Fire Risk Assessments

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 …

I recently visited a property and they've replaced with the door closers to allow the fire doors to swing both ways. By doing this, it has created a gap on top of the door within the door frame. Has anyone seen this before or have any advice on how they can effectively remove the gap and still allow the doors to swing both ways?.

Hi all, I’m after some thoughts on the below scenario Block of 6 flats - 2 flats per floor across 3 floors On the ground floor is an electrical meter cupboard in the Communal area opening onto the means of escape Walls, floor and ceiling are concrete - the doors are not fire doors I work for a provider of social housing and part of my role is to carry out Fire Risk Assessments. I recently carried out a fire Risk Assessment (so far I’ve covered about 60 blocks) and generally find that the meter room is being used for inappropriate storage by the tenants (from pushchairs to butane gas ?) or there’s evidence of the electr…

Hi, I live in a flat which is shared in a communal area with one other flat. Both flats have separate rear exits which are clear to our own private gardens. We recently have been informed by the council that we need to consider what we have in the communal area. We currently have a few ornaments (ceramic/metal), doormats, rugs, blinds, net curtains, and a water butt (used for front communal garden). I am wondering what regulations need to be followed. I have discussed with the other neighbour in regards to upgrading what we can to make it flame retardant, but wondering what the specification needs to be? I have autism, so please don’t be shy in sharing specific …

I'm an out of ours emergency veterinary care provider. My employer has done risk assessments (I'm awaiting copies) and staff are no longer allowed to nap or rest their eyes at work (we do 15 hour night shifts). Where can I find the legislation relating to this - we aren't a residential home or hospital. Thanks

Hi all. Numerous posts on the pages here ref ‘electrics’ in communal areas but just wanted to float this fairly basic one for opinion if I may as for some reason it keeps circling around in my head!? 2 x privately owned lease hold first floor flats. Communal area serves both flats via an entrance at ground floor, single flight of stairs to single landing, doors to flats either side of landing, the landing is the width of the staircase only. That’s it, the communal area could not be more simple in layout The flats are purpose built, 90’s, no AFD in communal area. FD to flats, albeit with a few defects and require replacement. In the wall on the landi…

I’m currently looking at a number of older (pre-Building Regs 1991), low-rise (under 11m), low-risk, blocks of flats which pre-date the requirements for AOV’s, but instead have windows on each level, which according to the guidance taken from the Government Publication ‘Fire Safety in purpose-built blocks of flats’ (below), should be okay: Small single-stairway buildings 58.25 Where a single-stairway building is small, relaxations in the provisions apply, providing: • the top floor of the building is no more than 11m above ground level • there are no more than three storeys above the ground level storey • the stairway does not connect…

Evening all. I hope it’s a good question. How often should a fire door be inspected and why?. flats=? Industrial=? commercial=? offices=? Is there any other categories? Thanks in advance.

Please could someone give me a steer on the required levels of fire separation between basements and ground floors? Situation is a commercial premises; the basement is served with independent stair which is fitted with FD30s at top. The stair is separated from the main stair to upper floors. Basement is not ventilated. Basement is also unoccupied but does contain mains electrical distribution board and gas valve / shut off. Building Control accepted FD30s at top of stair on basis basement has smoke detection fitted which is linked to building fire alarm system. Fire Risk Assessor advises that because basement has no smoke / heat ventilation, it must …