Fire Risk Assessments

Hello im trying to buy a flat. The management company will not provide the full fire assemenr. They only give 3 pages which don’t clearly link to the block where the flat I’m buying is. my soloitor will not proceed with the sale as she says she needs the full fire report to ensure the insurance is valid . However the seller management company will not give the full report. Is there anything I can obtain to get the full fire report or even a certificate which states fire safety ect I’m at my wits ends nobody can help me I tried calling the people who did the report and they won’t give me it either! Tom Sutton - you look to be really know…

I am in the process of selling my Lease Hold Flat and the buyer's Solicitor has requested a copy of the Fire Risk Assessment. The Management Company has said they do not supply copies of the Fire Risk Assessment but have said if the buyer's Solicitor will ring them they would answer any questions in regards to the Fire Risk Assessment. Can the Management Company do this?The Buyer's Solicitor has said this could delay the sale of the flat.

Hi, we have a warehouse that is subdivided into 16 units. 8 of these are upstairs with single access. The corridors are 2m wide and near the end of the corridor there is a small kitchenette with microwave and kettle pertruding 0.5m. There are 3 units with entrances past the kitchenette. Im just trying to find out the rules regarding kitchenettes in these circumstances since we are very tight on space, if we have extinguishers in the corridor at the back end of the kitchenettes is this kitchenettes within fire regulations? Thanks for any help with this!

Hello. A Victorian house was converted into 4 flats pre 1991. 1 flat on each floor. 3 share a communal entrance/hallway. 2 flats sharing the communal hallway are rented out. The flats are leashold and the freeholder lives in the basement flat. I have lots of questions and would like to know who I can instruct to answer them. I have read lots of the Regs/guidance and end up going around in circles. Some questions include: 1. Are we an unlicensed HMO? 2. Do we need a fire safety assessment covering the entire building not just the communal hallway? 3. Will a FSA advise us what fire alarm system we need? 4. Who's responsible the freeholder or t…

Hi, I have joined up to this forum as I have noticed there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people, and I hope someone may be able to give me some advice. So, I have been working at a house of multiple occupancy and have installed rebated intumescent strips along the sides and top of an already installed fire door. However there is a large gap underneath I would say around 20 - 25mm and the letting agent wants it sorted for a fire inspection. I have told them that as far as I know I could install a strip of hardwood in the threshold to close the gap and make a uniform gap underneath, please do correct me if I'm wrong. They are not happy with that stating that it wo…

When completing a fire risk assessment in a small block of flats are the owners front doors in the communal corridors deemed part of that assessment

I've recently been working on some holiday flats and had a 'disagreement' with the owner about and alteration he made. The building consists of four separately let bedrooms on the second floor, a kitchen, bathroom and dining room on the first floor, and a commercial property on the ground floor. There is only one escape route from the upper floors, a single internal staircase. The owner decided to remove the wall between the stairs and dining room, to make it "feel more open". My understanding was that it needs to have a fire wall, as it should be a protected staircase. His justification was that a dining room doesn't count as a living area, and therefore doesn't nee…

Hello all, I am new to FRA so any help would be appreciated, i have completed my FRA course with the Fire Protection Association just recently so wanted to make sure am doing all correctly I am currently doing a FRA for communal areas only for a 4 storey building which has 3 flats (2 occupied at the moment) ground floor being refurbished into a flat as was old cab office. There is a management company looking(owns) the building and they have instructed us. Would i recommend them to have a AOV(Automatic Opening Vent) in the property? Also would you recommend fire extinguishers on the landings? I have also recommended a PEEP is that correct? …

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? …