Evacuation Plans

Hi We are a company on two floors with a warehouse adjoining the building, we have on average 21 people in the building at any time. When we do our fire drills we have been told to record the length of time each drill takes. How do I know if the length of time for our evacuations is acceptable? Is there a benachmark figure that we should be aiming for? Thanks

Can anyone advise please, in the event of a fire, should tenants living in a block of apartments (26 apartments over 6 floors) evacuate or stay put? We have been told originally to stay put until the fire service advise evacuation but am I now concerned that this is not the recommended action to take. thank you

Hi, I'm just trying to clarify if there is any legislation / recommendations around preventing staff being required to re-enter a building to search designated areas having already escorted an initial group of people to a muster point. It seems counter intuitive to me and adding unnecessary risks to a volatile situation. I can see perhaps well trained and equipped fire officers under strict guidelines being safe to do so but ad hoc and untrained re-entry into a large venues basement to search dressing rooms down the ends of corridors for visitors that may or may not have signed in or out seems a bit...

Hi I'm looking for advice on a company policy that states that in the absence of a fire warden, I am required (after ensuring visitors in my charge have been take to the muster point) to re-enter the building and go to the basement, through several doors and down some corridors, to do a search of dressing rooms on the off chance that there are people down there not taking notice of a fire alarm. Seems like a dumb idea to me. Is there any guidance/legislation to back up not wanting to do this? thanks Bob

Hi, what are the requirements about who draws a schematic fire plans. Can it be any competent person or is it regulated and require approval? Many thanks

We have a commercial property (offices) front door that is currently not interfaced with the alarm. This is because the building is unmanned and in the event of a false alarm out of hours the building's security would be compromised. In the event of a fire tenants would need to use the break glass or green release button to open the front door. There are other fire exits within the building, so the front door is not the only means of escape. We have a tenant disputing this set up as they say if everyone was lying on the floor with limited visibility how will they know where the break glass is and is demanding we interface the alarm so the door automatically releases …

I operate a childrens nursery and would like to know how often i must carry our fire safety training for my staff

Has anyone got any good ideas/procedures on how to raise the Fire Alarm when you have isolated your fire panel for maintenance? Thanks in advance. Gary

We're trying to work out what a safe number is for our call centre - BS9999 / ADB Vol 2 show 6m / person for Offices (as a guide)...But, we have introduced smaller desks (1200mm x 800mm) as opposed to the original desks in the office space.Is there a specific guide for calculating the occupancy capacity for 'call centre' environments?? As always, any guidance always very much appreciated!

I am carrying out a fire risk assessment for a bar/nightclub. The site has been refurbished with upgraded fire alarm, emergency lighting and electrics. There are 2 storeys with 1 exit on the ground floor which is also the main entrance. There is 1 staircase (unprotected) leading down from the second floor to the ground floor. Building control were discussing if the unprotected staircase would be acceptable with the fire service so we are still waiting for their reply. In the meantime I have set the maximum capacity at 60 as there is only 1 exit. The owner wants to know if there is any way this can be increased to 80 based on assessment. He says the fire service we…

Happy Monday everyone Can someone please help me with some advice, I have a 3 bed semi-detached HMO which I am converting into a 5 bed HMO. This will mean that the rear living room will be converted into a bedroom and will have the only means of access to the garden. The council have advised me that we will need to place a door opening to the garden from the kitchen, as a kitchen needs more than one means of fire escape - this doesn't sound right to me, NLA agree also and i'm unable to find any information online that would confirm this information. However, before I challenge it, I thought I would see if anyone here knows? Many thanks Anna

We are in the process of replacing communal mailboxes in the foyer of some flats. the foyer would be the only means of escape in the event of fire Is there any need that they comply with BS476: Part 22? or is BS476: Parts 6 & 7 sufficient? Regan

Hola, I have an office that is approximately 220m2, there are enough fire exits (4), using the occupancy factor from ADB of 6.0 this gives a figure of 37.(rounded up). This does not seem a lot considering the size. Am I missing something? Is there any movement on occupancy ratio that I can use. Many thanks Steve

We have a proposed function room on the third floor in an existing hotel. We have two storey exits. Discounting one gives an exit capacity of around 250 which is more than we need for the intended purpose.However, when floor space factors are applied, the room occupancy could be calculated as more than double that figure. That being the case Building Control will not permit the development unless the room size is reduced to reflect the occupancy calculated from the floor space factor. Doing that would not work as the room is intended as a wedding venue. They argue that the tables could be removed and the occupancy would need to be based on that of a bar. I have sympathy …

Whats needed to undertake to create a Fire Evacuation/Fire Safety Plan for a purpose built block of flat (with commercial spaces & a car park at the basement)

I'm trying to find some guidance on dry riser outlets fitted in a protected lobby of hotel with refuge area?

Hi, Looking for some advice on evacuating disabled persons from a building. Is there any legal barrier that prevents staff going back into a building to assist with the evacuation of disabled persons? My view is that while not ideal, it would be acceptable unless it put the staff at risk, but I'd appreciate any opinions and advice. Thanks.

Hi, How often is my company legally required to have a full evacuation of the building during a fire alarm test.

What is the maximum distance allowed between fire escapes when working on a roof. i.e if the roof is 100m square with one fire escape in the corner how many more escapes are required. Thanks

I have a client who has started to create a disabled guest bedroom and bathroom leading off a kitchen/diner area. I have concerns about this. 1- The kitchen/diner would be considered as a higher risk room and the escape route would involve going through the kitchen. 2- If the person requires assistance in getting out and are alone, someone needs to come through the kitchen to get to them. 3- I dont think this complies with building regs anyway but cant find anything definite. 4 - Apart from anything else its not a good look having a toilet/bathroom that can be seen from the dining room table. This is in a guest house which sleeps 8. Any poi…

I am seeking the view of the forum regarding the actions to be taken by visitors in the event of a fire alarm activation in a Care or Nursing Home. We provide fire safety training for a number of care homes in our local area and teach that (pending the confirmation of a fire), conventional 'progressive horizontal' process is undertaken by staff for residents. However, we urge that guests and other visitors vacate the premises immediately on hearing the fire alarm and wait on the assembly point for further guidance. One of our homes is adamant that guest and visitors should remain where they are and await guidance from staff. Personally, I can se no…

Hi Guys - first post, so please be gentle if I'm asking a dumb question I recently attended a conference (1000 delegates) in Berlin. The large hall was filled with temporary seating that consisted of 100s of cardboard boxes. They were very strong, but they were just ordinary corrugated cardboard boxes (500x500 to sit on and about 600 high). We set fire to a few and they burned exactly as you would expect a corrugated box to burn. There were set out sensibly with good seatways and gangways, but there was no way to secure them into coherent rows, so they would almost certainly scatter and become a significant trip hazard in an emergency evacuation. The company I …

Hi in a large general needs block of flats that are mixed tenure is there any responsibility on the landlord/freeholder to provide peeps? Thanks

Hi, Is there a definitive list of contents for a Premises Information Box for the fire service? This will be solely be for the fire service, not contractors. We are supplying these to our High Rise, Sheltered and Supported properties. Thanks, Mike

Hi. New to the forum and I am looking for a software program to design floor/escape plans. Not necessarily free but I want a simple to use program. All suggestions appreciated.