Tom Sutton

You say "there is no fire escape on my property" well the front door is your fire escape, what I think you mean there is no alternate means of escape which may not be required depending on the layout of the maisonette. Depending on the height of your floor from the ground you may require escape windows?

There is a correct answer and a practical answer. The correct answer is, that as you will have to drill all the way through the door, which will create a weakness, this will affect the fire resistance, which is impossible to predict to what extent, so the whole assembly should be subject to test. On the other hand you have conflicting hazards of personal assault and fire safety perhaps it would be reasonable to balance these risks by using a fire resistance viewer, drill with care to ensure the exact fit without any gaps, and use intumescent paste around the viewer to pack the hole. I suggest any decent joiner should be able to do this provided the RP applies a good level of instruction and supervision. There are fire rated door viewers available at safelincs If the fire door require cold smoke seals then the maximum threshold gap is 3mm +/- 1mm if this cannot be achieved then threshold smoke seal should be fitted, check out https://www.safelincs.co.uk/blog/2013/08/09/gaps-underneath-fire-doors/

What guidance are you using and what section. In my knowledge is you can have a fire resistant storage cupboard under a means of escape stairs, both in your case. It is important that the stairs is underdrawn the a full standard as well as the walls and door creating the cupboard. Depending on the layout you may well require fire detection.

I can see why they have done it but would it be effective, I am not sure, I think a more positive approach would be education and convince him of the dangers of smoking in bed. Also using flame retardant bedding especially the bed base and mattress make sure it is carrying the appropriate labels. Check out https://www.firesafe.org.uk/furniture-and-furnishings-fire-safety-regulations-19881989-and-1993/.

Oxygen is not flammable but a rich oxygen atmosphere will assist combustion, so items do not burn normally, but will burn rapidly, so fire prevention is very important. Never smoke or take ignition sources within the area, oxygen is being used and study the guidance to inside the home, found on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-safety-guidance#fire-safety-guidance-for-inside-and-outside-the-home

No cold smoke seals- brushes cannot be fixed to both the door and the frame it will depend on which combination you use whether they are fitted to the door leaf or frame, check out https://www.asdma.com/knowledge-centre/ and download ASDMA Best Practice Guide and study sections 13/14.

As been said before doors can open inwards, if less used by less than 60 people as for collapsing this would not stop the fire service getting in to rescue you no matter the circumstances.

Check out https://www.safelincs-forum.co.uk/topic/915-smoke-alarms-and-disco-smoke-machines/ but if solutions can on Zeta ID2 i do not know.

The simply rule is they should not create an obstruction and the direction of opening will depend on the numbers that may have to pass through the door. There is no required distance they need to be apart.

Providing the doors leaves do not create an obstruction and open in an acceptable direction there are no required distance the doors need to be apart, However for door widths when calculating the means of escape you would have to treat the doors as one door because of the 45o rule.

Mario asking questions like that would indicate you are not ready to conduct FRA,s on your own you should be still receiving on the job training. As a matter of interest which guidance are you using?

I referred to case 30 http://www.hse.gov.uk/myth/myth-busting/2012/case030-fireextinguishers.htm and it doesnt strictly say that but I would agree with you however it still is the RP,s decision.

I would think it depends on how bad the warp is, if it is likely to affect the fire resistance of the door then it needs replacing or correcting.

No, only the common areas are subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 therefore you have no control over the tenants except through the tenancy agreements.However I believe it would be a good idea to let them know whats going on to prevent accidents if they panic.

From what you say the ground floor flat and the first/second floor flat has its own individual fronts doors leading to fresh air, no common areas. Consequently you are not subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 but are subject to the The Housing Act 2004 and because it sounds like it was part HMO then it would have been the local council who required the fire alarm, so it's up to them to decide if the FA can be removed. However you do need smoke detector and CO alarms in both flats because you will be subject to The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015.

Did the building use BS 9999 as a fire safety design document, if not then you should not cherry pick and use DCLG guide plus your expertise on risk assessment. ADB, BS9999 and BS 7974 are fire safety design documents for new build and if you are conducting a FRA in one of those buildings you should make sure you are aware of the appropriate document to be able to access if the escape strategy is satisfactory. If you are not sure what guidance was used, use DCLG guidance. The days of prescriptive guidance and finding black and white answers are gone it’s all about risk assessment.

I agree with you it does seem suspicious but you need to check the door more closely and if you study https://www.asdma.com/knowledge-centre/ and select to appropriate download, I can see a couple that could be of help to you.

The 44mm width of the door, 1 inch stops on older doors and as fire doors are usually much heavier, then need to have three hinges, are indications that the door in question is a fire door, which is not foolproof. The protected staircase and the ventilation, would indicate the design used some form of fire safety guidance but for instance CP3 code of practice, but it didn't require front doors to be 30 mins fire doors. What would not be accepted today is the concealed door closers on the front door, they do not meet the required standards. (except one) You could get a fire door assessor to check the doors http://fdis.co.uk/ however Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats is the guidance for your block of flats, you should study it to see if it helps your case.

BS 5499 part 4 says the mounting height of escape route signs, it could be argued that Refuge Keep Clear meet that criteria, should be 1.7m to 2m on walls and 2m to 2.5m above doors or open spaces, so they are clearly visible above the heads of people. I cannot see any reason why those figures cannot be used in this case.

Check out FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing page 48 and other parts of the guide, you should find your answers there.

As AB has said, the fire officer is correct according to the present day guidance, but myself I would be cautious and wait the outcome of the Grenfell Tower inquiry in case there is any changes to the regulations and guidance. If it is left it is not going to cause any major problems the occupants will know if there is a fire on the premises and they can still stay put or evacuate as they choose.

How is the fire siren operated you need to give more information about the fire alarm.

Doors opening outwards from a room is very unusual, they normally open inwards, and they would also create an obstruction which makes me surprised the building control office accepted them. Without personal knowledge of the situation I cannot be definitive but I would think it is unacceptable because of the obstruction problem. The guidance for premises like yours is FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing and all you need to know you will find in there.

Check out https://www.iqfiresolutions.com/resources/responsible-person-duty-holder-flats-maisonettes.html it may be usful but take special notice of the last line of the page. (Note. Treat the above information with caution and if you intend acting upon it, take qualified legal advice.)

AB beat me to it but I will submit it anyway. Flats are subject to The Housing Act 2004 (HA) and the common areas to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O). The HA is enforced by the local council and requires the whole building to be safe which includes fire safety, also if you are designated an HMO then you may need to be registered as a licensed premises. The RR(FS)O enforced by the Fire and Rescue Service requires the common areas to be subject to the order which includes conducting a fire risk assessment. 1. Check with the local council if you are an HMO or you could check out https://www.firesafe.org.uk/houses-in-multiple-occupation/ may be useful. 2. It is the common areas that require a fire risk assessment under the RR(FS)O. 3. The guidance for your premises is FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing and provides guidance on all the fire safety needs you may require. 4. For the common areas RR(FS)O defines the Responsible Person (RP), who as the duty to implement the order and in your situation the owner or the person acting for the owner if they have full control, (managing company) is the RP. Selecting a fire risk assessor you should study A Guide to Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor.