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Andy62

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Posts posted by Andy62

  1. Is anyone aware of CEW specifications within the HTMs. The only specific reference to CEWs I can find is in Health Building Note 00-04: ‘Circulation and communication spaces’ - HTM 05-02 does not specify CEWs in detail but directs you to this document.

    My question is, does Health Building Note 00-04 only apply to circulation and communication spaces or does it apply throughout a hospital i.e. to wards and operating theatres where bed and/or trolley evacuation is required?

  2. On 23/06/2022 at 20:50, AnthonyB said:

    Which is fine for building regulations purposes, yet the second it's handed over the official risk assessment guidance contradicts it and expects signage. This shows how disjointed things are!

    It's hardly going to critically affect life safety in any case...

     

    Even if they have a Primary Authority, the Enforcing authority would be the local F&RS. The signage issue must have been raised at local level with the PA across the 46 or so brigades, however, I agree with you, it's hardly a life safety matter on it's own. And, who when staying in a hotel, leaves their bedroom door wedged open! The main issue is as a risk assessor, if you deviate from the ACoP, you carry the risk and not the client.

  3. Hotel guest bedrooms are always served by a protected corridor with each bedroom door required to be a S/C-FD30s. I have visited many hotels and noticed, especially in the larger budget UK chains, no FDKS signs are provided on guest bedroom doors. Is any one aware of dispensations or determinations regarding fire door signage in hotels? Thanks in anticipation.

  4. No reference to roller shutters is included in BS 7273. It has been proposed to install a roller shutter door that is going to be a designated fire exit. The roller shutter will provide the only exit from an external enclosed area that forms part of the escape route away from the building to a place of ultimate safety.  I am considering accepting is as long as the installation complies with BS 7273 with the following three fail safe requirements: 1) It auto opens on power failure. 2) It auto opens on FA actuation. 3) A release mechanism is included in the installation with an emergency release device (green box) next to the shutter.  Your thoughts please?

  5. Is anybody aware of current recognised guidance or ACoP that specifies the minimum height of a fire exit. Many guides (ADB, BB100, 9999 etc) specify minimum exit widths for said occupancies, however, no mention of minimum exit height. A standard UK door is 1981 mm in height which comes from the old 6ft 6in imperial door size but again there is no reference in previous guidance to 6'6. ADB 5.16 does mention ceilings on escape routes to be no less than 2m and doors can be lower but again not specific reference to the actual minimum height of a fire exit. 

  6. 4 hours ago, AnthonyB said:

    It has plenty of information, do you have a copy?

    It has a table pointing you to the category of activation of opening in different scenarios and the three categories themselves (Critical, Standard & Indirect) have detailed information on the interfacing with the fire alarm.

    I have a copy and have spent quite a bit of time reading it but I do not find the guidance to be very clear. I was of the opinion that all sliding doors on escape routes or those that are designated fire exits should automatically open on the FA sounding. Table B3 suggests that if the sliding doors can be manually opened they can be a Cat B or Cat C. Table 1 makes reference to electrical power failure of the power supply and/or FA but nothing mentioned regarding cause & effect on the sounding of FA system.

  7. Sliding doors on escape routes & exits should open on the sounding of the FA (except for prisons etc) but I cannot find where it is stipulated in recognised guidance/ACoP. BS 7273 stipulates arrangements on power failure but very little on FAsounding. Any suggestions?

  8. I have visited a school that has key-operated locks on the inner face of classroom doors. I seem to recall that classroom doors fitted with a lock, should have a thumb turn fitted to their inner face to ensuring that the door will always be available without the use of a key and to prevent persons being inadvertently locked in the classroom . I cannot seem to find any guidance on door locks apart from BB100 (clause 4.5.1.3) and the CLG Education guide, both which only make reference to 'doors on escape routes'. I suppose that the door to a classroom also provides the MofE and therefore, technically may be interpreted as 'on an escape route' from the classroom. I would appreciate your thoughts please.

  9. looking at ABD only storerooms in residential care premises require enclosing in fire resisting materials; however, the times I see storerooms in schools, offices etc. (that do not contain a special fire hazard) that have fire door sets, signage and even S/Cs. Is everybody of the opinion that in general, storerooms are not required to be enclosed in FR? Apart from sleeping accommodation & resi care, there is no mention of storerooms being enclosed in the GLG guides or other recognised guidance that can be applied to schools - even BB100. Your thoughts will be appreciated, thanks AB.

  10. BS5839 Pt 1 2017  requires a zone plan to be displayed at the all FA panels including slave panels. My question is, if the building is small with a single zone is there a requirement to display a zone plan? Reading BS5839 it does not state single zone FA systems are omitted from this requirement and I suppose a single zone plan would actually inform the fire service that an alarm actuation covers the whole building, which is useful from a search and rescue perspective.

  11. A school built Circa 1969, has a common cavity above a false ceiling that is 580mm in height (from the top of the false ceiling tile to the underside of the original roof). The cavity spans the whole school (classrooms + corridors). The HM Education Guide is useless regarding guidance on cavity barriers and I understand the issues with applying BB100 retrospectively; however, BB100 does state the maximum dimensions of a cavity in any direction as 20 metres, which I intend to use for reference purposes - has anybody else used BB100 retrospectively?

    Also, I cannot find any reference regarding the cavity height i.e. is there any recognised guidance that takes account of the cavity height? Obviously a cavity height of 100mm compared to 1000mm is a lesser risk to fire spread.

  12. I have reviewed many FRAs over the years and many many times have come across risk improvements regarding upgrading or remedial works to enclose server rooms in fire resisting construction. I may be missing something here but there is no recognised guidance (that I have seen anyway) that requires a server room to be enclosed in FR. Server rooms are not on the list of special fire hazards within ADB. I understand that from a business continuity point of view it may be of benefit but I dont think it is a requirement for life safety. Your thoughts please.

  13. I have come across a premises that has a W/C and a kitchen which is technically an inner inner room. The MofE is through a store room then a shop. the kitchen is obviously an inner inner room but is there any guidance which allows W/Cs to be located off inner rooms?

  14. I came across a large market hall constructed in approximately 2008 which has fire exit sliding doors linked into FA system that open on actuation. No EDR (typically green coloured box). Red manual call points installed adjacent to doors. As most of us will know, the sliding doors should have been provided with a manual EDR as well. Q1 - can BS 7273 Pt4 2015 be applied retrospectively, see RRO Pt3 (d)?   Q2 - can any justification be made as to not fitting EDRs?

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