Fire Exits

Due to drop from step from Fire Exit , i need to put in another step . I am being told that it needs to be 1m x 1 m , Is this correct ? I can find nothing available to buy of this size which makes me question this info

I have a quandary. We have a demise within a multi tenanted building that we want to keep secure as the corridor is used by multiple patrons (card fob to gain entry) and have made the access system FAIL SECURE in the event of a fire alarm, power failure or BGU override from the secure side. It is also an escape door with the BGU on the direction of escape side of the doorway, so our staff can escape into the common stairwell. This is not a final exit door. Is the use of FAIL SECURE legal? Given there is a BGU to override from the secure side in the direction of escape travel

I have a 1 bedroom first floor self contained flat in a 2 storey block, there is also a lower ground flat but as far as BR state, it’s a 2 storey block. The block was converted in 1987 and although I do not have a building control certificate, I have had the flat for over 24 years and the layout etc has never altered from the original planning permission that was approved. I have an inner bedroom, however, as the floor is not over 4.5 metres from the ground level, I felt this would be satisfactory for fire regs. Means of escape was updated in building control 1985 so a conversion approved in 1987 would have that taken into account. The window in the bedroom…

If we are replacing an external fire door and there is a external step on the outside of the door can we still fit the door opening outwards?? This is a commercial shop with only 4 people working within the shop.

Hi We voluenteer in a library in which the only exit is via a automatic folding door, when the fire alarm is operated power is removed from the door, we then have to open it manualy and hold it open. As many of us are elderly it can be quiet difficult to open and then hold open to enable people to evacuatethe area, we have asked that the door opens when the alarm goes off but thye owners are saying they will now install a push button to open the door when the alarm goes off, surley this is turning it into an automatic door again. The owners are concerend with security out of hours if the alarm goes off. Can anyone advise what the correct procedure sho…

Hello I hope you can give advice and also tell me where i can find the relevant information. We have a had a new building constructed the main final exit door has been fitted with a solenoid lock it has a quick release box by the door. We have noticed that the door wont open if there is pressure on the door. Is there a regulations about the use of solenoid lock and were can i find it. If it in a British Standard could you please cut and paste and extract if you are allowed to.

Looking for some guidance on the main entrance to a block of flats. In general, for automatic swing doors, should these open on a signal from an alarming panel. It's a main exit and a fire exist. Building may have people with wheelchair or mobility scooter, thanks

Hi, we have several final fire exit doors in the school we work in and recently a over excited student broke it by banging it open too hard. The door swung all the way to the brickwork and it has since broken its hinges. We will have the door replaced but are considering putting self closing mechanisms on the door to restrict how far it can be opened but leaving at least 90° to match the doorway opening size. Before we do this we are trying to find out if it is legal and then get a cost to have the work done, can you help please? Many thanks. Justin

Hello, I have to fit exit hardware to a set of double doors that is also the main entrance as the current fire exits have steps and they need an exit suitable for wheelchairs so the front doors are the only option. In terms of regulations I have tried but failed to find any clear guidance on what I need to do in this situation. They would like a push bar on the secondary opening door and an internal thumb turn on the primary opening door as they obviously still need to be able to lock the door from the outside to secure the premises. Would this meet fire regulations? I am concerned that if there were a case where the panic bar were used but someone had locked the …

Our church has the main doors as a fire exit and they open inwards. There is never any more than 60 people in the church at one go with the exception of a carol service at Christmas. There are 5 other fire exits in the church, which all open outwards, is it ok to have the main doors opening inwards.

As it says on the tin, I am looking specifically for guidance for purpose built blocks of flats & conversions. Any help greatly appreciated!

I don't know whether this is the right place to put this question - I apologise if it's not. I own a flat which has normal fire escape from front door. However the living room opens on to a closed balcony at the back. There is no mention of this being a fire escape on my lease. However I am told that this is the case. The balcony is linked to balconies on properties either side. As far as I can tell if there is a fire alarm I should exit the flat along these linked balconies. However there is only one route from my balcony ie via the left side -the right hand door can only be opened by the neighbours on the property on the right. The balconies are totally enclosed so ther…

Hello all, is exterior signage for fire exits a requirement, it makes sense regarding warning people not to block them with parked cars for example?

I live in a building converted into flats, on the basement level there is an electrical cupboard which I believe should have fire rated doors and frames. There is also a full size cupboard which contains the water stopcock for each flat, there is nothing else in this cupboard. These cupboards are on the communal corridor for 2 flats, which do have other means of fire exit. Should the water stopcock cupboard have fire rated doors and frame.

Please could you tell me, I went into a shop in Ipswich, what was the main front door had a sign, please use back door, after I purchased my goods, I went to go out of what knew as the main door, which had the sign on, this door was locked, I said shouldn’t the door be unlocked as it was exit to the street, I was told it was not a fire door so could be locked, I said it might not be a fire door, but in a emergency people would go for the nearest door. It isn’t marked as a fire exit, but surely if it leads to the street it should be useable. Thank you

Could anyone advise me on the regs regarding the fitting of Geofire Doormouse Wall Mounted Electromagnetic Fire Door Holders, e.g cables used, containment, activation etc

Hi Wondering if anyone can help with an issue regarding fitting floor mounted mag locks (24v) These maglocks are used to keep the door open and if the fire alarm is activated, then the doors release, they can also be released manually by pushing a button on the maglock itself Do you have to use FP200 cable to the maglock? Does the cable have to be taken direct from the fire alarm panel or can it be taken from a sounder/strobe, via a normally closed relay? 24 v is supplied by a stand alone power supply unit to a n/c relay and then to the maglocks, when the sounder/strobe is activated, 24v is then sent to operate the relay and disconnect the feed to t…

I have had conflicting advice regarding fitting locks to an office door in a multi-tenanted commercial building. The door opens onto a common-area stairwell which is the primary escape route. I have been told that I must have a BS8621 rim-lock so that exit is always possible without the need for a key. This seems fair enough and I accept that. However, for security, I want a good mortice lock in addition. This needs to be a BS3621 (keyed from both sides) so that an intruder who may have gained access through a window can't then carry his loot out through the door. I have been told that, if I have this mortice lock, then it must have a thumb-turn on the insid…

Hi I’m looking at purchasing a commercial building with 4 floors, on viewing I found that their are two final escape doors on the ground floor and there is a stairway fire escape route top to bottom. On the other 3 floors there is a door on each floor marked as a fire exit into the adjoining property with a break glass release mechanism. On investigation next door, I found that they also use the doors as a fire escape route into the building I propose to purchase. My question is are these fire exit routes legally compliant? If so do I need to have a legal agreement with the adjoining property owner to keep full escape routes clear and open as presently…

fire door width is 710mm. two escape routes. discount the largest which is 720mm. Maximum fire protection measures in place roof over 3m but under 4m, no more that 77 persons occupancy as confirmed by the client. is this acceptable or not based on the variations 20% principal. it is not a new build.

Hi I have a customer that operates an indoor tourist attraction that has an ongoing issue with a certain element of his tourists using a double glass fire exit doors as a short cut as it is near to the car park as opposed to walking an extra 50 yards to the actual site exit. Although we have installed battery operated alarm, when it goes off the staff are so busy they cant respond quick enough to catch them in the act. Adjacent to these doors just around a corner there is another set of fire exit doors (approx 5 meters away) and we were hoping that we could lock the set of doors that are being used as a short cut as there is another fire exit so close. Is this doable…

We have moved into a ground floor retail space, the shop was once a large wine bar/restaurant which has since been divided into three shop. The third of the shop we now occupy contains a fire door (top left next to loo on attached plan) leading onto a courtyard at the back of the shop with a path leading down the side and to the street at the front, this served as the only fire escape for the whole restaurant, what is now our front door was always locked. The courtyard and path belong to the flat above and we have a right of access only. We would like to block up the fire door as we do not expect to ever have large quantities of people in the shop, our frontage is f…

We are in the process of buying four flats that are in poor repair. They were converted to flats prior to 1988 and we are being told they have a one hour fire time down the main stair case. They do have an integrated fire system which has been regularly tested and their is fire boarding between the flats. There is no secondary route to escape the property and it would be difficult to add in an external fire escape. We want to upgrade the property to modern building regulations but we are concerned that we will be required to put in a secondary fire route - which is likely to cause major problems with neighbours. Can anyone advise whether a secondary …

Hi We have just been told in my office by our Health and safety person that it is illegal (and we could be fined) for leaving our fire exit door open (we do this for ventelation) now it is not a 'fire door' as far as im aware as no sticker on it!? could you help us to solve this issue as we are missing out fresh air! Thanks Vicky

I have a client and the local building control want two windows as Fire escape windows on a ground floor premises. Maximum travel distance is under seven metres. with a fire door in between. So to a place of relative safety is 4m with 7m total to final exit. Is there a need for this? I don't see it but he's the bain of my life stating that because they are 'inner rooms' that they need it. They are just rooms that lead off a corridor 3m long. Its used as a clinic with a maximum 4 people on site at any one time. I seem to remember that windows cannot be used as escape routes. Perhaps I'm wrong?