Fire Risk Assessments

Hello all, I have been tasked to do an assessment on a private house in London. However this private house has staff on site 24/7 running the place for the residents. I have not seen it yet so don't know much more than that I'm afraid. My questions are 1. I presume that as the house staff work there it is a workplace and therefore comes under the RRO, is this correct? 2. Which guidance would suit it best or is it a mixture, due to sleeping risk, maybe and office or other workplace etc? Your thoughts please. Many thanks Steve

Hi all, I, along with 5 other directors own shares of the freehold of a block of 6 flats. We are currently selling the property and have been requested to provide a fire risk assessment. I have read that the management company needs to provide this. As I am a director of the management company would it suffice for myself along with another director to fill in a self assessment? Or do we need to go through a recognised external company? THANKS! Joe

Hello, Is running a kitchen extractor fan duct from the flat below along the interstitial space between ceiling and floor above a fire risk? Also the flexible extractor duct is squeezed through a narrow opening at a 90 degree angle. Would really appreciate an informed opinion. Thanks.

I have come across a premises that has a W/C and a kitchen which is technically an inner inner room. The MofE is through a store room then a shop. the kitchen is obviously an inner inner room but is there any guidance which allows W/Cs to be located off inner rooms?

What rights do owner occupiers (leaseholders) have in relation to getting sight of a Freeholder's Fire Risk Assessment in residential flats? Specifically, when a 'landlord' asks for new front doors, or any other work or alteration that may effect a leaseholder, can the leaseholder demand to see the FRA findings to ensure they aren't being being ripped off?

All, I am struggling to identify a provider of Type 2 fire risk assessments for a project in north west England. If anyone could signpost me to one or more providers, this would be appreciated.

I am looking for a basic FRA template for a office space , alot of the templates have vast amounts of information. Does anybody have a link to a good office FRA template please ?

Can someone define a protected fire escape to a unprotected one, is emergency lighting, signage required in both areas, when should it cross between unprotected to a protected route

I've surveyed a couple of properties this morning which are refurbishment projects of flats within three storey Edwardian properties. The flats include some bedsits with kitchen and bed space in the same room, some with poor layouts i.e. with the kitchen area closest to the flat exit door. The properties have a Grade A LD1 alarm system with a simultaneous evacuation policy. The bedsits are fitted with heat detectors in one property and multi-sensor detectors in the other sited in the kitchen area of the room. My concern is about occupants smoking in bed and the risk from a smouldering fire with a relatively slow activation of the heat detector or multi-sen…

I own a Georgian double fronted town house. Either side of the hall are two shops. At the back are two further rooms which I would like to let as a third shop. The stairs rise half way down the hall, protected by two fire doors, one before and one past the stairs, fire escape routes run via the hall passage to the front and back doors. Nice wide staircase, Upstairs are 4 offices with separate businesses, max occupancy expected upstairs at any one time 16. The problem: to access the proposed third shop will require customers to negotiate the two fire doors at the bottom of the stairs. I would like to remove the first fire door, exposing the staircase…

Good evening I am not sure if this is the right place to ask but i have a few questions about an FRA. On the FRA the assessor has listed that there are incorrect locks (budget locks) fitted to 3 of the cupboards in the ground floor area. It doesnt actually suggest what they should be but she explained it to the building manager that the locks installed cannot have a hole through them. So would a digilock with intumescent kit be acceptable. She has listed these 3 cupboards of which 2 are electrical cupboards and 1 cleaners cupboard. But has not mentioned anything about the other 7 electrical cupboards in the building that also have budget locks. …

With the drip feed of staff returning to the work place , what happens if there are a smaller amount of staff back to work but within those staff there are no Fire Wardens/ Marshalls ?? I appreciate it will be in a revised FRA but what are your thoughts for this situation ?

Hi all, I have a PhD in fire safety, I am quite good simulating fire but right now I am trying to move to industry/consultancy. I observed that Fire Risk Assessment and audit is required in lot of positions. Hence, I would like to do a course or to get a certification in this domain. Whar course/certificate would you suggest me? I have found the NEBOSH certificate but I do not know if it is the best option. Thank you very much in advance, Uranio

Hi there, i hope you don't mind me posting this quick question. I'm after some clarity in respect of the difference between a Fire Risk Assessment and a Fire Strategy document. What are the differences between the two and is a fire strategy required before a building is built? Also, who would prepare one? Is this more of a building control thing or do Fire Risk Assessors prepare them? Many thanks for your help. Simmo

Hi Im seeking information on fire safety. We are in a block of flats with a communal garden. There are 3 households in their 70s. One has had a quadruple heart bypass, another has had a mild stroke. I have to use an electric wheelchair. During the covid19 lockdown we want to sit in the garden maintaining social distancing. This is because staying indoors is incredibly stressful. We have been told by our landlord that if we want to sit in a chair anywhere in the garden, we must lift that chair & carry it back into the house each time we finish our sitting out. Our landlord is saying that to leave the chair out is a fire risk because if a fireman needed to ge…

Hi can someone help please. A tenant has installed a boiler in a communal basement of a house converted into self-contained flats. The basement is divided into several small 'rooms' which are all communal. The boiler has been installed in one of these 'rooms'. The room itself is not compartmented properly. The ceiling of the whole basement is due to be made 60 minute fire-resisting shortly. I've suggested a detector to be installed within the room in addition to one located in another part of the basement, all linked to the Grade A system in the main house. They have questioned the need for the additional detector (the cost is high). Any thoughts please?

Hi All, I am responsible for some large student accommodation buildings, all of which are purpose built which appear to support a stay put policy, the buildings have no MCPs. However the head of health and safety post Grenfell has decided to make all buildings 'Simultaneous Evacuation' which I disagree with as the buildings bar some minor breaches have adequate compartmentation. The question is, if this person insists on keeping simultaneous evacuation I have told him the alarm systems will have to be modified. (MCPs at each storey exit and final exit), currently the alarm has been partially modified to sound automatically when a detector is triggered. Is this…

a couple of years ago i insulated my loft roof rafters with polystyrene slabs, puchased from wickes.These are only in the pitched area of the roof ie the highest point.My worry is that these may be a fire hazard. can you advise please. thanks. Richard

Hi there, which guidance would be best for risk assessing a commercial garage? The garage compromises a service workshop, MOT workshop, small office with first floor storage above, WCs, small staff room and several lockable attached buildings such as oil stores etc. Situated behind houses and accessed via a slip road entrance between 2 houses. More than likely 1930s build so as you can imagine, fire prevention/detection is negligible at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Good Evening, Can anyone please advise, we have a client that has had a FRA completed on a house converted in to 3 flats back in the early 80's. The property consists of Flat 1 which is the main house (occupied by the RP) and Flats 2 and 3 which are rented out to single tenants on long term lease. The Escape route from flats 2 and 3 is a communal staircase which passes through a conservatory area to a final exit door to the main road. The FRA has asked for Grade A LD2 communal with heat detector in the flat entrance within 600mm of the door interlinked. Grade D LD2 within each flat. The RP is adamant that he will not have any trunking or floors lifted within th…

Hi all, Looking for some simple advice as my local council isn't being very useful. The link they gave is just for domestic requests: https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=11065 I am looking to rent out a commercial unit as a cafe in Bury town centre but there is no current secondary means of fire escape. Please can you look at the rough plan to see if I would need to install a secondary fire escape or if one door would suffice?

I live in a block of nine owner occupied flats and the building is self managed by the owners. In relation to a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) of the building, please can someone let me know: Does the FRA only involve the communal areas of the building, or will each individual flat need to be inspected? Does the FRA require a Gas Safety Certificate for each flat and/or a Domestic Electrical Installation Condition Report to be prepared? How long is a FRA valid for? Many thanks, Roy Taylor

If a fire door frame is fitted with fire/smoke seal should the gap between the door and frame be taken from the door to frame or smoke seal to frame?

Hello, I have recently purchased a building with 35 flats and has come to our attention that the previous builder did not fit compartmentation between existing flat walls. The building has now been emptied to rectify this issue. Looking for recommendations that would be the quickest and cheapest option to fit compartmentation to bring the building upto standards. Thanks

Hi, Can anyone explain the reasoning why cold smoke seals are not required on openings in protected shafts forming a service shaft (i.e. riser cupboard doors) according to Approved Document B of the Building Regulations? Thanks Jonathan