Fire Risk Assessments

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 .

Hi Do all acetylene bottles need to be stored in a locked cage away from the building when not in use? If so where is the guidance for this? We only have 1 small oxy/acetylene setup, will this need to be caged off outside when not in use e.g night time? Thanks

Hi Do small boiler rooms and server rooms have to have automatic fire detection? Is there anything written down saying it’s a must or it’s strongly advised, if so where? Thanks

Hi, I have been to a pub today with accommodation above. The pub only has one door which opens out to the street. There is a second door which discharges into a garden, where no further egress can be made. Currently, occupants of the pub, the function room (on the first floor) and the accommodation on the 1st and 2nd floor can only escape and make their way away from the building through the front door in the bar. The height to the highest floor is approx 7m with the length of the garden being approx 18m. The previous FRA has suggested that the occupants can escape from the building into this area, as long as the local fire authority are made awa…

Dear Tom I live in a converted Victorian house. It is divided into three flats ground, first and second floors. We all own and have identical leases however I live on the ground floor and am also the freeholder. I live with my husband and two children, the first floor flat is rented to three girls and the second floor flat had a married couple living in it. The second floor are selling and their lawyers have asked me for a fire risk and asbestos survey. Do I need one of these and how do I go about getting one done. Also who is responsible for paying for this. Am very worried about all this and would appreciate your advice Thanks

Hello, bit of a strange one so here goes... A store that I look after has asked me to put up shelving in a largeish cubbyhole underneath the store escalator, I said no way thinking back to the Kings Cross fire and I also sought advice from our in house H&S team who also said no. However the store are pushing this again, so I was hoping someone might know of some legislation that I can push back at them and say no to it once and for all. The room itself is difficult to access as its through a non fire door which has a high step into it, the door is only about 18 inches wide, inside there is no fire curtain between the suspended ceiling in the shop and the sto…

Hi I’m trying to calculate occupancy for a 4 storey building. There’s 2 escape routes, both protected stairwells. All rooms on each floor are used for either office space or function rooms. We are restricted with occupancy due to the size of the exit doors, both protected stairwells have fire exit doors of 750mm that lead into the stairwell and this is the same from the 1st floor to the 4th floor with the ground floor having a fire exit door of 1050mm, this is the final exit. Am I right in thinking that each floor occupancy is restricted to 100 people (normal risk) due to having to take off 1 exit for a fire situation? Also are we then restricted …

Hi everyone, I would appreciate some advice. I've just completed a self build house in North Wales. As part of the decor I left beams in the lounge and kitchen exposed and build wood panelling to one meter around the kitchen/diner walls. I used a product, Timberex Hard Wax Oil, for the finish and was very pleased with it. Unfortunately I had Building Control around for their final inspection last week and they expressed concern about this product and it's fire safety properties. The exposed joists must be capable of withstanding 30 minutes fire resistance via charring effect and the panelling must achieve at least class 1 surface spread of flame. There is nothing on the t…

We live in a building converted into 5 flats (three storeys, plus a basement flat). The flat owners have share of freehold, and have appointed a managing agent to manage the property. Our managing agent recently organised a FRA, and now says there are costly upgrades 'legally required' to meet the fire safety requirements. He charges a percentage of the total cost for organising such works. We don't want to invalidate our insurance and more importantly are concerned that the building is safe, but the upgrades he is recommending total thousands of pounds. I have attached a copy of the report. Can anyone advise? Fire Assesment Report.pdf

I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of some accurate information i need about housing legislation re fire safety. I have a 2 story house with a loft conversion that opens up onto the upstairs landing, I wanted to change the layout so the bedroom is larger which would mean the loft which I plan to use as a study rather than a sleeping space would open into my bedroom. I've seen conflicting information about this on the internet, I just want to know the legality of this layout

Is it a legal requirement to have Lightning protection fitted to buildings? The industrial unit I am in was built sometime in the 70s and I cannot see any lightning conductors.

I've read this forum a lot over the past year and have decided to join in as its a fantastic source of information. What are fire risk assessors recommending where mid rise residential blocks (6-7 storeys) have Upvc windows/Upvc panels covering in what used to be the external walkways which effectively form part of the escape routes?

I have carried out fire risk assessments for each area of the building where I work but our H&S practitioner says I need to do one for the whole building she has given me quite a lengthy assessment form to fill out what I can ready for her next visit where we will go over it and finish it off. One of the questions is, number of exits from the building (single or multi) are these the exits that lead immediately the the outside?

Hello I have recently carried a one day coarse set out by the BRE in which it allows me to fit and repair firedoor. Is this certificate any Good as my employer put me on it and now have told me not to fit anymore doors.

Hi, my questions is that does a fuse box / electrical intake in a corridor in a building with two flats in it need to be covered with some fire retardant material in order to provide 30 minutes fire separation between the fuse box / electrical intake and the common corridor and the flat above?

Hello, I'm having problems with the FRA. I'm buying a flat in a high rise tower (lots of communal areas) and my solicitor is requesting a copy of the FRA. The management company is not providing it for reasons unknown. I understand that the legislation doesn't require the FRA to be formally written down but I know the management company has one because the London Fire Brigade conducted a fire audit on this building in the last 12 months which involved reviewing the FRA hence a hard copy must have been produced. My first question is: why is my solicitor requesting a copy of the FRA when it is not necessarily a written document? Shouldn't they be content wi…

Hi I've purchased PAS 79 and wondered if I can add a front sheet with my company's details and add photos and plans. BSI weren't helpful at all !! Any advice greatly accepted.

I know of a factory which is 20000 sq foot split into 2 parts by a concrete block wall, one side is the production area making plastic component's and the other is warehouse space where only 1 man works for approx. 1 hour per day in a wooden grinding room. In the production area there are 15 workers. There is a very old manual fire alarm system and both ends of the production area but never serviced, in fact the owners are unsure whether it still works although a red light is lit at the side of the break glass point Both areas are open areas and with a high roof, any fire in the production area would be immediately seen by the workers. But the lone worker wouldn't k…