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- Yesterday
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I'm used to houses of more than one storey and flats in blocks, the latter using the protected hall approach and requiring the requisite doors as per Table C. At the end of the day it's a Building Control matter and LABC or your AI will decide how to interpret the guidance. Mostly the internal doors are FD20 doors, which is usually an FD30 blank without the intumescent strips. Every new build flat I've been to has this set up.
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RachelF joined the community
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A permanent label has to be fitted by the manufacturer and cannot be replaced, and display labels can be fitted when they are put up for sale. Permanent labels are required to be permanently fitted to the item of furniture and can be difficult to find. Check out the guide Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home A Guide to the UK Regulation.
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Substitution is a good way of checking if a unit is working correctly or not and you should contact the manufacturer and the instructions that came with the detector. -
If the car is on the public thoroughfare and is abiding by the parking laws, it is unlikely you will be able to do anything about it, you could try talking to the council to see if they can help or try contacting a solicitor to see if they have any idea's.
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Approved Document B (Fire Safety) Vol 1 paragraph 2.10. states c. Locks (with or without removable keys) and opening stays (with child-resistant release catches) may be fitted to escape windows. d. Windows should be capable of remaining open without being held. Check out Approved Document B (Fire Safety) Vol 1
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Does my front door need a lock without key?
Neil ashdown replied to a topic in Fire Doors and Accessories
Just to add that, there is a requirement that the lock-set is fire rated and installed in accordance with the fire door manufacturer's requirements. -
Thanks for the response. Reading through the document, am I right in saying that although the building has been split into three separate residentuial units, as each unit has its own independent external entrance (onto the street), there are no communal areas and the first floor flat is less than 4.5m from the ground, they would each be classed as a dwellinghouse rather than a flat with regards Section 2 means of escape regulations? If classed as dwellinghouses, I can't see anything definitive saying that all doors in the upstairs flat need to be fire doors unless I'm missing something? All habitable rooms have escape windows and as said above, all units have indepenedent external entrances and below 4.5m. You say all rooms in the upstairs flat now need to be fire doors, is that because to get access to the external entrance you have to go through the lounge?
- Last week
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Yes, it refers to a fire being sensed by a human (sight/smell/heard/felt) with them subsequently raising the alarm in a manual manner, which in a very small single storey premises may be a shout or a whistle/horn/gong and in larger buildings activation of a manual call point in an electrical fire alarm system.
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Does my front door need a lock without key?
AnthonyB replied to a topic in Fire Doors and Accessories
It's perfectly legal and if you are in flats the door should already be like this anyway. https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/search?query=mortice thumbturn https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/browse/locks-latches-and-security/filter/%24s%3Deuro cylinder thumbturns?fi=c -
You will find your answers here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/832631/Approved_Document_B__fire_safety__volume_1_-_2019_edition.pdf In the old days often only kitchen and living room doors were fire doors, now they all have to be other than the bathroom. They don't, however, need self closers or intumescent strips.
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It's purely a convenience factor - for use in high traffic areas where the doors being closed would hinder circulation leading to the doors being wedged or damaged (the later particularly where trolleys of goods are pushed through). The hold opens will ensure the doors can always shut when they need to be.
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Your agent is applying the 'zero tolerance' approach detailed in Government fire safety guidance as it is the easiest to implement and leaves no ambiguity as to what can be placed in the common areas. However the guidance does offer an alternative which is ‘managed use’. This approach allows strictly defined use of common parts and limits the items allowed, to control fire load and ease of ignition. It includes strict conditions on where such items can be kept. For example, a ‘managed use’ policy might permit residents to: • place pot plants and door mats outside their front doors • have framed pictures and notice boards on walls • store bicycles, prams and mobility scooters in places that are out of the way and not likely to cause obstruction. It's not popular with agents as it requires a lot more hands on management and a bigger liability risk, but I have assessed premises where it has been effective due to the residents being proactive in monitoring compliance themselves.
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They are not there to aid in escape, and as they are fire extinguishers their very purpose is to fight a fire! The clue is in the name.... From the Government Guidance: It is not normally considered necessary to provide fire extinguishers or hose reels in the common parts of blocks of flats. Such equipment should only be used by those trained in its use. It is not considered appropriate or practicable for residents in a block of flats to receive such training. In addition, if a fire occurs in a flat, the provision of fire extinguishing appliances in the common parts might encourage the occupants of the flat to enter the common parts to obtain an appliance and return to their flat to fight the fire. Such a procedure is inappropriate The common parts are your escape route and as such are constructed such that they will be safe from fire for considerable time and should not have a fire starting in them (unless someone has broken the law and introduced fire risks into this area). A typical water or foam extinguisher is unsuitable for most fire risks in flats, which are usually of cooking or electrical nature. Communal circulation areas are (or should be) fire sterile forming part of the protected escape route for the building and should only include basic carpeting and wall coverings that would not be involved in a fire, if at all, until well after conditions in the area would be fatal to human life. You would be best placed in removing them and making a saving in the residents service charge budget that can be better spent on other things.
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Good afternoon all, I came across this form on a google search following a notice from our property manger to remove a baby's push chair from beneath a stairwell. I would normally instantly comply with such a notice but the issue is that our apartment is on the first floor, there is a lift provided but this is at the top of a half flight of steps (I know, kind of pointless lift) also I would like to point out that the it is only the push chair frame of the push chair that is left beneath the stairwell as the seat and baby are carried up the stairs. The issue is returning to bring the frame up would result in the child being left alone upstairs. Also carrying the frame up the stairs is difficult for the mother of the child particularly when on her own. The building was purpose built (not a conversion) in the mid 90s and contains 5 no. flats, 2 on the GF, 2 on the 1st floor and 1 in the roof space on the 2nd floor. When entering the front door (not a level threshold) there is a straight flight of stairs (no half landing) to the left and a corridor straight ahead that runs along side the stairs extending to door which leads to the lift and front doors to the GF flats (picture attached). The frame of the push chair is normally stored beneath the stairs, this is not an enclosed space and the post boxes are also fixed to the wall beneath the stairs. I would imagine that the notice has been issued as the storage violates two things - first storage of materials (possibly combustible) in the fire route and the second a potential of blocking a fire route from the GF apartments. I would like to argue that firstly the frame is not combustible or has a low risk of combustion (rubber wheels?) and second that if there is a way of ensuring the push chair does not encroach into the escape route then there is little risk. I believe this can be done by installing a low level rail/barrier beneath the stairs dividing the area used for storage from the escape route? Is there any argument that can be made to update the risk assessment thus allowing the push chair to be stored beneath the stairs? Or any documents or route that could be used to argue this? I look forward to your response.
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j03k30gh joined the community
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Hi, Clause 4.1 in above COP states ' manual fire detection' - I interpret this to mean fire detected by a person - or is it a typo - your views please?
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I live in a housing association house I would like a lock fitting that makes it easier to turn in an emergency without the need to search for keys I have arthritis and find it difficult to turn the keys would I have to pay how does the law stand on this please?
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I hope someone can help, thanks in advance for any advice. I'm renovating my former two storey office premises to add two x one bedroom flats to the ground floor and I currently live in the first floor flat. Each flat has it's own separate entrance and there are no communal areas, the first floor flat is less than 4.5m from the ground. I'm looking to rent out all three flats on completion and just want some advice on fire doors for the upstairs flat. The architect showed lots of fire doors upstairs but I think this was because there wasn't a door on the kitchen when he did the plans. There is now a standard door on the kitchen, would we still need fire doors on all the doors as per the plans below which show the ground floor entrance and the first floor flat layout (without the kitchen door)? Every room except the bathroom has a means of escape window. Would just fire doors on the kitchen and the boiler room suffice? As we will be living in the flat while work is going on, the fewer doors we need to replace wth fire doors the better to minimise mess and disruption, but obviously we want to keep within regulations. Many thanks
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TopperUK joined the community
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Why is it important to keep open automatic self-closing fire doors by keeping them stuck to the walls by their magnets?
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BurstCreative joined the community
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We have a fire escape window on our upstairs landing and I've just found out my 3 year old twin girls can open the window. As there is no lock or anything on this window, is there anything we can fit to childproof this window without compromising fire safety?
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As it's a private dwelling the internal door requirements are not retrospective, fire safety legislation does not cover these areas. (If used as a HMO or similar this would be different)
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Fixed ladders are not normally accepted as means of escape under regulations and guidance, however an exception is made for areas that are infrequently used or only resorted to by small numbers, usually under 5, and only staff no public. So it's not out of the question - bear in mind this assumes all users are fit and able bodied.
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Dear Sir/Madam, Need some piece of advice and expertise guidance on this. I am landlord and I am looking to change the kitchen and living room doors from the old timber style doors to new a style of framed, solid with glazed panels. The project is DIY and involves me buying the necessary materials to construct and fit the doors. The kitchen door will be a metal double slide door and the other one will be a two-leaf foldable door (please refer to attached pictures for your guidance). Have the following preliminary queries: · What are the requirements for the specific doors to be fire doors assuming for both metal frames will be used? o Min -max thickness of the frame o Hinges type of material and number wherever applicable o Gaps at the side and bottom for both types of door o type of installation · Any specific materials to be used o What type of metal is recommended? o What type of glazed panels is the best? o What type of inducement seals? o What type of paints, coating and adhesives should be used? · Do I legally and technically speaking need to seek for 3rd independent party to certify the doors as fire doors? If yes, o Please recommend a few well-recongized organizations o When the certification takes place? Before or after the installation? · What is the applicable regulation? Doors should be certified as FD30 or FD60 or else? Any further information and guidance on the purchase and construction of the doors which you may offer shall be much appreciated Thanks
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Dear Sir/Madam, Need some piece of advice and expertise guidance on this. I am landlord and I am looking to change the kitchen and living room doors from the old timber style doors to new a style of framed, solid with glazed panels. The project is DIY and involves me buying the necessary materials to construct and fit the doors. The kitchen door will be a metal double slide door and the other one will be a two-leaf foldable door (please refer to attached pictures for your guidance). Have the following preliminary queries: · What are the requirements for the specific doors to be fire doors assuming for both metal frames will be used? o Min -max thickness of the frame o Hinges type of material and number wherever applicable o Gaps at the side and bottom for both types of door o type of installation · Any specific materials to be used o What type of metal is recommended? o What type of glazed panels is the best? o What type of inducement seals? o What type of paints, coating and adhesives should be used? · Do I legally and technically speaking need to seek for 3rd independent party to certify the doors as fire doors? If yes, o Please recommend a few well-recongized organizations o When the certification takes place? Before or after the installation? · What is the applicable regulation? Doors should be certified as FD30 or FD60 or else? Any further information and guidance on the purchase and construction of the doors which you may offer shall be much appreciated Thanks
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I work for a company and we own a complex of flats. In our last annual Fire risk assessment, we have been told we have to remove the class A fire Extinguisher from the stair well because of lack of training to residents. However they are only there to aid in escape, not to fight a fire. Is there any signage we can put up to negate the FRA or something?
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Hi Ed, I leave the discussion about the legal aspect to others, however, we provided fold out fire escape ladders to customers with mezzanine floors (including Heathrow baggage handling) and that seemed to satisfy their fire risk assessments. These are usually combined with swing gates etc to prevent the risk of falling. These escape ladders are available with harnesses as well. Harry
