Fire Exits

Hello Can someone help me with my query? Is it illegal to use a fire exit door as an entrance/exit door for general public as a daily use or should fire exit door be kept as emergency exit only in case of fire etc? I would be grateful if someone can clear this matter up for me. Regards Jennifer

Hi All, can someone let me know what legislation exists for a large public building with over 200 fire doors, including magnetic doors etc. How are these supposed to be checked at a frequency of a month etc? is there law or just guidance and best practice, 2 floors only but huge, 200 staff and around 450 members of the public in most days. rob

Good morning, Is there any mandatory law on how often these should be tested for functionality please? Guidance may offer time frames but from an enforceable stand point where would this be?

If a 20ft by 8ft shipping container is converted to a small coffee shop is one door, used for entry and usual exit as well as fire escape, enough to meet regulatory standards?

Hi there, any and all insight would be greatly appreciated - as this is far from my area of expertise! We're in the process of setting up a new business in the form of a wellness centre. We're creating a platform to put two cold plunges on, which will be situated close by to a fire exit. The platform will be 180mm in height. We intend to have a short ramp up to the platform that covers the whole width (around 4m), along with a ramp where the fire exit is situated, otherwise the platform will be wall to wall. I hope the above makes sense, keen to understand if we are compliant with fire safety regulations before we commence with the build! Let me know if …

Hi, I should start by saying that this is not a project that i am working on but I happened to visit a building that I have previously worked in and noticed something's and just wanted some information about if what they have done is legal. I used to regularly work in a studio theatre with an audience capacity of 350. The audience area has 3 fire exits including the main entrance to the theatre. The backstage area has one large door into the theatre space which is held open by a fire alarm operated magnetic release mechanism. This is designated the fire exit from backstage however there is also another small door from backstage that goes in to a fire escape route …

Good afternoon, I have an enquiry about a mesh fire exit door on a roof, the measurements are 1,500mm high x 500mm wide. I wondered what is the smallest width and height a door can be? Kind regards Lauren

My local Church has a hall multi use that is used by preschool Monday to Friday, out of these times it’s used by slimming group and othera, the fire doors are fitted high level handles that the children can’t get hold of but they block one of the fire doors with a children’s kitchen set. It’s been said to them that this needs to be removed once all the children have left the premises (is this acceptable ) but they are not doing this. I have said to the minister that he needs to make sure it’s done. But this isn’t occurring. My main question is their argument there is two other fire exits from the hall I have been told Ofsted not brought this up on their visit.

Two different scenarios, both 2 story, ground and first floor flats. Front doors in one are to the front face of the block and approx 60cm apart. Another block the doors are on the side face and are 90degress from one another. All doors are to fresh air but due to their proximity to each other would Fire doors be required under guidance? I can’t add photos because I don’t know how?!

We have some fire exit staircases on our site. I am looking for what regulations exist for the checking of these. Do they need to be examined and if so by who? can we carry out basic checks ?

Hope someone could offer some advice on a query I have. We have a set of doors that lead directly to the public path, these are locked when we are not open to the public. There is an alternative way of ingress and escape. When we are open to the general public, the main doors are open inwards and locked into position, access is via a set of automatic glass doors that overlap our main doors. We would like to make our street doors readily available to use as a fire exit by installing some push bars, etc. The question is, would it be a problem if they invade the public path? One of the directors is questioning if there is a risk to the public if this door is opened out…

Locked myself out from a shop that has a Fire exit doorat the back of the shop with push bars inside and steel/metal door outside . Left my car keys etc in shop . Is it difficult to open the door from outside do i need a specialist locksmith ?, can it be easily broken into as concerned at it being broken into ? Please assist someone

Hi all, I recently came across a youtube video on PSA 67:2021 which seemed to have some far-reaching consequences that I hadn't previously considered. In addition, I can't find much information on the internet so I was curious whether other people are encountering the same topics: In particular, the video is saying that the use of maglocks and green BGUs typically can't be used as this would put requirements beyond that of 'requiring people to manipulate more than one mechanism'. As in, one mechanism for the green BGU and another mechanism for the door handle. So a secure office door would need to have a solenoid lock similar to a hotel room door rathe…

I have recently purchased a bungalow (in Scotland) with an attached garage that as it stands isn't integral. The problem is that garage sits considerably lower than the bungalow itself, so the height for any potential door is reduced to around 130cm. My question is - is it still possible to put a fire door in to make the garageintegral and still meet building requirements? Obviously I would probably have to get a custom door made. Or is it the case that there is a minimum height requirement for fire doors? Any answers are very much appreciated!

Hi, I have got a fire escape route on the outside of a building, with goes over 3 separate windows. The windows have openings but do not obstruct the route of escap. What are the regulations on the windows? Do they need to be fire rated windows or any specifics regulation? Thank you in advance. Kind regards Neil

Can an entrance/exit with glass fire proof doors and with Fire Exit signs above it, have curtains (fire proof) drawn across them during use of the space? for example a Community Center.

Hi I am a manager of an independant living scheme for the elderly in Rastrick, Brighouse, West Yorkshire and I have 2 tenants that are wanting a mobility scooter and i have been told by my line manager that to store them in a communal area i would need to get a fire officer to do an inspection on the court, could you please inform me who i would need to contact.

I live in a 3 storey town house where there is only access to the garden at the rear. This is to say that the neighbours at either side have built hedges, fences and sheds, only allowing me to exit the property from the front. Also at the rear there is a wall and then a 10 foot drop in to a beck. this is probably about 10 metres from the rear door. Does this contravene any fire safety regulations

We have a three storey commercial (office) building. It has an internal protected fire escape with the offices on either side. To one side of the building it has an external fire escape. The external one is very old and does not comply with current standards. This would be in the six figures to be redesigned, manufactured and installed. Can the external escape be take out of service and use the one internal escape. Obviously the signage and strategy of the building will need to be changed.

Do we require a fire door in a portacabin . door comes from a office into the only corridor

Hello all, i hope you are well? I'm having some real difficulty in finding guidance or regs on what smoke ventilation requirements are needed for pre-2006 purpose built blocks of flats. was it required or only advised? Thanks in advance.

Hello does any one have a reference I can go to in respect of travel distances from are containing plant on a flat roof

I have been asked to be responsible for the opening and locking up for a community group in our local community centre. The centre has adequate fire exits etc, but I have been asked to lock the door when all the members are in and to keep the key in my pocket. I am unhappy with this and am concerned, if there was a fire, where I would stand. Are you able to offer advice to me? Thank you

Hello, Just wondering if anyone knows about whether the green emergency release buttons are required for entry exit doors. This is for student accommodation and we are having serious issues with them over the last year pressing the release buttons to keep the doors unlocked because they either lost their key-card or are too lazy to take them. One thought was only having the red emergency buttons connected to the fire alarm to prevent them misusing the doors. Similar thing with the fire escapes of the flats, they go to an external staircase and are regularly propped open. So basically you allowed to remove the green break glasses and only have red…

I am converting the ground floor of an existing 4-storey office building to restaurant use. The ground floor will be let out. 60min fire protection is required between occupancies. Now a protected stair serves the upper floors which remain as office accommodation. D2 will provide an alternative means of escape from the restaurant. I am of the view that the wall separating the restaurant and the protected stair should be 60min and D2 should only be used for MOE and not used for any other purpose. I could see deliveries coming in from the yard area where there is a large open car park. Knowing restaurants as I do, I could see D2 propped open, damaged, with loss of integrity…