AnthonyB

If you own it and you are going above legal requirement's with extra fire doors then it shouldn't be a problem. Technically it should go through Local Authority Building Control as it would be termed building work although I'm sure many owner/occupiers don't (which can catch them out when it comes to sell in future)

If it's still the layout it was built with then it will comply with the Building Regulations in place at the time of build which means if not using for a licensable purpose mean there are no retrospective fire safety requirements in law beyond those relating to automatic fire detection and things like the Gas Safe and Electrical Installation Condition Report requirements. If you change any windows (e.g. original wood to uPVC) this comes under Building Regulations and a reputable company would, as part of the installer self certification scheme for certain types of building work, ensure the appropriate escape & rescue windows are supplied. Any other structural changes would also come under Building Regs and it is at that point that current ADB requirements may be imposed depending on the nature of the work. Best practice would have you add a heat alarm to the kitchen, interlinked to the existing ones

You've established you may not need EL for escape purposes - the other reason is for safety. Could someone be doing work on or around the equipment such that a sudden loss of light could result in accident/injury? If so you need EL to avoid injury and safely shut down the plant if required.

Firstly the fire extinguishers should not have been put in - Government Guidance for flats says they should not be provided and where present should be removed - once you have escaped from your flat into the safety of the common area you shouldn't be going back in with an extinguisher, also the extinguishers often placed in common areas are traditionally unsuitable or even dangerous if used on many of the causes of domestic fires. Users aren't trained and also may struggle with the weight. The tamper tag is meant to be fitted and does break by hand (especially if you twist the pin to break it rather than just pulling). They should also be identified by signs and best practice is to wall mount them or place them on stands. I would be concerned that the Fire Risk Assessment carried out by your landlord/agent is not suitable & sufficient (if carried out at all) as your site is missing key requirements whilst adding others that for nearly 10 years have been debunked as not appropriate. Usually the main entrance lock would be changed to one of these: https://www.screwfix.com/c/security-ironmongery/cylinder-locks/cat810288?cylinderproducttype=thumbturn&cylinderprofiletype=euro

Exits do not automatically require a panic bolt, only in certain situations. A lot of required exits have other simple fastenings, the important point being they must not require a key or code. An exit that is signed but requires a key or code may actually be needed - removing the sign isn't automatically the answer as changing the exit fastening may be required. All fastenings should be signed as to their operation. Unless you have the training & competence to carry out Fire Risk Assessments and the required calculations regarding occupier capacity, travel distances, exit widths, door furniture etc it's easier to just stick to testing the fittings and reporting on their function.

No, it's not a legal requirement. As it's not always practical to stick to a defined time a test window on the designated day isn't that uncommon. Even where a specific time is used staff should know to evacuate if the alarm continues to sound longer than normal.

Sounds like the battery packs have failed as from your description the bulbs are OK and the mains into the charger is OK too. You can buy replacement battery packs which is easier than replacing the whole fitting

It's a legal requirement. The flat front door's have required to be fire doors in law since the 1960's. If you are putting new doorsets in they should be FD30S and in all cases must have self closers fitted.

It's a legal requirement. The flat front door's have required to be fire doors in law since the 1960's. If you are putting new doorsets in they should be FD30S and in all cases must have self closers fitted.

Ultimately it's your decision, not theirs. The standards are only a guide in any case and if your precautions satisfy your licensing authority & the guidance they use, then you are fine as you are. If indeed it's a shared house, then Grade D systems are generally still appropriate, after all whilst not related they are, as you point out, effectively living as if a family group and Grade A systems only kick in when it's a seriously big house! I think they just saw the words HMO - which I did to some extent. Re-reading it it is a shared house and the HMO side shouldn't change that. It doesn't help when different guidance uses different definitions and there really should be consistency!

Yes, the green (or red on older fittings) LED light indicates there is a live mains supply entering the charger - if the mains goes off, the light goes out.

The only thing that has changed is the publication of the 2019 version of BS5839 which would, even for existing premises, recommend the above improvements. Oddly missing from their recommendations would be the requirement at the same time to replace any Grade D common system with a Grade A, LD2 system (i.e. commercial grade system equipment - control panel, manual call points, etc). The cynic in me would think they are holding that off so the job isn't too expensive to put you off then hit you with it next year - the reasonable part of me would counter that they are going for the priority areas (i.e. those with no cover) now and the common upgrade suggestion can wait as at least those areas have cover. There is no longer a statutory bar in fire safety legislation, so the 'it was compliant back in.....' argument no longer holds - but on the other hand it doesn't mean you automatically have to upgrade either - instead the risk assessment process looks to see if the departure from the latest standards holds an unacceptable risk - as a result in premises there are often some legacy arrangements that I consider still provide adequate safety and can wait until a refurbishment or similar for modernisation, whereas there may be others that need immediate change. An extreme example being that in 1974 when fire safety legislation first fully encompassed hotels it was possible to get a fire certificate with a manual fire alarm of call points and sounders and no detection - the statutory bar in the old Fire Precautions Act meant that if the premises didn't change materially they couldn't be compelled to add detection despite it being obviously very important in such a building. The change in 2006 with the commencement of the Fire Safety Order removed this bar so said hotel would no longer be able to argue the system complied at the time it was installed any more as the risk to life without detection would be too great. The lighting is an interpretation of the current BS5266 which, whilst not completely dispensing with borrowed light, makes it an exception rather than a rule to accept due to local authorities reducing street lighting times and moving to more focussed LED lights that cast far less light to areas other than the road and pavement. Should you do all these works? It's down to the risk assessment really. Ultimately they should be done, but this may well be a task that could wait until renewal or at least be done in small stages over a couple of years.

They sound well represented already! 3rd party accreditation isn't yet mandatory but strongly recommended.

You require a fire risk assessment by a competent person as required by fire safety legislation (irrespective of size of numbers of occupiers) which would give you a detailed requirement. Such an assessment would require an electrical fire alarm system designed and installed in line with BS5839-1:2017 to a minimum of Category M, comprising manual call points at storey and final exits and suitable alarm sounders throughout to give an audibility level of 65dB (60dB in small rooms under 60sq.m and stairwells) Your fire risk assessment would determine whether the layout of the premises required Automatic Fire Detection in addition as part of the system and to what category you require - more detail here https://www.safelincs.co.uk/a-summary-of-the-bs5839-1-2017/ Equipment can be hard wired using fire resistant cabling or wireless linked: https://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-alarm-panels-and-fire-alarm-systems/ The use of residential/domestic detection, even if mains supplied, would not be suitable. Self contained detectors would be useless as they would only alert the room they are in (the alarm must sound throughout the whole building) where the occupants would see it themselves first, but be unable to raise the alarm due to lack of call points. Battery only detectors are not legal for use in workplaces as only having a single power source.

The HMO/converted houses guidance is somewhat older than the purpose built flats guide and is currently under revision. Many local authorities have amended their guidance to only require a fire blanket in the kitchen and in existing premises to remove extinguishers or train residents in their use. Extinguisher suppliers will always baffle you with legalese to provide them, but the trend now is to not provide in these locations and enforcement bodies support it. There is nothing stopping individual householders making their own provision.

https://www.fire-magazine.com/crown-court-sentence-for-fire-alarm-engineer

As a Nursing Home and their fire alarm engineer got convicted for an alarm with a defective fault buzzer and deliberately causing that defect respectively (plus a few other things) I would say that yes, it's critical! You can service it but the service report would obviously need to highlight the defect and no certificate issued. If you don't service it someone else will!

Annex I I.7 (e) would seem appropriate (annual) - they operate similarly to mid duct shutters

Emergency lights- monthly function (as you do) and annual 3 hour duration (which you could do too). Reference BS5266-1 Assuming from your description you have Grade D1 or D2 residential smoke alarms then the service regime is only a monthly test using the test buttons on the alarms - unless you are sheltered housing or a similar scheme with detection linked to the telecare/warden system there is no requirement for external servicing (principally as there is little they could do that you aren't each month) Reference BS5839-6:2019 If you are a purpose built block of flats and the common detectors don't operate smoke vents then they shouldn't have been installed in the first place and should be withdrawn. References: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/937931/ADB_Vol1_Dwellings_2019_edition_inc_2020_amendments.pdf and https://www.local.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/fire-safety-purpose-built-04b.pdf

Answered duplicate question.

Many buildings have only one entry/exit and are perfectly legal. The size and maximum permissible numbers that form a typical Portacabin are such one exit is more than adequate. Is it an open framed generator or an enclosed cabinet one?

As people won't naturally starburst to each exit equally there's a chance you will have an excess number using a door with a strong risk of crush and the door being blocked - the Station Nightclub in 2003 was an example - there were multiple exits but people went for the familiar ones, which opened inwards and so one of the leaves got shut under pressure and the other got blocked with bodies. Also the doors cannot have panic fastenings if inward opening. Options are: - Re hanging doors - Having Stewards at each door to be able to bolt them open in an evacuation - Do nothing, accept it on occupancy against unit exit width only and keep your fingers crossed that there is never a full house evacuation under panic!

You've sort of answered your own question! If the zone plan is a decent one with the actual layout rather than just a shaded outline it still has value, otherwise it ticks the BS box with little benefit.

Hardly mitigating the effects of fire as required by the legislation although it could secure escape. If you are unfortunate to have a fire that isn't controlled, the damage and disruption bill and investigation by the loss adjuster as to why it wasn't put out will no doubt see you do have them next time!

Due to the quantity stored it appears to need to be treated as a dedicated store (otherwise the storage amount permitted would be less) so shouldn't have anything else - are you sure it's six hundred and thirty litres as it would have to be a pretty big cupboard? Guidance: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg140.pdf https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg51.pdf