Fire Risk Assessments

Hi, silly question but in our office we have huge amounts of portable electrical equipment such as monitors, PC's, laptops, kettles, microwaves, photocopiers, printers, etc. A typical large open plan office. The building is fitted throughout with a sprinkler system which is obviously a plus point! But, is there not a risk of electrocution or other problems if the sprinkler system activates over a piece of electrical equipment that is plugged in to the mains?? Also, when does the sprinkler stop putting water on the fire?? Does it work for a certain period of time or does it automatically somehow recognise when the flames are extinguished and stop?? We're …

Hello all I am about to buy a flat in leasehold. The solicitor told me the Fire Risk Assessment documents are missing and there is no way to find them. The last evidence of Fire Risk Assessment is a report dated more than 3 years ago. She also told me it's strongly recommended to either ask the owner to do it before the purchase (it would take 3-4 weeks) or to buy the property and request it as soon as possible. I would rather not to wait 3-4 weeks cause the purchase has already taken longer than expected and I am also keen to pay for the Fire Risk Assessment. Am I authorised to pay for the Fire Risk Assessment of the whole building? Or should I go through the m…

Wonder if someone could offer some advice please? I've had a read through Approved Doc B1 but still remain a little confused... We have just purchased a property which previously had an extension added (2009). The original house is composed of two storeys. The extension was built with a single habitable loft room. Currently all doors that open onto the extension stairwell are FDs to a final ground floor exit. The main house and extension are currently only connected via an internal door on the ground floor and we intend to make an opening on the first floor to allow access throughout. This stairwell would open into a lounge which has double patio doors le…

Hi. A client has recently asked me does he need to get Fire Risk Assessments carried out on the inside of flats, he is the freeholder of a block, and is aware that he needs to have a Fire Risk Assessment for the communal, but does he need assessments for the tenanted flats. Thanking you. Tony Campbell AssocRICS, MCIOB

Hi I am a lease holder of a flat in a block of 80 flats. I have received a letter from the management company for the block advising that they have completed the fire compartmentation of the communal areas. They are now requesting all leaseholders to instruct their own contractor and supply the Management Company with a completion cert. Any works that need doing have completed and send detailed report to the management company. My question is who does this responsibility lay with? Is it not still the management company of the block?

Hi all, I am having issues when conducting Fire Risk Assessments trying to ascertain if glazing is suitably fire resistant (even with corresponding markings) as often there is no definitive answer as to the performance of the glazing when I search the BS online. Does anybody have a document or can point me in the correct direction of a place where I can find a definitive list of the correct British Standards for fire resistant glazing within the UK. I hope this make sense, thanks for the forum. Kind Regards.

Hi there, I recently stayed at a hotel in London and booked a different hotel after the first night as there was buzzing coming from what seemed to be the air conditioning electrics. On closer inspection it seemed there was a ceiling leak that had been a problem for a while judging by the condition of the nearby wall and was now effecting the electrics by the look of things. The hotel staff didn't seem to be able to do much about it and management were unavailable. I reported it in detail and even showed a member of staff before leaving the hotel. My question is, is there a watchdog or government office this sort of thing should reported to, to en…

Purpose built, traditional construction two storey (4 flats) block of flats in Birmingham built in 1966. The flat Entrance doors that lead out onto the internal communal area are 44mm thick, with no intumescent strips, no cold smoke seals, no intumescent letter box and NO SELF Closer (rising butt hinges no longer meet requirements. (Arguably notional doors) The leaseholders argue that the front doors did not need to be self closing as of building regulations so they don't need to be now - I'm struggling to find building regs 1966. I believe new Fd30s door sets should be installed but in the short term the doors appears to provide notonal fir…

Hi All, Just looking for a some advice with evacuation strategies. I am conducting an FRA on student accommodation designed to a stay put policy, the accommodation is being used as a hotel during summer months when students are away. I have ensured that additional measures are in place within the purpose built flats such as; - EEL escape route corridors within flat clusters. - Directional Signage. - Fire Action Notices with floor plan on each sleeping room door. My question is, can a hotel have a stay put policy? assuming that compartmentation is suitable and the building has been engineered to allow for a stay put.

I currently own a flat which I am currently attempting to sell. I recently had a buyer pull out of a sale due to results from a home buyers sure which concluded that there was a “lack of adequate fire separation and fire safety arrangements” My question is what should I do in order to put this right as there are a few factors to consider. The flat itself is directly above a carpet shop so I’m currently not sure if the responsibility should be shared or if it’s solely on one party.

Hi all, I need a bit of advice with regards to where I can find CPD resources such as meetings and approved e-learning for fire risk assessors. Thanks.

Hi all, Quick question for you all. I carried out an FRA in a 1965 multi-storey car park and fire doors were of poor condition and risk rooms i.e. electric cupboards etc had compartmentation breaches. I stated the requirements as per ADB 2019 for compartmentation standards and the client is asking why I am benchmarking a modern document if the buidling was built in 1065. Can anyone tell me the legal requirement, if any, to bring an older building up to a modern fire safety standard? Thanks in advance

Hi, we had recently a fire risk assessment carried out in our office and the inspector came back with the comment that there is no automatic fire detection system in our building and this is non-compliant. Please advise if this is legal requirement to have a such protection in place. Thank you, Beata

Hi all, when it comes to Intumescent strips on old doors would it be necessary to replace them if they do not have cold seals fitted. Also if the strips were to be painted over would they have to be replaced? Thank-you. Mick.

I have to do some Fire Risk Assessment`s in some listed buildings. Is there any definitive guidance or are the Guides/BS 9999 etc only available to me ? Anyone done any that can offer some guidance/advice ? Thanks in anticipation.

Hi I wonder if you can help me. I own a flat which is one of 3 2nd level entry and above a gym in Hertfordshire. I'm in the process of selling my flat and we've reached a sticking point re the FRA. My neighbour who owns her flat above the communal staircase that gives us access to the flats doesn't have the required door (fd30) for the FRA. This is something she is refusing to pay for being brought upto spec to get the FRA. Shes lived here for 2 and a half years and believes it is the managing agents responsibility to be replacing her front door not hers. I don't believe this is the case. She thinks it should've been sold to her with the rig…

Hi all, Quick question for you all. I carried out an FRA in a 1965 multi-storey car park and fire doors were of poor condition and risk rooms i.e. electric cupboards etc had compartmentation breaches. I stated the requirements as per ADB 2019 for compartmentation standards and the client is asking why I am benchmarking a modern document if the buidling was built in 1065. Can anyone tell me the legal requirement, if any, to bring an older building up to a modern fire safety standard? Thanks in advance

I am a member of the institute of fire safety managers but I certainly do not profess to know it all, far from it hence me signing up to this excellent website which I have just only found. I was after an opinion on a scenario that I came across while reviewing a Fire Risk Assessment in one of our Warehouses. It's quite difficult to describe the building without photos, but in essence there is a prefabricated upstairs office (Within the warehouse kind of like an inner room) which has a wooden stairwell which is its only access.As you go up the wooden stairs you hit a T junction where you can go left or right , the office is open planned and extends 10M in either dire…

Hi,i did take on a lease which is hmo with 5 flats,they asked me to provide fire safety alarm,is that a grade of the alarm which needs to meet any requirments,or would work linked fire alarms,with wirlees manual call point and sounders.(no panel)? can you please help me With some guide

Good Morning. I have came across this Electrical Installation Container which is situated inside the main hall of a factory. The container has smoke detection and a FD60 fire door. However, there are 2 large extraction fans built into the roof. They just blow directly into the main hall and have no ducting attached. Should the fans be connected to ducting with fire dampers installed close to the fan? My concern is compartmentation of the container and the smoke/heat/products of combustion that would freely exit into the main hall through the 2 ventilation fans. The fans are mounted in a square opening approx 600mm x 600mm. My thoughts. To recommend the in…

Vinyl tile stickers in the kitchen?? I recently put vinyl tile stickers over the existing boring old black tiles in the kitchen - they are a popular, quick, cheap way of improving your home. The tiles are a splashback for the kitchen surfaces, sink and gas cooker. There is a glass panel on the cooker which has to be raised vertically against the wall before any gas is released so most of the tiles have this screen between them and the heat. I have 2 quick questions please. 1)I have noticed that the vinyl tiles at the back of the cooker - where they are in contact with the vent through which hot air from the oven and grill is expelled, has warped slightly. It …

As a freeholder of an apartment do I have a legal right to a copy of the report which was paid for by our collective funds. And what recourse do I have if there is something that I do not agree with . Thank you

I own a flat in a Victorian house converted into 3 flats which share a communal hallway , and a basement flat which has its own, separate entrance . 2 flats are owner occupied ( including mine) and 2 are let out to tenants . We all share the freehold, and all the owners (4) are directors of the management company we set up to manage the freehold. I understood that we need a FRA for communal areas . Can we nominate the 4 directors to be ' responsible people' on the FRA , to have shared responsibility, or us there a limit to the number of 'responsible people' who can be nominated? Also, does the owner of the basement flat have a legal responsibility for the obl…

Hi, not strictly FRA query, but more to do with Building Regs. In particular, what is allowable materials for external walls. Situation is a new build - small offices of two storeys where the total height of building is <18m. Approx. 150msq footprint so fairly small. Building is positioned between two existing buildings (steel portal framed commercial units with steel cladding on external walls). The distances between the new build and the adjoining units is >1000mm (more like 3m-4m). The external walls (all) of the new offices have timber cladding. It was confirmed that the timber has not been treated for fire resistance. Looking at ADB Vo…

I have a pub in which i have recently put sleeping accommodation upstairs. I have a fire risk assessment in place for the building as a pub but now i am going to have the upstairs as sleeping accom, do i no need to have the whole building risk assessed or can i just have a separate one for the rooms upstairs?