Tom Sutton

Identifying fire doors is not simple task, only fire door sets that are easy to identify are certificated door sets which will be labelled or identified by plastic plugs. Most fire doors will not be labelled and it is up to the person checking them to establish if they are up to the required standard and can be considered a nominal fire door. I would suggest you check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-doors/ and watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RQzl02C-NE to understand the complexity of them and even good joiners may not be able to identify them unless they have been on a specialists course. There are Fire Door Surveyors that can inspect them and provide a relevant report which I would think is the best way forward for you. Search the web with “Fire Door Surveyor” and select the one best suitable for your needs.

Dan I think I would agree with you the building should meet the full standards as detailed in the LaCors guide and as a minimum there should be openable windows on the upper floors, ideally AOV at the head of the staircase. Although the fire alarm should warn all the tenants to evacuate early in any incident, smoke has to enter the staircase for it to actuate and keeping it tenable is very important.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, states emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting. You refer to maintained lighting do you fully understand the meaning because there is maintained and non maintained emergency light and either would be acceptable. To help further I would need to know what you mean by special needs home.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, requires, amongst other things, that the chance of a fire starting is removed or reduced to a minimum and that routes to emergency exits from premises and the exits themselves are kept clear at all times. This means you should limit the amount of combustibles in escape routes which include habitable rooms because people have to escape from them and the combustibles should be fire resistant. It will depend on the item if they can be made sufficiently fire resistance to be acceptable and there is no lists of what is acceptable in communal areas it is a matter of fire risk assessment. I am afraid I cannot give a black and white answer, that’s why they call us the men in grey, as we only give grey answers but check out residential care premises page 55 which is the relevant guide. Check out Contract Flammability Guide.

Single domestic premises are exempt from The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, so houses, flats and maisonettes are exempt but any areas used in common are subject to the legislation like corridors, staircases and any rooms used in common and require a Fire Risk Assessment for those areas.

It is true and you should be checking the Do you have paying guests which provides the guidance for B&B. It all depends on the finding of the fire risk assessment and the building control inspector. Standard doors can be upgraded to 30 FD just check the web and search with “standard doors upgraded to fire doors” I found a number using intumescent paint, varnish and board and providing certificates. What is important is the doors should be substantial, well fittings and in good order.

Sorry Sue I do not know, my expertise is in fire safety not law and you should be talking to a legal beaver. However the question I would be asking is " Why do you need employee insurance let alone displaying certificates if you do not have employees" the window cleaner is most probably a contractor not an employee and the HSE handout explains that. On my house and car I have third party claim insurance in case anybody makes a claim against me but not employee insurance.

Yes it sounds acceptable the rule of thumb is " When the building/premises is occupied all doors required for means of escape should be easily openable with out the use of a key and openable with one action" a push pad will achieve this.

No there is no way of testing the finished article without severe damage, so it is not practical. The only person who can help is the manufacturer who will have all the necessary test certificates but a sofa made in 2012 should meet the regulations and have a permanent label attached. Has the owner real looked hard they can be hidden underneath items and it is important you know what you are looking for, it is usually just a piece of white linen with printed information. Check out http://www.fira.co.uk/document/fira-flammability-guide-october-2011pdf.pdf and see what the permanent label looks like, you do not require the display label.

Is he an employee, or a contractor, if he is a contractor, why do you need employee liability insurance? Check out page 4 of http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse40.pdf

In a hotel it is very unlikely that windows would be considered as a means of escape (MoE), the route to your room would be considered the principle MoE route and most likely there will be an alternative MoE route. You should be able to move away from the building when you get outside and are you sure the courtyard is totally enclosed? There will be fire detectors in the rooms and corridors which will set of the fire alarm, also there will be manual call points. The bedside telephone is just another method of raising the alarm but if this is not the case you should contact the Fire and Rescue Service and report your findings.

Check out the LGA guide Page 89 which states, 58.26 Current benchmark design guidance for small, single stairway blocks is as follows: • every flat is separated from the common escape stairway by a protected corridor or lobby • the distance of travel from flat entrance doors to the stairway should be limited to 4.5 m – if smoke control is provided in the lobby, the travel distance can be increased to 7.5 m • in single-stairway buildings with only two flats per floor, the lobby between the stairway and the flats is not essential, providing the flats have protected entrance halls in these circumstances, the vent at the head of the stairway should be an AOV operated by smoke detectors. Is there any openable windows or permanent ventilation, either way I think I would be using the LaCors guide.

On reflection I think the staircase should be enclosed but no lobbies but I believe the fire alarm was installed to compensate for that and that is why I would consider the LaCors guide.

It appears at first to be a major problem but if you study the LGA guide and LaCors guide things are not that bad. The LGA guidance states, 58.26 Current benchmark design guidance for small, single stairway blocks is as follows, • in single-stairway buildings with only two flats per floor, the lobby between the stairway and the flats is not essential, providing the flats have protected entrance halls – in these circumstances, the vent at the head of the stairway should be an AOV operated by smoke detectors. The LaCors guide has a similar building, page 47 but is converted flats and your premises would meet that guidance. You haven’t mention AOV or permanent ventilation in the staircase which would most probably be required. I do not think there is need for the external escape staircase but the balconies would act as waiting place for rescue by the FRS as a last resort. If you are not familiar with the above guides, study them and I am sure they will provide the answers you are looking for.

It appears at first to be a major problem but if you study the LGA guide and LaCors guide things are not that bad. The LGA guidance states, 58.26 Current benchmark design guidance for small, single stairway blocks is as follows, • in single-stairway buildings with only two flats per floor, the lobby between the stairway and the flats is not essential, providing the flats have protected entrance halls – in these circumstances, the vent at the head of the stairway should be an AOV operated by smoke detectors. The LaCors guide has a similar building, page 47 but is converted flats and your premises would meet that guidance. You haven’t mention AOV or permanent ventilation in the staircase which would most probably be required. I do not think there is need for the external escape staircase but the balconies would act as waiting place for rescue by the FRS as a last resort. If you are not familiar with the above guides, study them and I am sure they will provide the answers you are looking for.

You will find the following in BS 4499 part 4 2013, Mounting height Escape route signs should be sited conspicuously within the normal field of vision. To assist evacuees with the prediction of the location of successive signs, the Following principles should be applied: a. Signs above doors or open spaces should be mounted between 2 m and 2.5 m from floor level, measured to the base of the sign and be sited as close to the centre line of the escape routes practicable; NOTE 1 This mounting height is intended to ensure that signs can be readily seen, e.g. over the heads of people. b. Signs sited on walls should be mounted between 1.7 m and 2 m, from floor level measured to the base of the sign; NOTE 2 This mounting height is intended to ensure the signs are within immediate field of vision c. Mounting heights greater than 2.5m may be used, e.g.in large open spaces or for operational reasons, but such signs should be both conspicuous and identifiable therefore larger signs might be necessary; d. Signs should be sited at the same height throughout the escape route, so far as is reasonably practicable. As green-foam has said everyone should be out before the smoke reduces visibility and if this is not the case the FR assessor has done a poor job. If you are interested in low level signing check out BS ISO 16069 2004. Safety Way Guidance Systems.

You are correct Dan but Neil said "fire escape route on the outside of a building" not external fire escape and it is not regulation its DCLG guidance. On an external fire escape you cannot move away from any windows to a safe distance so they need to be 30 minutes FR fixed shut, on other horizontal escape routes you may be able too, that's why it is all about risk assessment.

Yes it should be tested in accordance with BS5839 part 1, check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-alarms/ and is a requirement of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005,

You could block it up but you would need to provide a satisfactory means of escape check loft conversions in Approved Document B page 21.

Building Regulations Approved Document H deals with it http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_H_2010.pdf also BS 5906 : 2005.

Who is this Fire Officer is he/she from the local Fire and Rescue Service and were they conducting a fire risk audit. If anything requires attention they should have sent you report on what requires attention. Is your Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) up to date, if so you would have informed if any windows are required for alternative means of escape and if signs are required. Check out the appropriate guide https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-healthcare-premises or contact the person that conducted your FRA.

The rim lock on my front door consists of a cylinder on the outside and a short lever on the inside and the snip can be overridden when you operate the lever, however if the snip can lock the door and prevent it being opened then it needs to be replaced. The rule is a door required for mean of escape, should be easily opened with one action in the direction of escape.

It all depends on the fire risk assessment and the fire safety strategy it could be a mixture FD30, FD30s, FD60 or FD60s. Whoever wrote the tender should have specified standard of the doors required, sorry I cannot help. Check out https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-residential-care-premises

The LGA guidance HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing for a standard domestic dwelling recommends grade D LD3 but Approved Document B - Fire safety: Volume 1 - Dwellinghouses recommends for a two storey house with a basement, and any floor over 200 squared metres , Grade B LD3 so if this house is subject to the Building Regulations then you need to consider Grade B LD3. A qualified electrician installing a Grade D LD3 I see no problems but a Grade B LD3 would be more of a specialist job and you would need to have a good knowledge of BS 5839 part 6 or attended a specialist course. For proof it has been installed correctly the Building Control Officer would require an installation/commissioning certificates but the is no mention of BAFE/FIA approved person. The type and siting of detector heads and sounders is all covered in the British Standard. For more information check out the above documents.

There will be no particular regulation it is all about risk assessment, if fire was issuing from any of these windows could people using this escape route be able to pass safely? You never said which type of premises we are discussing because there is guidance for each type.