AnthonyB

Ladders are not (normally) accepted as a means of escape and if the premises are compliant with the one stair and exit (which they probably will be) then that is the end of the landlord and agent's responsibility. There is nothing stopping you buying your own if you are really worried. https://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-escape-ladders/

Only on some self testing fittings - which the majority aren't!

It isn't right. It's controlled waste under The Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 so should have been removed and disposed of by a licensed contractor. More worrying is that cupboard is an extreme fire hazard with all that combustible stuff stored against the distribution board.

Sorry, my bad, meant leaseholder. They should think themselves lucky as usually they would have to install and maintain their own system (interfaced to the flats as required) at their own cost which is usually far more than a service charge contribution.

How does it open (other than manually) on power failure? This is the one stumbling block I've encountered with shutters where the motor is 240V or 415V. Otherwise the general principles seem sound in lieu of specific guidance.

Depends on where they are and why. If they are Georgian wired for impact protection then suitable toughened/laminated safety glass, if for fire then it needs to be 30 minute fire resisting glazing (which due to advances in technology over the last couple of decades can be clear without wires). Toughened/laminated safety glass is not fire resistant as a matter of course it needs to be specified as both. https://www.ifsecglobal.com/fire-protection/guide-to-fire-resistant-glass-and-glazing/

The white & green plug shows that door is a BWF certified Fire Check Door of 30 minutes stability & 20 minutes integrity that does not need separate intumescent strips as they are integral to the construction of the door located underneath the lipping. The white & blue plug shows that door is a BWF certified Fire Door of 30 minutes stability & integrity that does need separate intumescent strips in the doorframe. This system was used under fire doors under the old BS 476 Part 8 1972 standard where Integrity Failure is deemed to occur when cracks or other openings exist through which flames or hot gases can pass or when flaming occurs on the unexposed face & Stability Failure is deemed to occur when collapse of the specimen takes place. Current standard doors are measured by Integrity Only so the white/green doors would now be classed as FD20 doors for internal use in a flat and the white/blue door FD30 for the front door needing cold smoke seals as well as intumescent strips. Perko chains were accepted at the time but as they can't be adjusted they are unreliable and so usually should be replaced with proper closers. I very much doubt the fitters mentioned are competent if they are putting Perko chains in new doors! Other than some minor changes your doors seem fine and unless they are willing to pay to change them themselves may not be able to compel you to (especially as the door wasn't inspected) as some leaseholders found out when they took their freeholder to tribunal over fire door works and charges and won!

If the individual enclosures were to the latest standard of a non combustible housing and the area free from combustibles that would be a reasonable alternative - products to upgrade existing housings also exist:https://envirograf.com/product/electrical-consumer-unit-and-distribution-board-fire-protection-system/

Current benchmarks would require FD30S. The external door does not need to be a fire door unless an external escape route is nearby

If it's still under construction I suggest you contact your Local Authority Building Control department to have a look.

Depending on the country they may follow NFPA standards as oppose to BS - or nothing much at all!

Depending on the country they may follow NFPA standards as oppose to BS - or nothing much at all!

All on here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/index-catalogue.htm Look for publications on LPG storage, HFL storage in tanks & DSEAR

As you should have gone through Building Control for this work they should have told you before signing it off. If you have been naughty and just gone ahead you need to get them in to regularise the work at which point they will tell you of any extra work needed. If you don't you don't only just risk prosecution you will find you have trouble when selling if the buyers surveyor & solicitor is in any way competent plus insurer's will love the get out of paying grounds too. I assume you haven't obtained planning permission as it's covered by permitted development - however too many people don't realise that whilst permitted development avoids the need to go through planning it absolutely does not avoid the need for Building Regulations approval. You are unlikely to have to change the rest of the house though, they will only look at the extension and where it joins the original house as the building work shouldn't change/affect the rest of the premises.

If the commercial unit does not have it's own self contained fire alarm system and is merely a zone off the common system then the freeholder has control over it - however the retail freeholder should have carried out an FRA and realised they need the call point and paid the freeholder to fit one. The freeholder will have put the detector in to protect the flats so could argue they have met their obligations whilst minimising false alarm risk - the retail unit may not, taken in isolation, be big enough to require a fire alarm system and the heat detector is only there to protect relevant persons in the rest of the building (flats above)

Unless it's specialised housing where the next level up is often required this would suffice as it's to the 1988 regulations.

Depends on what rights of access there are and if it falls under the Party Walls legislation. First port of call would be a property dispute solicitor and surveyor after checking for any access rights in leases, deeds, etc. Depending on the situation you may have legal remedy.

This is the guidance the pipeline has to comply with to be accepted in the stair: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l82.pdf

It's a part 6 system that serves no purpose other to draw people into a smoke filled stair, usually these are either withdrawn or replaced with a compliant full evacuate system (i.e. sounders and detectors in flat lobbies) depending on the results of the FRA. You can't build a compliant Part 1 system using Grade D equipment so it can't be categorised as such.

You would need to approach your Local Authority Building Control - they may require compensatory measures such as a residential sprinkler system or an LD1 alarm system (linked detectors in all rooms other than the bathroom as well as the landings). In your application you need to demonstrate how your plans will not lower the level of safety beyond existing measures and those following the default configuration under Building Regs Guidance. It's down to the individual Building Control authority on a case by case basis so all you can do is ask them.

I've come across this too, sometimes I've pushed back citing guidance and been successful, other times I've gone ahead and after 15 minutes given in and reset the alarm as no one bothered to come out.... If it's a staffed site there may be some benefit for them to practice even if no one else takes part.

Yes if installed correctly. No stamp, no good. The same applies in Health & Safety for glazing that, due to location, has to be toughened or laminated against impact, no mark, no good.

Depends on the size - a heat detector on it's own will not activate in time to save the life of the occupier. The usual trend is a heat over the kitchen area and an optical smoke (not ionisation smoke) over the sleeping area located as far from the kitchen whilst not being closer than 30cm to the wall. I've been to many sites with studios that do it this way and report no issues.

British Standards are not law (unless of course a statute specifically requires conformity to them) but are often used as benchmarks to judge what is suitable. Compliance with a BS implies (but does not guarantee) compliance whereas not following it requires you to demonstrate why what you are doing instead is still safe (which is sometimes possible). For example if you just did basic in house checks every week or month and a thorough check say just once a year and all your doors were in good order you are unlikely to face enforcement action even if you aren't following the BS. This may however change for buildings containing two or more dwellings as the guidance (& the BS it refers to) is being given back door statutory status by changes in the Fire Safety Act.

Yes - the doors are to protect the stair in case the rest of the occupiers ultimately need to leave, to prevent spread to other parts of the building and to aid the fire service by having safe access. Whilst you are fortunate to have a second exit the other floors don't. The front door is as much to protect others than protect you.