AnthonyB

Only if the floors are slab as well or otherwise fully protected. Sub division is preferred as fire rated ceilings have limitations, but on small blocks a risk assessor may be pragmatic

The intrinsic features of the signboard in the guidance to the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 states it should be white, but the text to the actual regulation allows for the colorimetric features be such that they can be easily seen and understood thus allowing a bit of leeway - for example photoluminescent signage doesn't have white backgrounds, more a pale yellow green. So common sense can be applied - a pedantic approach would be to say they aren't compliant, but a risk based approach is far more pragmatic and is why no enforcement agency has ever had an issue with these. If you wanted to be really strict they don't comply in white either without a pictogram!

Well hopefully the FRA training or ongoing CPD/additional training should have touched on this, but the government small flat block guide gives some handy non sales generating tips to looking at fire doors, with the larger blocks guide stating where and when different ages and types of doors can be accepted. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-your-small-block-of-flats-safe-from-fire https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-in-purpose-built-blocks-of-flats

It it one of the few schools that isn't fully externally fenced these days? No real issue otherwise to justify it. The legislation & guidance is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-educational-premises

Armed with the certification & technical support from Envirograf if they still won't commit you could take the case to technical determination for which you have a fair chance of winning (the technical data and certification plus the prospect of a determination may make them turn around and accept it by itself!)

Could have been just poor FRAs in the past, too many in the resi FRA sector that don't know what they are doing. Latent defects from date of build generally require remediation as the building thus never complied even with the standards at the time of build. It's always been required in modern Building Regs history (post 1991) for a flat block of that height/floors to have the lobby adjacent to the stair ventilated. Unfortunately from experience the vast majority of residential buildings from the last 25 years have some form of fire safety defect dating back to build and it's only since Grenfell that it's started being taken seriously.

Yes

Remember the FIA support the trade primarily...It should be no greater than 6 months but in the real world a bit of leeway is acceptable, if you have the visit booked within the month due you are unlikely to face enforcement action (but insurers may be more strict). A 9 month gap is another matter and it sounds like your contractor is taking on more work than they have the resources to service and you may need to look around for another provider.

You need to talk to Envirograf who have a variety of tested solutions. https://envirograf.com/product/mouldblok-fire-resistant-coating/ https://envirograf.com/product/benefits-of-intumescent-paint-for-wood/

It's a legal requirement for them to share relevant details under s156 of the Building Safety Act Provision of information to residents The amendments made to the Fire Safety Order should make people feel safer in their homes and ensure that residents understand what you are doing to comply with your responsibilities. We have already mandated specific instructions that you must provide to your residents under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, but these new requirements go further to enhance the provision of information and help residents feel informed and involved. It is also important that you record your name and a UK address in the fire risk assessment to make it easier for enforcement authorities to identify you and, where necessary, take enforcement action. You must provide residents with the following information: any risks to residents identified in the fire risk assessment the fire safety measures provided for the safety of any or all occupants (such as the means of escape, the measures to restrict the spread of fire and what people should do in the event of a fire) the name and UK address of the Responsible Person the identity of any person appointed to assist with making or reviewing the fire risk assessment the identity of any competent person nominated by the Responsible Person to implement firefighting measures any risks to relevant persons throughout the building that have been identified by other Responsible Persons in the building You should consider providing contact details, if different to your contact details as the Responsible Person, for residents to be able to inform you of any concerns or queries they have about fire safety matters, or the information provided to them. Government may, by regulation, update the list of information to be provided to residents to reflect future developments in fire safety and specify the frequency and format in which the information should be provided. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 already mandate fire safety instructions that must be shared with residents of multi-occupied domestic premises where resident evacuation would be through common parts, such as the evacuation strategy, how to report a fire and what they must do when a fire occurs. In addition, the Regulations require Responsible Persons to provide information on fire doors including that they should be kept shut when not in use, that residents should not tamper with self-closing devices and that residents should report any faults with doors immediately. The Regulations stipulate that information on fire safety instructions should be displayed in a conspicuous part of the building with a copy provided to new residents when they move in and existing residents on an annual basis. If you are the Responsible Person for a building located in England, you should provide both the instructions required under the Regulations and the information required as a result of the changes to the Fire Safety Order. Under the Building Safety Act 2022, Accountable Persons also have responsibilities to share information with residents. It may be helpful to cooperate with Accountable Persons to provide all sets of information as a single package so that all necessary information is in one place and format for residents. You can find the requirements contained within the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 here.

Possibly, especially if they are a workplace used by care staff on the premises. Other legislation can apply covering fire safety and most responsible providers carry out some form of FRA including person centered FRAs See here for detailed guidance https://www.nifrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/NFCC-Specialised-Housing-Guidance.pdf

See above answer - the building includes two or more dwellings with an external wall in common so yes it does.

A fire risk assessment must be reviewed by the responsible person regularly so as to keep it up to date - the interval is not set in legislation but usually expected to be annually - a full new assessment isn't required unless there is reason to think the existing one is invalid or there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates including when the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions. Some Responsible Persons will have their external competent provider re-assess annually, others will review themselves in house and only reassess if there are changes or 3-5 years have passed. Both can be seen to be valid approaches & I have clients that work in both of the above - some bring me in annually, others every 2-3 years.

Dust Box?????

We'll need a bit more info than that if we are to help!

The law says the FRA must cover the external walls. An EWS1 is nothing to do with fire safety legislation and is a tool for lenders. Where a site is low rise and low risk the FRA can address it without the need for an (expensive) PAS9980 External Walls Fire Risk Appraisal - mine do as do other providers I've worked for or provide verification for. Sadly there are too many in the FRA sector that don't really know the ins and outs of residential fire risk assessment - so many either require completely unnecessary work or dangerously miss out key areas. For the pictured block roof void access would also be needed if possible to check the fire walls in the void - too many assessors miss this even though the government guidance considers it a standard part of all residential FRAs

Will the cables remain mechanically fixed to the wall or ceiling by metal fixings after the PVC trunking has melted and failed? If so, then yes. If the cable is only clipped to the trunking and will sag & fall with it then no.

If they don't have a way leave to access the land then it can be obstructed - it's a civil matter and you should take legal advice from a property law specialist.

That's one for your Fire Risk Assessor to deal with. The FRA would look at occupancy numbers, layout, travel distances, other fire precautions etc and determine if the building can comply & remain safe without it. I've assessed various buildings with this situation and some have been able to do without the stair but others have had to replace it. Many standards are not retrospective and age alone doesn't mean it's unsuitable, why exactly have you been told to replace it - most often it's due to lack of maintenance and becoming structurally unsound being the reason to replace - again your fire risk assessment should take a pragmatic approach as to whether an older style stair is suitable.

No - as it is a building containing two or more dwellings it is subject to the Fire Safety Order & whilst there are no internal common areas the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarifies that the FSO applies to the structure, external walls (including balconies, doors and windows) & flat entrance doors. The FRA would only cover the outside of the building and based on the photos would most likely conclude the risk is low, but would still be required.

Also if the fire service decide you need to evacuate they will tell you where to assemble, which could be any number of places as evacuation of a stay out block would be the result of a dynamic risk assessment and your location could be affected by the nature of the building failure, fire and weather conditions, layout & distribution of emergency vehicles and operations, etc

In the UK, the word "shall" is used in legal documents to indicate a requirement that is binding and must be implemented. It is a modal verb, which is a verb used to express an obligation. So I'd put a standard triangle key meter cupboard lock on or a T-bar lock and distribute keys. For the protective coatings and test data I'd suggest visiting https://envirograf.com/ & https://thermoguard.uk/

Approved Document B is not a regulation, it is just one way of meeting the rather broad functional requirements of the Building Regulations and is not a mandatory document - you can use other methods: "The fire safety requirements of the Building Regulations will probably be satisfied by following the relevant guidance in this approved document. However, approved documents provide guidance for some common building situations, and there may be alternative methods of complying with the Building Regulation requirements. If alternative methods are adopted, the overall level of safety should not be lower than the approved document provides. It is the responsibility of those undertaking the work to demonstrate compliance." As what the fire engineer proposed is along the lines of what is often accepted I would suggest you request a determination: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/building-regulations-determinations

If you can apply BS9999 in general as a solution to the premises the fire alarm would give you an extra 15% in travel distances and 15% less door width required & the ceiling height an extra 27% TD & 27% less width subject to the maximums in Table 15 which would give you 24m TD and 3.3mm per person door width if risk profiling and as an existing building I'd argue the PAS79 principles for risk assessment would tolerate the extra metre - this wouldn't account for the travel within the offices however as a heritage building a bit of common sense should apply - whilst the library could be deemed a high fire loading what is actually going to be the ignition risk and what is going to the fuel for a primary fire large enough and long burning enough to ignite the tightly packed books. If the premises don't meet BS9999 enough such that the above relaxations are 'cherry picking' from it you are back at square 1 and it's time for a fire engineer and modelling.

What are the occupancy numbers for the rooms, how high is the ceiling of the main library room & what category of AFD is there?