Fire Risk Assessments

Hi folks A three storey block of flats that I visited last week had external balcony access to the flat front doors accessed by a communal stairway to one side of the building only. None of the flat front doors or windows were fire resistant. Due to only having one route of escape and residents that have to pass various other flats to get there, should the windows and doors be fire resistant?

The door is required to be 1100mm but the evacuation chair in the short landing beyond restricts the width between walls to 880mm. The same crew that widened the door, fixed the evac chair in place!

Hello, I'm after some advice please. I was employed to carry out an FRA for (what I thought was a communal block of flats), with office space on 1st floor to also be assessed). On arrival I found the property was the following: -5 storey, believed to be converted office -Ground floor -cafe with basement - no access from residential premises. Communal area with elec box and stairs leading to: First floor- open plan office space for rent Second floor: Self contained flat used for holiday lets Third floor - Self contained flat used for holiday lets Fourth floor- Self contained flat used for holiday let. The bu…

Hello, Yesterday I visited a residential block to conduct an FRA for the communal areas and a rented office on the first floor. This was a 5 storey block with a cafe on the ground floor (no shared entrance), office on the 1st floor and flats on the upper floors. On arrival I was told that all flats on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor were now holiday lets owned and managed by the same people as the communal areas. My question is, do I just assess the common areas as normal using LACORS, with the CLG guide for the offices (it is converted and not purpose built and does not appear to conform to building regs) with a mention of the use? I did advise the cli…

Hi A block of flats we manage has been inspected by the Fire brigade. Its a 3 storey terraced house converted to 3 flats (one on each floor). It was converted in 2017 and was signed off by building control and local fire service also approved. After a fire audit last month, a notice has been issued by the fire brigade with a list of recommendations, incuding improvements to flat entrance doors and emergency lighting. One of the recommendations is to install a communal fire alarm system on top of the fire detection already inside each flat. I have since had a fire risk assessment done by an independent fire consultant who has advised that as the flats have…

since the property was built in 2005 the AOV system for the hallways ( 6 floors small communal hallway) was never commissioned. previous fire safety reports never flagged any issues. new management company has alleged to a fire safety inspector that the AOV system was broken. we now have a section 20 notice and have to have the windows open 24/7 until its resolved. is this compulsory or can we keep it has its always been (not commissioned) ? There is an AOV working in the communal staircase they have just never been commisioned in the small hallways. I wonder if it wasnt required so never actioned

I am in the process of buying a 2 bedroom leasehold flat in south London. The block is a purpose-built 60s block of 4 stories/under 11 meters and not a relevant building under the Building Safety Act. I have received the Fire Safety Assessment that was recently conducted and being a layman, understanding it, and if it's cause for concern, is not straightforward. Overall the buildings rating is "moderate" with a series of recommendations. The majority of them look relatively easy/cheap; but I am concerned about the below recommendation around roof compartmentalisation - based on some research i found from 2021, roof compartmentalisation could be significantl…

I've been asked to check the occupancy factor and suitability of fire exits for an existing soft play centre. The only specific guidance that I could find was on the ROSPA website which references BS EN 1176-10:2023 and BS 8409:2009. Can anyone advise if I should be looking elsewhere? https://www.rospa.com/policy/play-safety/services/advice/indoor-soft-play "Child user capacity is calculated using Table 1 of BS EN 1176-10:2023. A minimum of two fire exits for up to 100 users with an additional exit for every 100 extra users of the building. This includes staff, parents, and carers as well as the children". Also, does the reference to a minimum of two f…

Hello My daughter has just moved into a halls at university, on the ground floor. She has safety restrictor on the window, which I presume is to stop intruders. But I am concerned how she would get out in the event of a fire, if she could not get out the door. The window is double glazed so would be hard to break. Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks Nicky

If a 6 storey residential building is built on a gradient and one side is over 18m, but the other side is not (but both sides are accessible to the fire service), is it considered a high-rise building as far as the new fire regulations are concerned? Thanks

We are leaseholders & all members of a management company. some of the leaseholders were nominated to be directors. we had a fire safety report carried out & the directors are refusing to provide the report to us citing privacy issues. we have agreed that they should redact any personal information but they are still refusing to provide the report yet as leaseholders themselves, they have seen it.

Hi folks, We're a specialised housing company catering for people with learning difficulties & enhanced care needs. We have some purpose-built blocks which contain flats shared by two unrelated tenants - do we need to do FRA's on these flats?

I am of the opinion that in a two story single stair building with two flats on GF and two flats on FF, all with internal protected hallways, no smoke vent is required at the head of the stairway enclosure. ADB clause 3.50 specifies 'Except in buildings that comply with Diagram 3.9, the corridor or lobby next to each stair should have a smoke vent'. Dia 3.9 specifies 'If the flats have protected entrance halls, the lobby between the common stair and flat entrance is not essential'. The flats accord with Dia 3.9, therefore, no smoke vent is required because there is no lobby to install it in. The Stair enclosure only has a landing with flat entrance doors d…

Two maisonettes with a common entrance, staircase, landing on the ground floor and 1st floor. One of the two maisonettes has the common entrance, staircase, landing as part of the demise of the property (I.e owns it) and the other has the right to use the common entrance, staircase, landing. Who is responsible for the fire safety, asbestos survey, EICR etc for the common entrance, staircase, landing?

• The internal stairway discharges into the ground floor commercial area and the travel distances are excessive. The escape route would quickly become impassable in the event of fire originating in the basement, ground or first floor • The structure between the basement, ground and upper floors provides insufficient fire and smoke protection. This would allow heat and smoke from fire to pass from the basement to the floors above • The external fire exit does not have sufficient fire resisting construction from a fire originating in the building. Would anyone be able to help us suggest ideas on how we can prevent the above for our shop. We use to have…

Hi I have a second floor flat with a front door that exits onto an external walkway, does my front door need to be fire rated, managing agent wants £2k to fit a frame and FD30 door.

Hi all, looking for some advice please. I completed an FRA on a FMO. The flat is split level premises. It has a single entrance/exit door leading on to an an external balcony/walkway. On exiting the door there is two means of escape via external stairwell either side of the premises. My question is, is the front door required to be an FD30s fire door? I'm sure I've read that if there are multiple means of escape from a premises, there is no need to install a fire door. I'd also be keen to know where this is referenced (I'm sure it's in ADB but is it mentioned in any of the CLG guides or purpose built flat guides - I couldn't see it!). Cheers

Hello, as per BS9980 2022 - it appears external wall surveys (EWS) only apply to buildings comprising of more than one residential buildings? Does anyone know if EWS is relevant regardless of the height of the residential building? Do hospitals have to carry out EWS (it appears they are not included in BS9980 2022 guidance? Thanks for reading this and if you can provide clarity for me that will be greatly appreciated!

In a commercial premises, can combustible items be stored under fire exit stairs, providing an alternative escape route is available? Or should flammable objects never be stored under escape stairs? Thanks!

I am looking for some information on who would be the best company to carry out a FRA and pre planning Fire Strategy advice for a project which will have expansion vessels - Co2 V Banks -Thermal Store - E Boilers - Co2 Heat Pumps - Several Transformers in the London area . Many thanks in advance

Hi, The flat I've recently bought has polystyrene covings in all the rooms, painted with emulsion. I realise that ceiling tiles are a major safety risk but could you please advise me about just having covings

Opinions/advice please. Care home with Wellness Spa attached (swimming pool, gym, hair/nail salon, treatment rooms, fitness studio). Spa has its own independent access, open to general public and is also linked to Care Home by 60FDS ( fail safe on activation of alarm) same alarm & sprinkler system. All owned and managed by same company. Spa located on ground floor and occupies 1000m2 of floor space (3000m2 total) Question - should the Spa have its own independent FRA ?

As part of a type 3 FRA I have came across a 1970s block of flats 3 stories in height the upper story has 2 bedrooms accessed from the lounge with the kitchen and bathroom at the front near the entrance. There is no alternative MOE. The detection is LD2 grade D1 Is there a requirement to retrofit any further protection?

Hi, Could you please advise. We own a mezzanine flat in end of terraced house 1930s house as a share of freehold with the downstairs flat. The house was converted into 2 private flats in about 1987, which are sharing small entrance lobby area (cca 1.5x1.5m). Both flats have the possibility of rear escape – downstairs flat directly into the garden. Upstairs flat through the escape window and across downstairs extension roof onto the garden/ alleyway. Is there actually any relief on the FS requirements when having the option of rear escape ? Flat door must be FD30s – notional door upgraded with FR hinges, intumescent strips and door closer? Do N…

Hi - I've had a look on here and through various sites/docs and haven't been able to confirm the answer to this 100%. I own and live in the ground floor flat of a converted 1930s house. There is one other flat upstairs which is technically 2 stories as it has a loft conversion. There is a small communal hall (c 4x.1.2m) with mains smoke detector attached to the others in both flats. The main front door is uPVC. Both flats have entrances to this communal hall with the upper flat having a staircase just behind the door to the communal hall. My property has 2 external rear entrances to the garden/rear access (uPVC doors) and as mentioned mains connected smoke …