Fire Risk Assessments

Have a number of simple one up one down properties that I am carrying out FRAs for. The gas meters are stored in a cupboard within the communal area. These cupboards do not have ventilation or door signage ie Gas meters keep shut. I have recommended a vent is added to the cupboard preferably to the outside also signage added. Unable to find any regs etc mentioning the need for signage, can anyone assist with this? The buildings were building 1965

We live (and are co-freeholders) of a 2 storey Victorian building that comprises 2 flats; one upstairs and one downstairs, with a small communal hallway at ground level (1x3m) which contains both flat entrance doors. The building was converted long before 1991. The FRA recommends a simultaneous evacuation strategy with Grade D2 LD2 alarms: The premise is recommended to have installed a Fire Alarm System installed meeting BS5839-6 designed to Category Grade D2 LD2, as per LACORS. Grade D2 - A System of mains powered detectors with user-replaceable batteries. Category LD2: a system incorporating detectors in all circulation areas that form part of the es…

Our recent fire risk assessment says we need a fire-resistant enclosure around the communal electrical distribution board. BS 7671 compliant. The issue is that the board runs right up to the ceiling, so there’s no vertical space above it, and there’s also a very thick incoming cable entering from the floor at the bottom. So a simple overbox won't do. We initially thought about building a box around it, but read that using MDF (or standard timber) wouldn’t meet fire-resistance requirements? What’s the usual or accepted way to enclose something like this when there’s no space above?

We are in a converted house with two flats (one upstairs, one downstairs) and a small shared communal hallway (less than 2m²). The FRA indicated that we need to install mains powered fire alarm, Grade D Category LD2 with a connected heat detector in each flat.However, I’m struggling to find clear guidance that a communal alarm is required at all in a small two-flat conversion, as I understand these are usually designed as “stay put” buildings with alarms only inside the flats. Can anyone clarify whether a communal alarm system is legally required? We will be installing fire doors if that helps. In addition, if it is required, does this mean the alarms inside the flat…

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Can anyone please let me know which fire safety guidance applies to such an establishment? I have looked at DCLG documents such as residential care, nursing homes and sleeping accommodation but these do not appear to be relevant. Not sure that Specialised Housing is appropriate either. As mentioned staff are there 24/7 and sleep there. Any advice will be appreciated. Thanks

Hello there I am helping with a licensed event feasibility study and am trying to calculate the safe capacity of the venue. This will help determine if the event is financially viable. The room proposed is approx. 700sqm and located on the lower ground floor of a former high street shop. The lower ground floor has one 1900mm final exit door and one 750mm final exit door, both lead directly outside; both doors are relatively close to each other along the same side of the room There are two more 750mm exits which lead upstairs, where there is one 1900mm and one 750mm final exit doors, both again lead directly outside. I am veering towards a safe capac…

Has anyone come across a situation whereby they have encountered unenclosed electrical meters and their associated electrical wiring in the common stairway enclosures serving domestic dwelling flats? If so would they consider enclosing such installations and why? The stairway enclosures in which the installations are located have no form of ventilation to fresh air.

Is there any reference in the FSO that you educated people could point me towards that - Pacifically says that separate blocks/properties require separate FRAs. I’ve encountered a housing association that will ask for one FRA for two separate addressable blocks which are semi detached but have their own entrances and exits with their own addresses.

Hi, Apologies if this isn't posted in the correct place. I am currently selling my flat. It is a one bedroom ground floor in an old converted building with it's own entrance. My buyers solicitor is telling my solicitor I need to agree to install "an FD30S and provided with intumescent strips, cold smoke seals and a self-closing device, mounted on three fire rated BS 1935 hinges". My query is that my flat door does not connect to any common areas. It goes directly to the outside on the ground floor. There are no other flat entrance doors near mine. Is it a legal requirement to have my door changed before I can sell the property or not? I don't really want to spe…

Hi- I appear to have come across a classic bit of poor interdepartmental referencing and archiving. Approved Document B Volume 2 states: "Prisons provided under section 33 of the Prisons Act 1952 0.15 Prisons are exempted from the functional requirements of Parts B1 to B5 of the Building Regulations under section 33 of the Prisons Act 1952. It is usual that prisons should comply with the fire safety requirements of the Building Regulations, except where the requirements are incompatible with safe custody, good order or security. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) provides guidance documents on fire precautions in prisons, which take account of the public sa…

Hi Please can we ask someone for their advice... We have a fire service access control mechanism (drop-key) fitted to the gate of a school we look after. Does anyone know how often they should be tested by the school and serviced by an engineer? Also, does anyone know the correct British Standard for these devices (we were told it was BS7273-4)?

First of all, thank you in advance for your responses. I would greatly appreciate your expert suggestions or experiences on this matter. We are renovating the ground floor of our 1930s three-story house. The house already has a loft conversion, which we are not altering. The council is objecting to our proposal and is requiring us to add a wall that we had removed to create an open-plan design—this was a key aspect of our renovation. To be specific, we have an open-plan kitchen/living room that is connected to the rest of the house via the stairs. We plan to install a sprinkler system throughout the ground floor, fire-rated (FD30) doors for all bedrooms, an…

Current legislation requires freeholders or their appointed managers to carry out fire safety audits of blocks of flats. These audits commonly find that front doors to flats are not compliant with current Building Regulations. However, building regulations only apply to new buildings. Is there any legislation which confirms a duty upon leaseholders to upgrade the front doors of the flats, if they do not meet current standards?

Hi, I own the freehold to a 3 storey house converted into 3 flats. The lower flat has a separate entrance. The upper 2 flats share a front door and hallway but no shared stairwell - does this property require a Fire Risk Assessment? Thanks

Hello, I hope someone can assist. Is there a definitive answer of how many FRA's are required for a building comprising: Building is owned by one person. Large RENTAL retail unit on the ground floor with independent escape routes. Rented out by the building owner. 10 flats on the upper floors with independent escape routes. Rented out by the building owner. Is it three FRA's? One for the flats communal areas One for the commercial One for the entire building Or is it two? One for the flats communal areas One for the commercial Or is it something else?? Thanks for reading this far!

What’s everyone’s thoughts? 4 storey block of flats, one escape stairs, all flat entrance doors open onto an external open walkway, all doors and windows are uVPC, walkway width is 1.2 meters should all doors be FD 30 fire doors and glazing FR30?

We have recently had a FRA on a single staircase over 11m (but below18m) block of flats. We are told the sounders need to be removed for a 'stay put' strategy but smoke detectors retained. Q : do we need to replace domestic twin & earth cabling to these detectors with fire proof/resistant wiring ? Q : is there a legal requirement for an AOV or can we convert to a MOV ? Q : is there a legal requirement for signage in this single staircase, single exit, less than 9m run scenario ? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Hello a recent fire risk assessment requires fire seals around individual apartment exit doors and 3 hinges,in a purpose built block of apartments 3 and 4 storey high,do the seals need to be both smoke and intumescent or just intumescent seals,and is it the managing agent or the apartment owner liable for the cost of fitting Also the electricity meter boxes are situated in fibre glass fronted boxes on the landings on escape routes,i can understand these being replaced with fire proof ones as meters do seem to catch fire quite often, in fact a neighbour was re-homed after her meter caught fire in her old house. Again who is responsible for the replacement cost…

Hello, We purchased our flat 6 years ago. It’s a converted Victorian house split into only 2 flats. There is a main front door and then a fire door to each flat. (The hallway where the front door leads with both flat doors is about 1.5m long with nothing in it at all.) When we purchased the flat (first time buyers), a fire risk assessment was not mentioned by our solicitors. However, we are now selling it and the buyers solicitors have asked for one. Do we need to pay to have this done? Or can we fill in a template ourselves for example? The only common area is this tiny hallway. Our flat has its own private rear door with fire escape gate in the fence. …

Hi All, Just looking for some clarification if possible please.... It is an existing building - 3 floor levels. Ground is commercial - 1st and 2nd floor levels are residential flats. Using guidance of LACoRS, do we use the examples of a 3-storey building or a 2-storey building as only two floors are residential?? Sorry - I know this is probably a really stupid question, but there is quite a difference in terms of what is required between 2 and 3 storey buildings. Any help/guidance much appreciated.

I live in a 1920s house converted in 1954 into four flats only two of which share a communal staircase/fire exit. The fire assessment seems to suggest that the glass blocks that form the entrance wall of my flat cannot be proved to be fire resistant and so might have to be replaced. The blocks are hollow glass 4" deep and fire resistance was specified in the plans of 1954. The fire assessment report does suggest risk must be balanced against costs in a case like this - we will have interlinked smoke alarms and an emergency exit .HOWEVER we have to provide proof that these were fire resistant and tested, but of course there was no actual fire rating then! How can we do tha…

We have a Victorian conversion - entrance and ground floor level leading to a ground floor flat which also has a lower ground level. From the ground floor common landing, there is a set of stairs leading to a first floor landing that has entrances for the first floor and top floor flat. We are having some confusion about whether this should be a two storey or a three/four storey for LACORS. The common areas are only the ground floor and first floor landing.

Could do with some advise please, about to be made redundant at the end of the year, I do have basic knowledge of building work and fire doors. Which is the best course to do that is recognised by employers for fire door assessments. Thanks

Hello, I live in a flat in a converted property. It has 6 floors in total, with one of them being a basement. There is one flat on each floor with the third floor flat having 2 floors. So five flats in total. Between the front door and the ground floor flat there is a very ornate lobby / vestibule door. Not in anyway fire rated. I cant attach a photo as it wont upload. Does this door need to be a fire door? There is nothing of risk in between the front door and lobby door like an electrical intake its completely empty.