AnthonyB
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Posts posted by AnthonyB
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A 3 hour fitting has to be tested to and meet it's full rated duration. If it's lasted less than that it fails, you replace it. Fittings aren't that expensive these days, e.g. https://www.safelincs.co.uk/eden-led-emergency-bulkhead-light/
The relevant standard BS5266-1 requires sleeping accommodation to have fittings with a three hour duration.
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Loads on eBay, plus I often have loads pulled off sites. They are popular with people with tropical fish tanks too as they use them for the plants or something (not my thing). The empty cylinders have a trade scrap value of a few quid as they can be pressure tested and refilled.
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Never assume an old in situ door complied with the regulations of the day, the old fire door standard would not have usually had large gaps, there was no such thing as intumescent seals and a tight fit in a rebate was essential.
If you have excessive gaps then the door will not perform, there will (depending on the door location & what it's protecting) be a risk of serious harm and an offence may have been committed - waiting up to 4 years does not sound proportionate, plus if you are having a competent person inspect your fire doors they will tell you if it needs replacing as oppose to waiting for the risk assessor (who may not be a competent person for fire door inspection).
Advice sources: https://firedoors.bwf.org.uk/ & https://www.asdma.com/
Look here to see the reality about non conforming fire door installations:
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All the different guidance in Scotland for sleeping premises has been revised and consolidated into one document:
From your description the section for smaller guest houses will probably apply:
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It sounds like the poster may be from the US where they still give extinguishers a full service life and overhaul. NFPA rules apply.
If they are over 20 years old they can in theory remain in service as long as they are hydrostatic tested and recharged - but this is subject to the manufacturer still being in business and that they were made after 1984. They should be inspected monthly, serviced annually, recharged 6 yearly and hydro tested 12 yearly.
New equipment prices are such in the US that hydro-testing, refilling, etc is still economically viable unlike in the UK
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No - no common areas, the Fire Safety Order does not apply.
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If you don't appeal within the set period there is no provision for further appeals within the fire legislation.
You need to appeal on the basis that the serious risk to relevant persons is no longer present and so the grounds for continuing prohibition are passed. Where an appeal is brought against a prohibition notice, the bringing of the appeal does not have the effect of suspending the operation of the notice, unless, on the application of the appellant, the court so directs (and then only from the giving of the direction).
However there must be some reason why they think your remedial action hasn't removed the risk - have you done everything they asked (including a suitable and sufficient FRA although a lack of this alone wouldn't be grounds to prohibit)? If you have they may be of the opinion that the works are not suitable and sufficient (who did the work? Sadly they are a lot of companies/individuals that do fire safety related stuff that have poor workmanship such that the efficacy of their work is doubtful)
If there is a disagreement on which technical solution to the breaches to use you can apply for a determination from the Secretary of State.
Whatever you do, however tempted, do not breach the notice. It's an offence in itself, a criminal prosecution is almost inevitable and on conviction courts are happy to levy high fines and cost awards (& usually do) and custodial sentences (suspended or actual) are more common than you think, particularly if there was a serious risk still present at the time of the breach.
However none of this is legal advice and may not be accurate to your particular case - you need a specialist law firm https://www.blackhurstbudd.co.uk/fire-safety-law/
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Fire resisting ceilings (assuming boarded rather than a concrete slab) cannot usually prevent the downward spread of fire so should not normally be accepted, but despite what is likely to come out of the Grenfell Enquiry AI's and BCO's continue to play fast and loose with the standards despite not automatically having to be being fire experts and having instead to understand every single aspect of the building regulations.
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No exemptions on size, that's an urban myth I'm afraid.
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I would as a matter of urgency contact the business fire safety enforcement team of your local Fire & Rescue Service.
There should have been a Fire Risk Assessment carried out by the landlord as there will be common areas & systems and from that there should be the right fire alarms, emergency lighting, protected escape routes, extinguishers, emergency procedures, etc in place before occupancy.
It also sounds like the conversion and sub division may not have gone through the Building Control process either.
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Note that the Enforcers Guidance does require enforcing officers to look to the use of competent persons and would use the British Standard for reference for both frequency of maintenance and competency and steps required. A British Standard is not law, but is an accepted benchmark and whilst it's quite possible to follow a different regime it must be demonstrable that it is still going to provide an acceptable standard of safety.
Not having the competence, training and tools required for extinguisher maintenance means that enforcers and equally importantly insurers may take a dim view particularly if there is an incident. Most BSEN3 extinguishers also require maintenance to BS5306 so failing to follow the manufacturer's own maintenance regime as well as the benchmark goes against you too.
Don't worry, you aren't constrained to the cost of servicing - there are two options that are readily justifiable:
BS6165 Aerosol Powder extinguishers - designed to be user checked and disposed of at the end of the 5 year warranty or after complete/partial use:
https://www.safelincs.co.uk/car-fire-extinguisher-fireblitz/P50 Extinguishers - Designed by the manufacturer so the the annual basic service can be carried out by the user with each extinguisher having the required tools built in, only needs a service exchange at 10 years and end of life at 20 years.
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The emergency operation is manual and separate by use of the EN179 handle. This is built in to the device because the use of electromechanical locks is not usually permitted on escape doors where opening is purely reliance on an electronic strike as these can fail and jam. A failsafe on a strike linked to the fire alarm and with a green break glass would not make the lock compliant as a result and isn't necessary in any case as you have a separate physical release (the handle)
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It won't be a rewire but an Electrical Installation Condition Report which whilst normally recommended every 10 years in domestic premises is usually 5 where they are rented.
No expiry on doors as long as in good order however the one fitted in 2014 could be from one of the batches that failed fire tests and didn't meet the advertised fire resistance so needs replacing.
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You can upgrade heritage doors to 30 minutes performance using a variety of methods that are usually compatible with their listing. English Heritage provide guidance and Envirograf many suitable products
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Oxygen is not a flammable gas but is an oxidiser making other materials ignite more readily and burn more fiercely and quickly. A fire involving an oxygen enriched atmosphere is very dangerous and should be left to professionals. There is no point in having extinguishers over and above what you already have.
More important is good fire prevention measures and that the fire service are aware cylinders are on the premises.
Some advice is here: https://www.airliquidehomecare.co.uk/healthcare-professionals/home-oxygen-safety
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The thumb locks are a simple fastening. Panic furniture is really only essential for numbers over 60 or places of assembly.
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You only have to do a 3 hour test annually, there is no 6 monthly test. Yes it is likely you need to replace the fittings , but the cost is negligible so it's hardly capital expenditure: https://www.safelincs.co.uk/eden-led-emergency-bulkhead-light/
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Ask to see the FRA, doesn't sound right, as long as maintained and managed so items are unlikely to be draped on them then they are nothing special risk wise
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The pressure is constant in a CO2 until virtually empty, that's why they don't have pressure gauges, as the liquid CO2 level drops more CO2 vapourises in the cylinder to keep the pressure constant. Only when there is no liquid CO2 left does the pressure drop and the nature of the discharge change (higher pitch, almost clear discharge) as only CO2 in it's gaseous state is being discharged.
It shouldn't be 38 bar unless it's virtually empty.
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Sounds like it's been serviced by a rag and tag unqualified firm based on the information on the service label. Your true weights are stamped in the neck of the cylinder - 17.44kg full, 12.55kg empty, CO2 charge 5kg.
The manufacture date is also stamped in the neck, usually mm/yy or mm/yyyy. If it's 2005 as on the service label it's overdue it's 10 year statutory hydrostatic pressure test and can't be refilled (but can be exchanged for a tested unit and sent off to be tested & revalved).
You should weigh a CO2 with the horn assembly removed.
A 5kg CO2 is 5kg (unless the cowboys commissioned a faulty unit that had leaked down to nearly empty!)
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Complete load of cobblers - there is no statutory or common industry requirement to change colours. It's a good practice but even then there is no fixed scheme and different companies have completely different colours and rotations.
Intumescent strips and smoke seals
in Fire Doors and Accessories
Posted
Depends when they were fitted, when intumescent seals first started to widely appear in the 80's they replaced rebate only doors but smoke brushes weren'r widely used, it's not uncommon to find original build doors from that era that would today require smoke seals only having intumescent.