Tom Sutton

You say, We have 3 fire exit doors that lead out onto a roof, where do they go when they get on the roof?

London Fire brigade are one of the the enforcing authorities for blocks of flats in London and if they accept the Ball Catches then there is not much you can do about it, other than go to the local housing authority who are to other enforcing authority.

The British Standard states every emergency lighting system should have means of simulating a failure of the the normal supply for test purposes, with out interruption of the normal supply, this is all you get and interpret as you choose. So I would suggest the location of test switches is entirely up to you, depending on your test procedure. To test the emergency exit lights you need to operate the test switch then walk around all the lights and check them to ensure that are operating correctly in the emergency mode, then return to the test switch and, switch back on, then walk around all the lights and check them again to ensure that are operating correctly in normal mode. During this period the light levels will be a lower level of illumination when in emergency mode and depending how long it would take you to walk the emergency lights would it be safe for the relevant persons occupying the building? Also if the building has sub circuits then each sub circuit has to be tested separately because if a sub circuit fails then that area needs to be illuminated by the emergency lighting. So without knowing further information it is not possible to suggest where test switches should be located.

It depends on the layout of your property and the travel distances to your front door, many houses have this situation you should check out approved document B (fire safety) not all houses need an alternative means of escape.

A possibility would be a video smoke and fire detection system which will also provide security video. These systems have been around for some time and are effective in warning of a fire in its early stages but will be expensive. They are not common and most use a manual alarm station for customers to use, to cut the pumps and call the fire service including CCTV - any detection element would probably be using video detection via the CCTV.

There is no way of working this out you would need a lot more information, I would suggest you consult the Fire Risk Assessment and the answer should be there.

Is it residential or day care I need this to decide which guidance is relevant?

Sorry Stuart I misread your question and now realise the coving is in situ which makes my previous submission nonsensical. Because of the amount of polystyrene involved in the coving it is not going to be a major fire hazard especially if it has been fitted correctly and painted with emulsion. However when you decide to decorate you should consider replacing it with plaster coving which I think is aesthetically more pleasing and of course less of a fire risk. Thanks green-foam for bringing it to my attention.

I would prefer plaster coving is far easier to put up, I would use tile adhesive to put it up but not the fix an grout type, though it has a longer working time making it easier to manage than the coving adhesive. Polystyrene coving and all polystyrene products now have an additive to inhibit fire but older product are a fire risk, that said you still have to fix them very carefully and should only use emulsion paint on them. Why add an additional fire risk when plaster coving is much better.

BS EN 1935 : 2002 states " Timber doors fitted with self closers should normally use three or more hinges, if three hinges are fitted the third hinge should be fitted approximately 200 mm below the top hinge in which position it supports some of of the additional outwards bending moment exerted on the top hinge.

Assuming the door in question is not required for means of escape then it doesn't require any signage and a Fire Exit arrow pointing the correct direction would be correct.

It depends on the local housing authority,s guidance, who are the enforcing authority for the whole of the HMO the fire and rescue service are only concerned with the common areas. Lacors HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing tends to be the most accepted guide.

Yes the british standard requires it, I think it's because you need to see the sign as you approach the door, no matter which direction you are travelling because it is unlikely you will look back or to the side, as you pass through the door.

A full system test of what?

Decoration Fire door leaves are generally not required to provide a specific surface spread-of-flame barrier, and may therefore be decorated as desired. There is no evidence to suggest that overpainting of intumescent seals has any detrimental effect on the ability of the seals to perform efficiently. There are some benefits in overpainting the seals as they are less likely to absorb atmospheric moisture. However, there are limits on how much paint can be applied without there being a risk of the seal being rendered inoperative. It is recommended that overpainting be limited to a maximum of five coats of conventional oil-bound paint or varnish. When preparing a frame for redecorating, the use of heat or chemical strippers should be avoided if intumescent seals are incorporated. If seals are damaged by either of these processes, they should be replaced in accordance with manufacturers instructions. If glazing beads have been painted with intumescent paint, it is essential that they be repainted with a similar paint.

No reason why not providing the instructor giving the training knows what he/she is talking about. It would be a good idea for the instructor to attend an official training course/courses to qualify as a fire warden before imparting their knowledge.

Has your fire risk assessment decided that the locked final exit door, you speak of, is not required, or suitable for means of escape, before deciding what signage is required or not as the case may be.

The regulations state, Any such assessment must be reviewed by the responsible person regularly so as to keep it up to date and particularly if :- a there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid; or b there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates including when the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions, and where changes to an assessment are required as a result of any such review, the responsible person must make them. Interpret how you chose, I would consider it as a dynamic risk assessment and you would be assessing it on a daily basis looking for any changes that may effect the safety of the premises, if there is then conduct a fire risk assessment if not then take no action. Every two to three years would conduct a full FRA to ensure the premises was satisfactory and I had not missed anything.

Hinges and latches have an important role in ensuring the integrity of the door. The fire door hinges must remain adequately screwed, in spite of the charring of wood in the vicinity. It is common to use three hinges although tests have shown that with some doors two hinges may be adequate for a 30 minute fire door (FD30). However it is it good practice to ask for 3 fire rated hinges to be fitted especially for nominal and FD 60 fire doors. BS EN 1935: 2002: Building Hardware Single Axis Hinges is the current European standard for single axis hinges and being able to understand the CE markings, provided when purchasing hinges, is of some importance. Guide to Interpreting Markings for Single Axis Hinges. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-door-fitting-and-ironmongery/

The Responsible Person (landlord) has a duty to provide a means of escape from your flat to the public thoroughfare where you can disperse to a safe area, he/she does not have to arrange designated fire assembly point. It is possible your block of flats may have a stay put policy and you could stay in your flat, if it is safe to do so, unless you are threatened by fire. I would need to know much more to give you a designated response.

The problem is that no matter which security device you fit, glass bolt mag locks etc, any person, if inclined to, can open the door easily as is required by the regulations. The best solution is to alarm the door, but being able to respond when the alarm operates is the problem and in your case the noise levels restricts the effectiveness of the system. I would suggest you consider a Wireless Universal Alert Sensor which would solve this because immediately the door is opened the sensor will trip and inform you by wireless transmission, allowing you to go to the door where the breach has occurred. You could also use a high decibel alarm which would be heard over the music and be uncomfortable for those in the vicinity of the exit door. Check out https://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-exit-door-security/

Yes they are subject to the regulations and require a shorter label giving only the minimum information. The guidance states, Scatter cushions and seat pads The regulatory requirement for scatter cushions and seat pads is that the filling material only must satisfy the relevant ignition test and each individual item must bear a reduced information permanent label (see Section 6.3). A scatter cushion is any small cushion which can be moved to any position in a room and is supplied separately (i.e. not comprising an integral part of an item of upholstered seating). A seat pad is generally accepted to be an especially small cushion intended to be used with items such as a wooden kitchen or dining chair, again here it is not an integral part of any item of upholstered furniture. Whilst the size of a scatter cushion or seat pad is not defined in the Regulations it is commonly accepted that a scatter cushion has dimensions which are less than 60cm x 60cm x nominal product thickness and a seat pad has dimensions no greater than 30cm x 30cm x 1cm thick. For scatter cushions which are provided with a fitted and non-removable decorative cover the requirement is that a permanent label is attached securely to an exterior surface (often attached to the seam). However, there has been some confusion when the scatter cushion interior pad has been supplied with a zip-on removable cover. This is because the required label refers only to the filling materials for scatter cushions and there are no requirements for the fire resistance of the cover. Hence, if the label is fitted to the zip-on cover and subsequently the cover and filling become separated, or the cover ends up on a different filling, the label would be inaccurate. Enforcement officers accept labels fixed to the interior pads of scatter cushions and suggest that the label protrudes through a partly open zip at the point of sale so it is visible. Check out http://www.fira.co.uk/document/fira-flammability-guide-october-2011pdf.pdf

The siting of oil tanks is covered by approved document J of the building regulations in relation to fire and environmental considerations, but for means of escape from fire, the guidance on Offices and Shops state, Final exit doors and escape away from the premises Good escape routes to a final exit will be of little benefit if the occupants are not able to get out of the building and quickly disperse from the area to a place of total safety. It is also important to consider where people will go once they have evacuated from the premises. The matters that you should consider include the following: • Final exit doors should be quickly and easily openable without a key or code in the event of a fire. Where possible, there should be only one fastening. See Appendix B3 for more information on security fastenings. • Final exit doors should not lead people into an enclosed area from which there is no further escape. • Where a final exit discharges into an enclosed area, further access to a place of total safety should be available by means of further doors or gates that can be easily opened in a manner similar to the final exit. Therefore I would suggest, an escape route, the minimum width of the exit door be provided to a place of total safety where persons can disperse safely. Check out the following links to obtain further information and guides. http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/approveddocuments/partj/approved

This is an FAQ from The Private Rented Housing Panel of Scotland, check out the advice pack I have not yet installed a smoke alarm in the property I rent out. Can I still install a battery operated alarm after 3 September 2007? No, after 3 September 2007 any smoke alarm fitted must be mains powered, even if it is replacing a battery powered alarm. Existing smoke alarms installed before 3 September 2007 can continue to be used provided they are in good working order. A guidance leaflet is supplied with the advice pack which can be downloaded from this website.

Most fire door assemblies fitted with single axis hinges (butt hinges) and fitted with mortise latches rely upon the latch bolt to make an important contribution to the performance of the door in the event of fire, the self-closer alone would not be sufficient. The latch prevents the fire door from distorting in the initial stages of the fire. If you require a fire door without a latch then you would need a pivot hinge and the test details that come with the door should indicate this is possibility.