Tom Sutton

Speak to the H&S representative or higher manager if not forth coming contact the local Fire and Rescue Service https://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

If you can reach a place of relative or ultimate safety, in the whole building, in less than 18m then protected escape routes are not necessary. Any one way travel escape routes over 18m needs to be protected depending on other factors like height of ceiling you could extend the distance if you consider the tenable time would be extended. You could use ASET/RSET and having autoFA would increase the travel time but it usually means a fire engineered solution which only complicates the situation I prefer travel distances.

Further to what AB has said, under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 you are all, as Responsible Persons, required to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment, (FRA) for each occupancy. You all need to establish what exit doors are required, for means of escape purposes and any requiring access to the yard. All of you and the landlord need to co-operate and decide the best solution which also requires safe egress from the yard. Your solution could be acceptable but without a survey it is impossible to say.

How do you intend to use it, as a single domestic occupancy or what, you should check out FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing an answer to your enquiry should be in this guidance.

I am afraid it is not as easy as that, it’s all about interpretation of the regulations, when it was new and did not have an identifying or batch information then it did not comply with the regulations therefore illegal. Now, does it become legal because five years have passed and most likely the records are no long available? Your augment is equally compelling and like all legislation it is up to the courts and as the trading standards are unlikely to take it to the courts it is doubtful it will ever have a definitive answer. You have tried, if their rules prevent it being put up for sale then accept it.

You can achieve 30 min fire resistance with a stud wall 75mm thickness timber and a single layer of 12.5mm fireline plasterboard on each side and the cavity is filled with rockwool type insulation, however the fireline board and rockwool would be belt and braces? It will require building regulation approval and as it is them who will provide the completion certificate you should contact them as they may have guidance notes to assist you. Check out the Eastbourne guidance note http://www.eastbourne.gov.uk/EasySiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=3132&..&filename=/fire-safety3.pdf

There is no required time limit, other than a reasonable time to complete the work and the level of risk the defect has introduced. Would the occupants be able to escape safely, without them, because of the borrowed light through the window and an assessment would decide the urgency in getting the new EL replaced. You need to find out degree of difficulty in getting the work done.

I am assuming the sofa will be up for sale at a profit which means both labels will be required. The permanent label is the most important, because it has all the information required by trading standards to locate its source, if it is found that the the sofa does not meet the requirements of the regulations. The display label is attached to the sofa, to show that it meets the requirements of the regulations and the customer doesn't have to upend it to see the permanent label for proof. The display label needs to be fixed to the item where it is visible which can be done by the retailer and they can be purchased from Ebay so I can see why the charity is concerned. Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations.

It all depends on the layout and if the maximum numbers who are likely to use the door is less than 60, it would be acceptable.

This is not a subject I am familiar with and you need to contact your electric supply company who I would imagine could help you, also check out The Electricity Supply Regulations 1988 which may help.

Any fire door should be installed correctly and be well fitted if it isn't then it will defeat the purpose of the door. However the BCO/AI who completes the final inspection has a degree of flexibility to decide if any items meet the required standards and provide the completion certificate. It's only when the Building Regulations and another piece of legislation clashes, resulting in the enforcing authority, challenging the Building Control. But unfortunately many times a satisfactory result is not achieved and the owner has to put matters right.

The foreman is wrong, if the fire exit is required then it should be kept clear at all times the premises is occupied.

It depends on the layout of the apartment building and when it was constructed, there are situations when it is required but not always.

In my opinion there is no highest qualification in fire safety, it depends what you want the qualification for and what qualification employers may require to employ you. Some areas of fire engineering a degree would be best, other areas lesser standards and short courses are required. I would contact a number of fire consultancies to see what qualifications they require. Check out http://www.crisis-response.com/forum/index.php?topic=5680.0 may be useful.

Further to what Harry has said, you need to study BS 7273 part 4 and find out what the category of actuation, of the installed device is and then check out appendix A of the BS 7273 part 4.

If the fire service is in attendance, or there is somebody taken charge, then they are most likely to prevent you entering the building but it is still not illegal.

The owners or those acting for the owners (Management Company) are the Responsible Person as defined by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 but because there are no common areas the regulations do not apply. However you could check the FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing which is the guidance for your type of premises and see if it conforms, for your own peace of mind. Domestic Premises are exempt from the regulations and domestic premises is defined as ""domestic premises" means premises occupied as a private dwelling (including any garden, yard, garage, outhouse, or other appurtenance of such premises which is not used in common by the occupants of more than one such dwelling);

The owners/landlord or the management company are the Responsible Person as defined by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. They have a duty to conduct a fire risk assessment (FRA) under the regulations and act on the findings. They certainly have a duty to carry out the significant findings of the FRA, which you have detailed above, but how it is paid for is a matter for the tenant agreement. The guide for the FRA would be FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing which would have been used by the fire risk assessor, which shows what is required to meet the required standard of the regulations.

What do they say about the USA and UK, two nations separated by a common language, in the UK we have live, neutral and earth, I could make guesses on your terminology, but not prepared to, you need to speak to an electrician over there.

I am afraid not, the boiler is located in an escape route and needs to be a FD30s door which needs to control smoke and a intumescent fire grill would totally defeat this purpose. You will need to look for ventilation from the outside.

You could contact the fire door inspection service at http://fdis.co.uk/ and have an inspection which will provide a written report which you could use to appeal against the building control decision. You also check out the https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200128/building_control to see if there is any help there.

A door mat IMO cannot be described as upholstered furniture or furnishings so it would not fall under the Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home and a FRA in the common areas falls clearly under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

You correct I should have said they are HMO's but not licensed HMO's.

A Fire Marshall in USA, in the UK is Fire Safety Inspector so I would use fire warden it is more British, I remember air raid wardens. (God Save the Queen)

Why do you need a fire door, is it to protect a means of escape or is it to prevent the spread of fire? The fire door you propose to buy, just says that, it does not give any details of its fire properties and how it should be installed, I would need more details before I could make any comments. I think your father in-law is correct fitting a intumescent fire grill defeats to purpose of the fire door it would prevent the spread of fire but not smoke, so it depends what the fire door is for. If you have a open flue boiler and the ventilation is required for combustion then you need to study Approved Document J: combustion appliances and fuel storage systems.