Tom Sutton

The fire alarm is to warn persons in the building that there is a fire in the building and can be initiated by somebody operating a manual call point or a fire detector, detecting a fire and operating a sounder. So if you can devise a procedure that will achieve the same objects then it could be acceptable for a short period of time while fire alarm system is repaired. People can be the best fire detectors; they usually smell the smoke long before seeing the fire. As soon as they are aware of a fire they need to be able to warn the rest of the building and this is where a procedure has to be formulated to ensure all relevant persons are made aware and can evacuate the building safely. For instance you could provide a contact point using the internal telephone system who in turn could contact the fire marshals to evacuate the floors ensuring all people evacuate safely, when only staff is present then the procedure would have to be modified. Without knowing a lot more about the building I could not formulate a procedure but I am sure there is staff that could. There is no legal or a serious breach of fire safety it is all about risk assessment and formulating a satisfactory procedure. If you are very concerned you should contact the enforcing authority, who are the local Fire and Rescue Service.

It is all about risk assessment and yes, you do need portable extinguishers because, if you have a small fire, it is better to extinguish it before it develops sufficiently to actuate the sprinklers. Leave the sprinklers to do their stuff when the areas are unoccupied or too large to be dealt with Portable Fire Fighting Equipment and save the business.

All the regulation states on this matter is Article 14 (f) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which say's, emergency doors must not be so locked or fastened that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by any person who may require to use them in an emergency. You have to apply risk assessment to decide what is required and what is not. The considerations are, 1. The type of maglock fitted and how you pass through the door when leaving the premises via this door, 2. The maglock needs to be failsafe, if the normal electric supply is interrupted the door should unlock. 3. Depending how you egress through this door and the direction of opening will dictate if you require a green box, or automatic opening of the maglock. 4. The number of relevant persons likely to use this door in an emergency. 5. The fire alarm or the loop covering this area may not open the maglock how do you open the door then? 6. If you open the door from the egress side by a number pad or security pass card or similar and a person arrives at this door not having the necessary how would they egress through the door? 7. You must always accept one of the devices/systems could fail and a backup is required. Sorry I cannot be more definitive but there are many things to consider and I cannot guess or assume too much.

Petrol filling station are subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and a satisfactory means of escape is required. The local fire and rescue service is the enforcing authority and if the means of escape is not satisfactory you should report it to them. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/ for the appropriate telephone number.

RR(FS)O article 6. (1) This Order does not apply in relation to, (e) a vehicle for which a licence is in force under the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994 or a vehicle exempted from duty under that Act; and IMO this applies to a tractor, if so it is not a workplace under the RR(FS)O, consequently it is up to the owner to decide what to do. I believe a tractor is a vehicle exempted from duty under that Act and therefore not subject to the RR(FS)O so there is no legal requirement to service/maintain the extinguisher. However I agree with you it should be serviced/maintained in accordance with BS 5306-3:2009 to protect a valuable investment, I do it for my car and that is nowhere expensive as a tractor. Also I agree with you if it is a sealed unit follow manufacturers instructions and ditch when it is cheaper to buy a new one.

I would suggest you surf the web with something like “upgrade an existing floor to 60 minute fire resistance” I did and found http://www.trimacoustics.co.uk/Firefloor.pdf and http://www.propertyrepairsystems.co.uk/fireceiling.htm and then you should research the possibilities, making sure the building control officer is kept informed for approval.

I am not aware of any legislation covering your situation but considering an investment of many thousands of pounds it is wise to keep fire protection equipment maintained, in case it is ever required, which is very possible considering the presence of ignition and fuel sources. Dry Powder Extinguishers should be visually inspected monthly for damage and must be serviced to BS 5306-3:2009 once a year. Powder extinguishers have to be discharged and refilled every five years and the manufacturer’s instructions will tell you what you need to do to keep your extinguisher in good working order. After an extinguisher has been used, even if only partially, it must be recharged according to the manufacturer’s instructions. See this guide about fire extinguisher maintenance and http://www.firesafe.org.uk/portable-fire-extinguisher-general/ for further details.

If a fire is to breach a timber fire door it is likely it will be where the door edge meets the frame and intumescent strips are to prevent this happening. This is unlikely to happen to metal doors and frames so intumescent strip are less likely to be used but I have seen them fixed under the lippings designed to force the lippings to expand and seal the door completely. Intumescent strips on the door and frame is unusual and I suspect what has happened is what you say or they may have been trying to compensate for a gap wider than recommended, which is not acceptable. I would suggest if the fire door is a FD30 there is no problem but a FD60 fire door requires two strips next to each other and if these strips are opposing each other and not staggered then there may be a problem. Check out the links below for more information. http://www.bwf.org.uk/ http://www.asdma.com/knowledge-centre/ http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-doors/

All doors you are likely to have to pass through to evacuate a building, are fire escape doors, some will be fire resistant (FD30/60 or FD30s/FD60s doors) others standard doors. All routes out of the building will become fire escape routes, in a fire situation, the ones used daily and familiar to all the occupants do not need to be signed with fire exit signs but all alternative routes unfamiliar to the occupants need to be signed with fire exit signs. All final external exit doors leading to a place of safety are emergency evacuation doors and those used as alternatively means of escape, (not in normal daily use) need to be signed with Fire Exit signs. Illuminated Fire Exit signs or emergency lights used to illuminate the signs are not required if standard exit signs can be seen in the event of a failure of the electric power supply. Maintained illuminated exit boxes are only required in certain situations like cinemas, theatres and clubs where necessary normal lighting is extinguished during the time the premises are occupied.

Depends if they are fire resistant doors, which cannot be left open, except when in use, or if they are fitted a with an electronic hold open device. If they are final exit doors, which are not fire resistant, then they can be left open but this introduces a security risk.

Absolutely Ian, you cannot usually give definitive answers, only be general, because there is so many different situations you have to consider. Such as how many circuits, feeding the EL's, is there sufficient daylight illuminating the escape routes during the daytime, when the occupants can use the common areas in safety, to enable you to leave the the system in emergency mode while you complete the test and there are others.

If it was a new build, Approved Document B (Fire Safety) would recommend a fire resisting enclosure for the electrical meter cupboard, but you should consider the guidance that was contemporary at the time the premises was construction or altered. Balance these issues with other factors like the age and condition of the premises, evacuation strategy for the building, other combustibles in the vicinity, any additional risks posed by other equipment in addition to the meters. In my opinion any cupboard that houses a risk which could increase the fire loading, i.e. a store room, or an ignition risk such as the electrical meters should be fitted with a fire door and the door kept locked shut, however in the case of water meters I would not insist on FR as long as the door is kept locked. There have been enforcement notices that have required electrical intakes/meters to be enclosed in FR construction in such premises.

The BS states that each emergency lighting system should have a suitable means for simulating failure of the normal supply for test purposes and that is all. So the location of test switches is entirely up to you, depending on your test procedure. To test the emergency exit lights you need to operate the test switch then walk around all the lights and check them to ensure that are operating correctly in the emergency mode, then return to the test switch and, switch back on, then walk around all the lights and check them again to ensure that are operating correctly in normal mode. During this period the light levels will be a lower level of illumination when in emergency mode and depending how long it would take you to walk the emergency lights would it be safe for the relevant persons occupying the building? Also if the building has sub circuits then each sub circuit has to be tested separately because if a sub circuit fails then that area needs to be illuminated by the emergency lighting. So without knowing further information it is not possible to suggest where test switches should be located.

In addition to the above, for advice and best practice I would use BS 5839 Part 1 AMD 2013 which recommends keeping records, but nothing on how long to retain them. I would say keep them as long as they are of some use and give an arbitrary time, as suggested, of two to three years is about right.

The Fire Safety Order makes no requirement to record maintenance activities, let alone keep any such records for a set period. So the only comments possible must surely be advice and best practice, rather than any statutory obligation? There is no set time frame I would suggest to keep records for at least two years, as it will show any inspector that you haven’t just filled in the book before he or she came!

Fire risk assessment is about assessing the risk which is a legal requirement. Fire doors need to be kept closed when not in use and fire exit door keep shut signs are fixed on both sides of the fire door to ensure no matter which direction you approach the door they will be visible.

As you intend running a business and selling your finished upholstered furniture then you are subject to the regulations. The Regulations apply to re-upholstery furniture which was made after 1 January 1950. All filling material and cover fabric used in re-upholstering such furniture must meet the new levels of fire resistance. This means that any upholstery materials which the upholsterer adds to the furniture in the course of refurbishing it must pass the appropriate test(s). You need to study the 1988 regulation, the other are amendments to this principle regulation and the FIRA guide should help. CPS Labels should be able to provide the appropriate labels. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/all?title=furniture http://www.fira.co.uk/document/fira-flammability-guide-october-2011pdf.pdf http://www.cpslabels.co.uk

I am assuming it’s a self-contained flat and the common areas will have had a fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which would have decided if fire resistant curtains/drapes are required in the common areas. The furnished self-contained flat is a domestic premises therefore exempt from the above legislation and it would be up to the landlord to decide if fire resistant curtains are required. If FR curtains are required then both the curtain and lining would need to be FR. Check out Contract Flammability Guide for more information.

If it is a licenced HMO then the following will apply, check out HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing, page 57 (A40) says, Licence conditions relating to fire safety. Mandatory licence conditions When granting a licence the LHA must attach certain mandatory conditions. These are laid down in schedule four to the Housing Act 2004 as follows: “A licence under part 2 or 3 must include the following conditions … conditions requiring the licence holder - (a to ensure that smoke alarms are installed in the house and to keep them in proper working order; (b to supply the authority on demand, with a 58 housing – fire safety declaration by him as to the condition and positioning of such alarms.” This is the only fire safety related mandatory condition. It must be applied to all licences alongside any relevant discretionary conditions, as explained in the next section. If not the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies in the common areas and all fire safety equipment should be maintained (article 17).

James this is a difficult one and it’s a matter of interpreting The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 the appropriate paragraph is 14 Second-hand furniture. My interpretation would be anything between 1950 and 1993 is subject to the regulations but not the full regulations. Upholstered furniture did not needed to comply with any legislation or fire tests for three decades and then has to pass the cigarette test, it doesn't make sense. Also I would think if you are selling to a business dealing in furniture and not a domestic user you are exempt from the regulations. I would suggest you contact http://www.fira.co.uk/ who are the real experts and they should be able to help. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/furniture-and-furnishings-fire-safety-regulations-19881989-and-1993/ and http://www.fira.co.uk/publications/flammability-guides and http://www.tradingstandards.gov.uk/advice/advice-business-sfsum20.cfm If you do get any answers get back to us,please.

This is a difficult one, I do not accept it is a domestic premises as defined by the RR(FS)O, because they are not all members of the same family, but I see it as a shared occupancy which is also exempt from the RR(FS)O, as the result of a test case in the midlands. They are also not HMOs for purposes of the Housing Act (excluding Part 1), see schedule 14 providing they are occupied principally for the purposes of a religious community whose principal occupation is prayer, contemplation, education or the relief of suffering. It is the second part that causes the problems, and my personal observation would be, if an owner occupier employs a cook and cleaner or a room is use as an office then the principle use is still a private single dwelling and exempt from the legislation. But if a large proportion of the premise is used as a business, the HASAWA and RR(FS)O would apply and risk assessment would be required. For me it would depend on the purpose these people were employed, for instance if it was for a retreat or people could use it like a boarding house, then the above legislation could apply.

The fabric for the curtains should comply with BS 5867: Part 2: 2008 Fabrics for curtains, drapes and window blinds (medium risk), check out Contract Flammability Guide for more information.

Fire escape routes in everyday use do not need to be signed because all employees will be familiar with the way out however if you allow access to the general public you may need some signing. All alternate escape routes not familiar to your employees should be signed and any doors on the escape routes that could be blocked accidental should have signs to prevent this. Check out section 6 in download https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-offices-and-shops and http://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-safety-signs-interactive-guide/

I cannot see any reasons why a fire door should behave any differently than standard door other than the tolerances are fine, 3 mm +/- 1 mm, but these tolerances are the ones all good joiners have used over the years for all doors.

The premises will be a shop so you need to conduct a fire risk assessment as required by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and guidance will be Offices and shops guide. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ for more information.