Fire Risk Assessments

Hi, I am planning to rent my flat out but need some clarification on fire risk assessments. I understand a FRA is required for the communal areas but what about inside of my own flat (2 bed), are there any fire requirements? Info: As 1 of 3 directors of the Management company, each director are the flat owners themselves. There is a very small communal area and a staircase that leads up to the front doors of the two upstairs flats. Thanks

Good Afternoon all, Please see below my query, any advice or guidance you can give will be helpful. With regards to commercial office buildings, are there an BS standards or regulations that permit installing a 1hr fire rated door into a 2hr fire rated wall? I understand as a industry rule of thumb this is the case but cannot find any documentation to back it up? Hope you can help. Jordan

Hello, I work for a local authority and I have been asked to review the professional FRAs of their flats which were done a couple of years ago, to see if there are any new or outstanding issues. All the flats are two or three storey purpose built general needs, with single protected stairs serving max six flats per block, built between 1965 and 1985, so I am using the LGA 2011 Purpose Built flats guidance. Many of the blocks have the flat's electric meter in a plastic cabinet built into the wall next to the flat door, part of the original design. These cabinets are in the common parts, sometimes within lobbies serving two flats. The cabinet doors are often open and the h…

Our building is a 4-story block of flats. We have a lift motor room. We have been advised in a Fire Risk Assessment we should provide an extinguisher in the lift motor room. This room is only occupied for about one hour each month, during routine maintenance visits. I need to be convinced that an extinguisher (and the cost of regular inspection) is necessary. Our assessor says that it’s “a legal requirement to have a fire extinguisher in lift motor rooms and plant rooms”. I don’t believe it is, and the assessor has provided no source to justify his statement. In the LGA guidance “Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats”, it says “. . . it is appropriat…

Hi there, I would really appreciate your thoughts on the following. Currently selling a flat in a 9 storey listed building with circa 200 flats. Flat is on the first floor. The buyers mortgage valuer requested the FRA which was provided. However, there was one item that was highlighted as a high priority item that has not been completed relating to compartmentation? I understand this is an issue in 90% of buildings across the UK? Since the time of the FRA, the managing agents have done all other priority items and have been working with experts getting fee quotes. They are in the process of contacting all owners as given the building is listed, there is some cost …

hi all, im after some advice on access for fire dampers. we recently had a company in to carry out fire damper maintenance and a lot failed because of not having access panels either side of the damper. they did all have at least one and you could drop test it and reset it, but they mark it down as a fail. is it change in legislation or have they always needed 2 points of access? the building was built and signed off in 2009. thanks in advance

Hi there I am in the process of selling my leasehold flat (Victorian conversion). It is managed by an agent for the freeholder. The buyers solicitor has asked for a fire risk and asbestos assessment as there are communal areas, but the only communal area is the front yard. The two flats have separate front doors, there are no shared internal parts. Are these assessments required if there are no internal common parts? I can't find much information about this particular scenario! Thank you Mrs K-P

I run an online clothing brand and have a lot of offcuts of 100% cotton. I am trying to find a way to use all of my offcuts and make wadding from them for cushion inserts but I know there are strict regulations for the filling materials for cushions. Does anyone know if it is possible to make my own cushion inserts conform to these regulations or how they can be tested? All the fabric I use will be 100% cotton. Many thanks Amy

Hello folks. If doing a fire risk assessment of an office and assessing the number of occupants the escape routes can accommodate when would you use the Building Regulations and when Building Standards. The latter allows for a lot more people it seems.

Hello....I own a property that consists of shop on ground floor and two flats above on one story. Flat at rear with own entrance door. Do I need a FRA? Does Smoke Detector System need to be on separate landlord supply? Any guide to regulations please would be helpful.

Hello id just like some advise and opinions on FRA in relation the Fire systems installed on already existing sites not new build etc. When carrying out a FRA on an existing site/building with a fire system installed should the FRA make reference to the category or grade of system required even as a minimum requirement? or that the current system/ setup is acceptable? So if i arranged for a FRA to be conducted at a property say a fairly typical 2-3 story commercial office what range of information should be present in the document? ....i have seen some FRA that it might state the system meets BS5839, but that is all no category or any addition…

We have converted two 40 foot shipping containers (joined together along the long side, creating one area approx 40' x 20') in to an Engineering workshop. There is one main point of entry/exit, through a normal style door with a door handle at one end. Do we need a 2nd exit door available for fire regs? We have left the container doors on one of the containers, which is at the opposite end from the entry door. These cannot be opened from the inside. We have also installed windows in the unit, but these have metal shutters across them externally, although they can by removed, but again only from outside. I am a bit confused as we have a boardroom which is …

Escape route corridor and lobby protection im just after some advice in relation to fire protection in a building. its a 2 story building that is an office and nursery/day center for kids on just part of ground floor. My query is that in terms of the fire protection there is nothing covering the main entrance lobby which includes the fire panel and ther is also no AFD in a 1st floor top stairwell that then leads to a corridor that again has no AFD with multiple rooms off this corridor that do have AFD. the corridor has 2 means of escape via the stairs that come up from ground floor back along small corridor and into entrance lobby or via…

Hello ,we live in a two storey block of four purpose built flats ,built in 1986.We have a front door opening on to hallway then main door to outside .Just outside our front door we have a cupboard with a door.After a recent inspection we have been told our cupboard door needs to be a 30 min fire door .Is this really necessary as they want to charge us £300 for it .? Thanks

Risk assessed A small kitchen area with a small 300mm square server hatch to a coffee kiosk. Would this be allowed? As it would contribute to the spread of smoke especially in a kitchen? What are the guidelines on hatches as they are common in kitchens?

I came across a large market hall constructed in approximately 2008 which has fire exit sliding doors linked into FA system that open on actuation. No EDR (typically green coloured box). Red manual call points installed adjacent to doors. As most of us will know, the sliding doors should have been provided with a manual EDR as well. Q1 - can BS 7273 Pt4 2015 be applied retrospectively, see RRO Pt3 (d)? Q2 - can any justification be made as to not fitting EDRs?

During a recent compartmentation survey (post refurb) in a hotel I noted that the 'immersion water heater tanks' (approx 150ltr tanks) were located on the escape routes and were not located in thier own compartment. I stated that they were a fire risk and should be enclosed in 30 minutes fire resistance as it is a sleeping accommodation. The appointed fire engineering/building control who drew up the fire strategy claimed they were not a fire hazard and not included in the fire strategy or FRA, despite DCLG guidance for sleeping accommodation stating heating appliances including water heaters should not be located on escape routes. Was I right to flag up the issues? If I …

Hi, Would anyone be able to point me in the direction of a suitable template report which could be used for the above type of assessment? Thanks

I live in a block of flats above shops which all have roof top access and patio type area, we all have fencing trellis around our areas with plant pots etc with fully clear walk way so you can run out of a burning building. This week the landlord have sent builder to remove my fencing trellis and when asked why they said its a fire hazard. Ok the only H&S card HOWEVER my issue is that there are 5 other flats with the same stuff and they have only taken ours! surely if it is not being removed from all flats this not only discriminatory but a clear cop out of why they have done this. I just want to check if there is any info I can request or find regarding the fire safe…

Do service risers need to be fire stopped at each floor level in a purpose built block of flats that operate a stay put policy?

I am thinking of letting my house as a holiday let. It is three storeys with open plan living room on ground floor, staircase leading to three bedrooms. Domestic detectors in all rooms. Do I need to consider anything else? Thanks.

Question regarding FRA for a small 2 bed cottage being converted to a holiday let. Is the internal door to the kitchen required to be a fire door?

Hi all, in need of some advice please. I have been asked to carry out an FRA of a communal area of a detached, small block of flats which were built in 2002. 4 Flats over ground and first floor, flats open onto a the staircase with the upstairs flats having alternative means of escape via a sdeperate exterior staircase.A couldnt check any front doors as nobody was in but lets assume they are FD30 for a minute. For some reason, there is a manual fire alarm system in the communal areas with a call point and sounder outside each flat and the panel downstairs. There is a basement swimming pool for use of all residents(in these flats and the rest of the gated complex) be…

Sorry if this has been answered before, I just wanted to check on my specific station. I am selling my leasehold flat and have been asked to provide a fire risk assessment (and asbestos survey) for the communal areas to the buyer's solicitors. I'm keen to avoid unnecessary costs basically but want to do the right/best thing too. Details on the property situation: Victorian house divided into 3 flats - 2 flats (mine and another)share a communal hallway and staircase. Landlords are a couple who do not live in the building Management Company is very informal, made up of the owners of each flat. Does anyone have any advice or guidance for this? Who is respon…