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It will be necessary to contact the code-lock manufacturer or supplier and examine their specific evidence of fire resistance performance for their product when fitted to a fire door of the type that you intend to use. Generally, that will mean the door must have a solid timber-based core throughout, rather than tubeboard.

Contact ASDMA to find a supplier or manufacturer https://asdma.com/knowledge-centre/

If there is just the electric meter and access can be restricted to stop any storage then local enclosure of the meter is an option if an existing HMO, although if it's going through Building Regs you may find they will insist on following the guidance in Approved Document B

Fire Risk Assessments have no expiry date in law if the premises have not changed - as this should address the external wall (either to say it is low risk or that it needs an FRAEW) it should suffice. An FRAEW can run into four figures or more to obtain and in a small traditional build like this would be disproportionate, however some lenders and solicitors are out of touch from reality in the current climate.

I am buying ground floor flat. Front door to front garden, kitchen door to back garden, no comunal areas with flat upstairs. Walls made of bricks. My solicitor is asking for FRAEW. Seller said he doesn't have one. There was fire risk assessment done before but expired a year ago. What to do now.

Thanks Neil, explained perfectly (as usual)

Hi Longshot this one but I'm looking for a number coded lock for both 30 min and 60 min doors, these doors aren't on fire escape routes but will be required as the only mechanism of keeping the door shut. The blanks being utilised are from Flamebreak and the following is from the FOA both 30 and 60 mins are pretty much the same.... Any help would be greatly appreciated

The issue is not so much that the door leaf is not a close fit to the door frame rebate stop. Rather, is the door leaf thickness wholly contained within the door frame rebate or does it stand proud on the 'pull-side'? Some doors have no stated tolerance within their certification document for this issue, others have up to 1mm generally.

I have just been presented with a similar problem. I have had 3 previous inspections with no problem so they are obviously changing the rules. But with no clear alternatives for plasterboard and skim. My cellar just has an electric meter plus smoke alarm and detector. I have the added problem of a lot of water pipes which are below the joists and will need to be accessed . I am also searching for an answer. We can’t be the only HMO landlords with this problem. We really need some guidance from the HMO assessors.

Hi ..are fire doors with concealed intumescent strip ( fitted under hardwood lipping ) still available/used and or compliant?

Hi all, back once again to the knowledge collective for some sound advice. Had a good hunt around online but couldn't find a figure for the Maximum allowable gap between the front FACE of the fire door (flat entrance door, FD30) and the door stops. Just to give a little background on it, we're upgrading existing nominal/notional doors with strips, hinges, correct gaps etc and some of our original rebated frames have had some slight movement/twisting over the years as they've seasoned meaning that there are some minor gaps at different places along the frames (anything up to 2mm in places and typically towards the bottom of the frame legs) between the face of the door and the rebated door stops (all doors are inward opening to the flats and are within the 2-4mm gap between door edges and frame). Logic would suggest that as we've got intumescent smoke strips fitted into the door the gap, theoretically, shouldn't pose an issue but it would be great if someone could highlight the official guidance on it. As usual thanks in advance to everyone, Richard

Consult Building Regulations. In England & Wales its https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-approved-document-b

Depends on the results of the Fire Risk Assessment. Having done a few like this the usual outcome is that upgraded heritage doors are acceptable along with the lack of smoke control as part of a simultaneous evacuation strategy supported by an adequate common fire detection & warning system that extends into the flats. If the doors were not part of any listing then usually the expectation would have been to replace them at the time of conversion.

Then Mike is reflecting the current situation in English Building Regs guidance

Traditionally no, but as it's flats the Government's response to the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus (EEIS+) consultation and Residential PEEPs policy does appear to allow fire service rescue as an option from common areas as long as the PEEP is sufficient to enable independent evacuation from the flats where the fire is.

That's an unusual way around! That would be one of the steps to mitigate the solution, yes.

It sounds like the flats are ancillary to the use of the event space and if the stair is lobbied does have a situation that is detailed as acceptable if using Approved Document B. Building control are getting more strict on designs that don't fully reflect Approved Document B and increasingly will only consider these if justified in a full fire strategy by a Fire Engineer

Hi there, any and all insight would be greatly appreciated - as this is far from my area of expertise! We're in the process of setting up a new business in the form of a wellness centre. We're creating a platform to put two cold plunges on, which will be situated close by to a fire exit. The platform will be 180mm in height. We intend to have a short ramp up to the platform that covers the whole width (around 4m), along with a ramp where the fire exit is situated, otherwise the platform will be wall to wall. I hope the above makes sense, keen to understand if we are compliant with fire safety regulations before we commence with the build! Let me know if you'd like any further information at all.

Building regs looks at each element and tells you what you need to do. Using BS9999 would allow you decrease some fire protection by increasing others. The RRO also allows this by risk assessing the changes. An example would be increasing the single travel distance by installing more fire detection in a building.

It would be up to the individual charity shop what they will or will not accept, you will have to ask them. Yes, legally they can accept it (if you can prove its age) but that does not mean they have to accept it. If you are a private individual, there is nothing stopping you selling it to another private individual.

You will NOT get a reply from Althetaff as the question was asked in April 2024, Althetaff only made 2 posts on the same day and has never posted since, best start your own thread. Never "borrow" someone elses.

Hi, could you let me know what did you end up doing? I am having a similar problem.

Agree with AB. However, messaging coming from our FRS is a rather forceful recommendation that FRAs within the hospitality sector here should be considered expired after 5 years! FRS may be wrong but I can see some justification in a complete reset. Many venues have no idea of where their existing FRA is, let alone the outcomes it highlighted. A new FRA may suffer the same fate but at least it can be claimed that the horse was dragged to the trough more than once.

Hi, We have been asked to document a PEEP for a new resident in our supported living facility. The facility provides self-contained accommodation (flats) for service users with mental health/substance use and the only support provided is in relation to these issues (they are generally mobile and live mostly independently). As it stands, staff members on site are not expected to assist in an evacuation. Some blocks are staffed at all times, others have no staff on site at all. This specific site does have security staff on site overnight. We have a new resident who uses an electric wheelchair and has been placed on the second floor of the building. On a day to day basis, they are capable of getting around the building without support and live independently. My concern is that the lift they use to get to and from their floor is not a fire fighting lift and is not to be used in the event of a fire. The building itself is newly built and the flats have a stay-put policy. Initially we were told that it may be acceptable for the service user to leave their flat and they can go either direction in the corridor to the next compartment and if necessary keep moving compartments (all ventilated) until they reach one of the staircases. I proposed an evac sled is provided in the staircases but the argument is that staff are not on site to assist them down the stairs using the sled. The added complication is that the occupant is bariatric and therefore would require more staff than there are available anyway. Is it acceptable for the evacuation plan to be that the resident evacuates horizontally and waits in the staircase (effectively a 'refuge') until fire service intervention? There are no flats that are accessible without having to navigate stairs in the building - ground floor is occupied by offices only. All flats are on upper levels. Any help would be appreciated.

Morning ,I want to start using mineral wool insulation for filling gaps between frame and wall. My question is can any type be used as long as it's non combustible? If anyone knows of a specific type to use I'd be very grateful. The one I've looked at is Knauf Dritherm 37. Has a Euro class 1 rating and states it's non combustible. Thankyou