Tom Sutton

It would appear the gap under the door is excessive and it should not exceed more than 8mm/10mm from the level of the finished floor or covering to the underside of the door, providing it is a necessary fire door. Is the door in question protecting an escape route from a high fire risk? I would suggest you contact the local Fire and Rescue Service and ask for their opinion.

It sound that you have the necessary labels but check out the FIRA guide especially the section on permanent labels just to be certain.

I am afraid with a single family occupation it is very difficult monitoring such a situation other than education. When ever you become aware of fires especially where the the fire alarm failed to operate and lives were lost let him know or check out http://www.direct.go...afety/index.htm for some more ideas. Harry's smoke alarm test reminder is an excellent idea.

What type of residential premises is it.

IMO there as always been two categories of fire doors, certified fire doors/sets and nominal fire doors, even more so in this age of risk assessment. Certified fire door sets have documented proof that the fire door set meets the required standard and the manufacturer guarantees the fire door set also takes full responsibility. Nominal doors which include upgraded doors, modified doors and BS 476 part 8 doors and it is the FR assessor who has to decide if the door meets the required standard through assessment. If you don't accept that then how do you deal with a older premises with lets say part 8 doors, which have been doing the job for fifty years, are you prepared to insist they are ripped out and replaced with part 22 doors. I would suggest you would require a part 22 door when any part of the premises is refurbished or if a fire door requires replacing because in your opinion it is unlikely to meet the required standard when required.

You naughty boy Ryan :angry: this is not a question suited for this forum. I have only been involved in one pressurised staircase situation many moons ago and one considerations they never took into account was somebody would light a fire in the staircase enclosure. As for the guidance documents you referred too I know BS 9999 is slated by many and the best place for this question is on the Fire Net forum when it comes back online. I shall meet you there soon Tom :wub:

Is this a house occupied as a single private dwelling, if it is then it is not subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 other than article 31(10). Talk to your local Fire and Rescue Service and get their opinion. Also have you checked your tenancy agreement and you could also visit the local Community Advice Centre (CAB).

The paint mixing room could have a large fan extracting the fumes to outside the premises and the vent in the fire door could be an input vent, without knowing a lot more and preferably a physical inspection then it is very difficult to make a decision. The original question stated " We believe that this has damaged the integrity of the door and he should no longer class it as a fire door" this would indicate it is a fire door and IMO only a FRA of the door can determine if the door can still be considered a fire door.

Sorry Steve I totally misread your question and thanks Ryan for putting me straight.

From the number one expert on fire doors and I consider the bible when discussing fire doors, "Best Practice Guide to Timber Fire Doors" states, Avoidance of twist in door leaves It is important that the magnet is on the same level as the door closing device, thus when used with an overhead closer the magnet will be at door leaf head height and when used with a floor mounted closer it will be at ground level. The importance of the location of the hold-open device is to avoid the twisting force that would be applied to the door leaf if the holding point were not at the same level as the closing force. This force can permanently distort door leaves and the door leaves when distorted will not close fully or correctly. Page 82 clause 20.28.4

I am not aware of any guidance or standards regarding this aspect and certainly no legislation. The only standard I am aware of that deals with the device itself is BS EN 1155 :1997 but I cannot find anything relating to this aspect. The usual term used is " Install in accordance with manufacturer's instructions " and I understand your concerns especially if you are a manufacturer. However as fire doors are usually well constructed, ridged and subject to other stresses, then this additional stress should be well within the capabilities of the door but I accept stress should be reduced as low as possible. My only suggestion is that the door should not be kept under stress 24/7 and my advice was always to release the door, using the manual switch, to the closed position during sleeping hours. Followed by an inspection to ensure that all the fire doors held by magnetic hold open devices have worked correctly.

The appropriated guidance is Educational premises page 111 (7.4) and lists the occasions when training for staff should be carried out and when fie drills should be carried out. Fire drills should be carried out at least annually or as determined by your fire risk assessment. To account for the turnover of pupils/students, there should be a fire drill at least once a year and preferably one a term/semester.

I would be post haste to the nearest Citizens Advice Bureau at least go online at http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/ you need legal advice.

Thanks Harry.

Hi Juliet The furniture regulations only apply to upholstered furniture, therefore tables should present no problems. Is the upholstered furniture for domestic or contract/ non-domestic purposes, because different rules apply. Check out http://www.fira.co.u...mability-guides select which guide and the standards you require then before you purchase, enquire with the retailer if the furniture meets the necessary standards. You may have to register (free) to download the publication. Tom

Hi Harry Why do they lose their kitemark, they should be overhauled in accordance with BS 5306: Part 3: 2000, F1, F2, D1 and E1? Tom

Yes you can use refurbished fire extinguishers (overhauled) but there are very few types that it makes economic sense to refurbish possible CO2 and some dry powders but quite often it’s cheaper to buy new. It needs to be done in accordance with BS 5306: Part 3: 2000 and other standards therefore if there is no kite mark then that is not acceptable. In most normal situations you require very few CO2 extinguishers and if you are considering only CO2 then you have been watching too many star trek movies and are need of a competent person to help you. Check out http://www.firesafe....uisher-general/

Hi Mark A few observations on this subject but by no means a definitive response. If you install a certified fire door set and any modifications are done by approved contractors the door set remains certified. The documentation provides a guarantee and any enforcing officer (EO) would most certainly accept it. If you upgrade a door then it’s up to you to prove the door will perform as required this is done by a risk assessment and you convincing the EO. First of all I would upgrade the door by using the English Heritage guide, check out http://www.helm.org.....pdf?1325965679 for heritage building, this is organisation to follow. I found a product called Therm-a- Flex who provides a test details. If flex is similar then any documentation from them could prove useful with your fire door assessment. As for the vision panel I would use retro fit modules especially if the provide any form of guarantee. Finally I would talk to the EO before you do anything because if s/he will not accept it and you are not prepared to go all the way then it could be a very expensive exercise. Check out http://www.communiti...e/heritagehotel this is how complicated it can get.

Are you referring to a fire alarm manual call point or Emergency Voice Communication (EVC) system, outstation call point? You will find the standard for fire alarms is BS 5839-1:2002+A2:2008 and with reverence to the height of manual call points is 1400mm +/- 200mm. A lower mounting height is acceptable in circumstances where there is a high likelihood that the first person to raise an alarm of fire will be a wheelchair user. You will find the standard for EVC systems is is BS 5839 -9: 2011 and with reverence to the height for outstations it is 900mm to 1200mm. Both should be accessible, well illuminated, conspicuous and free from obstructions. In the case of EVC outstation noise level needs to be considered and the background noise should be less than 40 dBA or consider an acoustic hood.

The person or persons designated the Responsible Person of the premises is responsible for any employees and other persons lawfully on the premises known as relevant persons. The RP is required provide instructions and training for the safety of these people in the event of a fire, which should include a fire procedure showing the actions to be taken in the event of a fire. It may include the need for a register and a roll call but you need to speak to the RP to find out the finding of the fire risk assessment.

When ever you become aware a lamp has blown, in a maintained system this should be immediately but in a non maintained it most probably will be during the monthly test. I am not aware of any routine replacement recommended.

For the maximum size of fire resisting glazing check out http://www.eastbourn...vicetype=Inline but I would suggest you keep vision panels as small as reasonable practical and to confirm the information contact your local building control. For more information check out http://www.ggf.org.u...4a7f50398c2.pdf

Is this a fire resisting door and how is it marked? We have discussed something similar on another thread with regards to retro fitting a ventilation grille, check out but this is more problematic because what you propose to install has not been tested at all.

Are you saying the the front door leads to a communal area outside the building and there is a door in the boundary wall leading to the public highway or the front door leads to a large hall inside the building then there is an external door leading to public highway. Also when you say fire door are you referring a a fire resisting door?

Nina It all depends on what fire risk you have in your premises and which fire extinguisher is suitable for that type of fire. There are five classes of fire extinguisher one for each type of fire. There is usually class A in all premises and in your premises you will have a class C you may need class B, D and F but unlikely. For class A the best method to extinguish a fire is cooling but you can use smothering but there is a chance of re-igniting. For class C the best method is isolating the supply however Class C (dry powder) will extinguish the flame to allow you to get to the shut off valve. If you have an electrical risk then isolating the supply is best then use class A or there are others that are consider safe on electric risk. (CO2 Dry Powder and some Foams) To make sense of the above check out http://www.firesafe....uisher-general/ http://www.firesafe....-extinguishers/ http://www.firesafe....-extinguishers/ and http://www.firesafe....and-combustion/ Here endeth the lesson god bless you all. Tom