A two-foot square timber fronted riser cupboard on a stairwell of a 5-storey residential block of flats contains three waste pipes and three electric supply cables running up through all floors. The hinges are not fire-rated, the door is 18mm thick with 10mm stops. No combined seals. Is there a need to better protect the escape route?

No distribution boards, meters or other equipment, just cables?

No - just three cables

Strictly speaking yes, but if at no point in the riser there are no meters, DNO fuses or distribution boards or anything liable to be an ignition source then you could make a case for tolerating it. Is it an open shaft or just with holes punched through floorboards or pipes & cables?

On 19/01/2026 at 20:14, AnthonyB said:

Strictly speaking yes, but if at no point in the riser there are no meters, DNO fuses or distribution boards or anything liable to be an ignition source then you could make a case for tolerating it. Is it an open shaft or just with holes punched through floorboards or pipes & cables?

No meters, fuses or distribution boards, just three electric cables tunning up through punched holes up five levels. Waste pipes also within the block cavities. Guessing nothing is combustible and toleration is acceptable.

Thanks

I'd not consider it a major issue then, just seal any penetrations into the roof space and into surrounding areas that are not the stair core.

On 28/01/2026 at 20:57, AnthonyB said:

I'd not consider it a major issue then, just seal any penetrations into the roof space and into surrounding areas that are not the stair core.

Ta muchly