Fire Risk Assessments

I am receiving more and more advise to replace fire doors which were considered warped or slightly warped within its frame. Would you consider this a fair action to undertake even though all gaps are correct and that the all the doors strips and ironmongery are compliant?

Have recently received an FRA which has an action relating to a cupboard containing a boiler at the head of the stairs within a rented maisonette. there are several vents within the compartment and the door is not FD30. does this need to be taken into consideration, or is it classed as a dwelling therefore the front entrance door to the common area and surrounding walls facing it should only be considered?

Hello, Looking for a little bit of advice regarding travel distances. I have always used the DCLG Guides for management of fire safety, however I recently attended a course that was based around BS 9999. I am aware of maximum travel distances, however the course discussed travel distances within a room (i.e. Normal Risk with travel in more than one direction = max 25m, storey exit max = 45m, leaving you 20m from once outside the room), however I cannot seem to reference this to BS 9999 nor the DCLG guides nor ADB. Can anybody point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance SM

Hi Are flat balconies covered by the rro? Would the fire risk assessment need to include the balconies and consider the risk of fire from the balconies? thanks

Good morning all, I own a flat which is one of four in a converted house built around 1900. My flat is ground floor and has its own door/entrance. There is a communal hallway/stairs in the building but it is only used by two of the four flats in the building (being those on the first and second floors). I don't have access to that hallway/stairs (and neither does the other ground floor flat) as its only purpose is access to the flats on the first and second floors. I am advanced in the process of selling the flat and the buyer's solicitor has asked for a fire assessment (and asbestos) report at the very last moment. I have looked at the regulations and while com…

Sorry - silly question time... This is a specific case; but is also a general question as to whether internal stairs must be protected if there is also a second means of escape being an external stair. An existing building which is being converted from a residential accommodation (small block of flats) in to an office/admin block. There is ample room for an external stair to be fitted. Built 2008. Three storeys (ground, first and second) plus basement/cellar. 60-min fire separation between basement/cellar and ground floor. Footprint of each floor is approximately 10m x 12m. L3 alarm system / emergency escape lighting being installed. Ri…

I have lived on top 4th floor, no lift in these red brick flats. I have had flower pots along my balcony for 27 year. I share my side of the balcony with 1 fit young woman. Last year a commercial cafe’s smoke chimney caught on fire and the fire brigade came. After they came to each flat and asked about fire safety and fitted me a new smoke alarm and I asked if they could go passed my door easily and they said yes no problem. They said they were fine. Today the estate officer came and told me to remove them and I explained what the fireman said and also that my councillor had given me permission some years ago. They are also insisting that the bars that have been fitted by…

A friend volunteers for a charity offering telephone support in an old 3 storey building, they've received basic induction FS information but legally do the charity have to provide any additional training? There are no full or part time employees other than a cleaner. The fire alarm and emergency lights work and tested.

After reading ‘fire safety in purpose built flats’, I understand that it is not necessary to have a fire alarm specifically for the communal hallway but it is necessary to have fire detection in each flat. Therefore is it ok to remove the communal hallway fire alarm? many thanks for your help

In the UK, how to understand the relationship and the differences between fire risk assessment and occupational health and safety risk assessment?

Communal loft hatches accessed from the head of the stairwell in the communal area. I would be very grateful for other views on the action to be taken where non fire resistant loft hatches are in place within communal areas of residential blocks.. The circumstance in particular that often leaves me umming and arring is whereby the separation within the loft is suitable ( i.e a vertical panel to roof level, in line with the compartment wall below) and the space is small i.e less than 10m2. Often this occurs in what looks like pretty modern blocks....just a plastic little hatch with a twist lock? My reaction is to want to suggest an upgrade to a fire resistant hatch…

we are preparing a drawing of our village hall and want to show fire doors,fire extiguishers,fire blanket,first aid box,smoke detector,air horn etc. are there symbols for these to put on the drawing.

Need advise on this guys, one of my clients are a small business and are based in a old school building. There is a boiler and server unit situated in a large store room with extensive fire loading. Im not talking about the fire loading here but the boiler is fixed to the wall. It is regularly serviced and secure but should this be in a room on its own which is fire protected? Also ref the server, it has a door missing and is very dusty inside, your opinion on that please?

Just wanted to clarify the requirement for the licensee to carry out a DSEAR assessment for the Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide cylinders in pubs please. Non flammable gases but cylinders would be pressurised I presume and possible explosion hazard? Many thanks

Where there is automatic detection, does the system always require manual call points? Thanks.

Do all final exits from a building (where there is a possibility that members of public entering may be wheelchair users) have to open in the direction of travel? Or can they open inwards? There is a Dental practice where they have suitable door widths for wheelchairs, a ramp at 1:12 ratio, disabled toilets, etc. But the main door used by all clients opens inwards?! I've had a look at Gov.com guide for disabled means of escape but cannot see it mentions this. Typically, occupancy is below 60 people so an inward opening door appears acceptable in some guides, but my only concern in that wheelchair users will not be able to open door quickly, or even blo…

Hi, Premises is a nightclub (Basement) - Occupants - 350 Two exits both lobbied stairwells to the ground floor exits on to the street. The two lobbied doors are narrower than the final exits doors. Question - When measuring door widths am I correct in thinking that I should be measuring the two inner doors that a more narrow, or the wider final exits? Exit widths do not add up. they only accommodate 290 persons. (discounting the main wider entrance). Question - When conducting my report can I keep the occupancy and implement controls that will ensure that both exits are available at all times, or are door width capacities the bottom line? …

A question asked in a FRA template was " where an escape route is a "dead end " are all doors fire resistant and self closing " ? escape route that is a dead end ? surely its not an escape route if its a dead end ??

Hi When undertaking fire risk asssessments in purpose built flats you take into consideration the fire stopping, compartmentation etc of the lobby's & protected stairways. My question is determining the fire resistance of the walls & ceilings where required especially where stay put policies are in force and rely on it. Apart from the obvious breaches of their integrity would the only way to be 100% certain to recommend a survey be carried out? I know it is extra expense but in light of recent events could it be deemed as reasonable? Many Thanks

We are trying to calculate occupancy capacity levels and have a conflict of opinion... Three means of escape. Plenty of floor space. But, each door is a "penny-farthing" style with a 900mm self-closing door, plus a minor leaf of 300mm which is secured shut at all times with flush bolts at top and bottom of minor door leaf. So, should we be using 1200mm to calculate the capacity limits, or 900mm?? Someone has said 900mm but the other argument is that the minor leaf can be opened without need for a key (albeit with two motions needed to unbolt top and bottom bolts) so we should be using 1200mm. Any guidance much appreciated? I've tried to find something i…

We have a high voltage (11kv) cable running through our building. It enters a substation in the basement car park then runs out of the substation up the building through a service shaft into a transformer on the roof. The cable in the basement runs along the roof and isn’t protected or covered in any way. With the basement being full of cars and the risk of a car fire my question is does this cable need to be covered or protected in any way? Thanks

Hi In our office block of 2000 people we have several service cupboards that run from the ground floor to the 4th floor of the building, they all house all sorts of cabling running up them, including an 11kv cable running through one of them. All doors to the cupboards are fire doors and all cupboards have fire detection in them. However there is no fire stopping at all, if you look up or down these service shafts you can see from the ground floor to the 4th floor. Should there be fire stopping at each floor level?? Thanks

I have recently carried out FRA's for a care home group, the majority of their homes have dorgard devises on fire doors that lead to the critical escape routes. I advised them to remove them and replace with a more failsafe system wired to the alarm. The service uses have learning difficulties but most are fully mobile. Now they're questioning this as dorgards are freely available to buy and any replacement wired to the alarm would be extremely expensive. I believe these devises are not 100% failsafe as batteries never get replaced on time as these things are the least priority in a busy care home. Is there another alternative available or do you guys think I'm right? I w…

I'm hoping you can help... We converted a property above a commercial premises into 3 x 2bed flats about 6 years ago and leased all of them to the housing association. All the flats were specifically converted in compliance with building regulations and the housing associations conversion brief. They all have their own private entrance (no communal areas), internal fire check doors, smoke alarms connected to mains, heat alarm and carbon monoxide alarms, new double glazing., new roof.. in fact all 3 flats were brand new (unfurnished) when handed over to the housing association. However, in light if the Grenfel Towers fire, the housing association have written t…

We have recently taken on a management company which specialises more in block management. We have just had a fire risk assessment done is it compulsory ? Also they want us to put up no smoking signs and clear items in the hallway I live at the top so items left outside my door/ staircase are not in anybody's way also they are insisting we fit fire doors . What can they insist we do ? as we feel they are looking for excuses to charge us fees . Where can I find what the rules are for conversions .