flat which is one of 4 flats in a converted victorian house. Main reason is to open a fairly narrow kitchen up and more open plan. Obviously I am aware of structural things related to such a task, but am interested to know if there is any fire risk issue. The wall in question is marked yellow. The floor plan is as we bought it. Currently the entrance to this 1st floor flat is already open to the kitchen as you can see. In the kitchen is installed a fire detector and siren. That entrance door is a fire door and the building passes fire checks. By removing the wall, I will need a building control notice from the council, in my vie…