Final exits in enclosed areas

[Guest Paddyfire]

Hi not sure if this is a daft question. I have completed visits at various premises that have enclosed areas outside that exits lead to.

I have had offices and small shops and always said that evacuation should involve your main final exit to open air and ultimate safety, with the option if required to move further to say a pedestrian path.

In the case of enclosed areas to the rear of a premises that if you can not reach the front final exit or if you are already in an enclosed area, you would not be expected to re enter the building and you are in a place of relative safety, and aslong as you are the building height away you are safe and this is acceptable.

But with schools and care homes adviced that the enclosed area should have an alternative means of escape as smoke from the building an direction of wind could effect the people in this area, with vulnerable people and the number of young persons.

my question is flats with private or communal gardens. Do these enclosed areas need to be provided with means to escape from these  areas.

I have tried to put this into context with houses that have enclosed gardens that have no alternative and often back onto other houses gardens.

Or is single private dwellings different.

cant find an answer lots of forums seems to gain varying responses.

[Mike North]

It all depends on the size of the enclosed area and the risk.  If the area is big enough you can call it a place of ultimate safety, but technically it should allow for the restricted dispersal of people

[AnthonyB]

Most blocks of flats only require the single exit route via the front door so it's a moot point - if not required it need not lead to a place of ultimate safety and should have no exit signage