Smoke Ventilation in older building.

[Guest Anthony M]

HI Guys,

Are you able to advise on a smoke vent concern please?

Its a four storey purpose built block, probably built in 80's.

3 flats on ground
6 flats on first
6 flats on second
6 flats on third.

There are no lobbies, its all open corridors throughout.

All doors to flats and cupboards are FD30s.

Travel distance seems to be 10m from furthest door to stair area

There only VENTILATION is the front and rear entrance/exit doors at the bottom, and a high level manually openable roof hatch on the third floor. But you would need a ladder to reach it as its quite high up.

There is no possible way to install windows on any floor.

I don't think we need to upgrade to AOV because the Purpose Built Guide says that as the block is less than six storeys, and is unlobbied, manually opening vents or windows are acceptable (as per 62.11 of  LGA Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats).'

But I am wondering if our set up is acceptable of just one out of reach manually opening hatch at top of stairwell, of should we change the roof hatch to remotely opening, or at least connect to a handle which can be operated from the landing level?

Thank you so much for any advice.

Kind regards,

Ant M
 

[Lyledunn]

Irrespective of the control measures needed to meet any minimum requirements in guidance, I think if I was on the resident’s committee, I would be seeking to lobby the stairs at at ground, first and second as well as pushing for the AOV. 
Sorry to be off piste, my work is mostly in the hospitality sector but even there I would rarely be a slave to a minimum acceptable level of fire safety. 

[AnthonyB]

On 17/01/2024 at 19:19, Guest Anthony M said:

HI Guys,

Are you able to advise on a smoke vent concern please?

Its a four storey purpose built block, probably built in 80's.

3 flats on ground
6 flats on first
6 flats on second
6 flats on third.

There are no lobbies, its all open corridors throughout.

All doors to flats and cupboards are FD30s.

Travel distance seems to be 10m from furthest door to stair area

There only VENTILATION is the front and rear entrance/exit doors at the bottom, and a high level manually openable roof hatch on the third floor. But you would need a ladder to reach it as its quite high up.

There is no possible way to install windows on any floor.

I don't think we need to upgrade to AOV because the Purpose Built Guide says that as the block is less than six storeys, and is unlobbied, manually opening vents or windows are acceptable (as per 62.11 of  LGA Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats).'

But I am wondering if our set up is acceptable of just one out of reach manually opening hatch at top of stairwell, of should we change the roof hatch to remotely opening, or at least connect to a handle which can be operated from the landing level?

Thank you so much for any advice.

Kind regards,

Ant M
 

I'd need to see it as part of an FRA to be sure, but the current edition of the official guidance would allow, as a legacy building, OV. However they would need to be readily openable so some alterations would be necessary as you suggest