Tom Sutton

I agree with Harry but everybody needs to understand the terminology. All doors in a premises that you need to pass through to escape a fire, are fire exit doors and the last fire exit door you have to pass through, usually leading to open air is the final fire exit door. Some fire exit doors are termed Fire Resisting Doors (FD) used to create protected areas and these need to be kept closed usually with self closer's, very rarely would a final exit door need to be fire resistant. All doors not designated FD do not need to be kept closed and can be left open, or wedged if necessary, but must be easily opened at all times the premises is occupied. The door above seems to be a final exit door, from a fire safety point of view you can keep it wedged open but security is another matter.

Three fire doors sets are tested to destruction and if they resist the passage of fire for the specified time then the manufacturing specifications of those doors are considered to be fire doors of that time it lasted. It is very costly and would not be suitable for you problem. You need to have the bespoke doors made to a specification that has passed 30 minute fire resistance, it will not be easy. Check out Safelincs I think they make bespoke doors.

Richard do you have manual call points? Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-alarms/

The employer of each premises is designated the Responsible Person (RP) and is required to conduct a fire risk assessment of their workplace which can extend further than the front door of their premises, check out art 2 interpretation which defines the workplace, "workplace" means any premises or parts of premises, not being domestic premises, used for the purposes of an employer's undertaking and which are made available to an employee of the employer as a place of work and includes- ( a ) any place within the premises to which such employee has access while at work; and ( b ) any room, lobby, corridor, staircase, road, or other place- (i) used as a means of access to or egress from that place of work; or (ii) where facilities are provided for use in connection with that place of work, other than a public road; However under art 5( c ) Any duty imposed by articles 8 to 22 or by regulations made under article 24 on the responsible person in respect of premises shall also be imposed on every person, other than the responsible person referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2), who has, to any extent, control of those premises so far as the requirements relate to matters within his control. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ So any matters you have control over you are subject to those articles.

You are subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and you are required to conduct a fire risk assessment, the guide for your premises will be the Factories and warehouses guide. The fire and rescue service could be visiting to conduct an audit of your fire safety arrangements or it could be to make them selves aware of the premises in case your premises are involved in fire. You should find out the reason for the visit and if it is an audit then you need to review your fire risk assessment to ensure it is relevant and up to date. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-risk-assessment/ and http://www.firesafe.org.uk/ for more information.

If the door was open when you tried to escape, why can't you close the door to exit, it is not ideal but it is not going to prevent your escape? Is the walkway private or public, because somebody could be injured and the local council or owner could be held responsible for compensation. I am surprised the local building control allowed such a design but I do not see it as a fire safety matter.

The full title of the Swedish Standard is SS 24823 Fire tests - Building products - Heat release and smoke generation, which could be relevant to wall coverings but there is no equivalent British or European standard acceptable to British regulations or guides. The requirement for circulation spaces in buildings for the UK is BS 476-7:1997 (Class ‘O’) or BS EN 13501-1:2007 (B-s3, d2). The mural most probably would be satisfactory but you would not have documented proof and it could be considered a significant finding in your fire risk assessment which could result in the enforcing authority requiring it to be removed. I do not understand if the Swedish company is selling to member states why they do not use European standard? Check out https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-offices-and-shops page 120 of the guide for more information.

Assuming the door is not a certified fire door then you need to upgrade the door and frame to meet a nominal fire resistance. The thickness of the panel is only one consideration and the gaps around the door are another weak point. The normal accepted thickness of a half hour fire door is 44mm but that can vary depending on the construction and there is no minimum thickness of panels for a FD30 door. Check out http://www.fire-door-services.com/Downloads/Trada_FireDoorsetsbyUpgrading_000.pdf for information on upgrading fire doors.

Check out http://fire.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6252.0 and follow the thread wee b is an building control expert see what he has to say.

It would all depend on the means of escape being satisfactory and a number of factors need to be considered, layout, travel distances, width of door openings, fire risk and is the back garden totally enclosed. Sorry I cannot give a proper answer without knowing many factors and a physical survey to ensure fire separation is satisfactory.

Thanks Harry but I have been told off by Colin Todd who says,"Tam, you are making it all too complicated and your explanation does not take into account flats with no internal fire doors". I am now awaiting his simplified answer.

The wall between a flat and the common areas is a compartment walls and tested to BS 476 part 21 which includes stability as well as integrity, so it needs to remain stable as well as resist the passage of fire for the appointed time (60 mins). Fire doors are non-load bearing and tested to BS 476 part 22 for integrity, I have chosen to ignore insulation because it is not relevant in this discussion. Therefore compartment walls have remain stable and resist the passage of fire for the full 60 minutes and fire doors only have to resist the passage of fire. Because fire doors do not have to remain stable you can have two doors protecting the opening, one from the habitable rooms to the hall and then a second (front door) from the hall to the common areas a combination of 60 minutes.

As I have already said you should speak to a BCO, this is not fire safety but I have perused ADM and my interpretation is that ADM does not apply to your building. Page 11 states,” the requirement apply if a non-domestic building or a dwelling is newly erected; “ Your dwelling is not newly erected so I would say ADM does not apply. You could try http://www.draftproofing.com/raven_threshold_plates.html but whether it is suitable I do not know I say again speak to a BCO they understand it far better than me.

There is no set area just sufficient space so you do not restrict people passing through the fire exit.

Prisons are subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the guidance document is "Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Healthcare premises ". Prisons were previously included in “Other sleeping accommodation” but are now included in the “Hospitals” category as the fire frequency in prisons is more similar to that of hospitals. The figures for these two categories have therefore changed. Youth Offending Institutes and Immigration Detention Centres should also be included in this category. Check out page 54 of the guide, Textiles and furniture, the first line states “The use of flame-retardant bedding and furnishings will substantially reduce the fire risk”. The Responsible officer in the Prison Service has used this guidance in there fire risk assessment. They cannot use the domestic standard because a prison is a none-domestic premise so they have used the contract flammability guide. The Prison fire retardant bedding is designed to meet the challenges of a prison environment where cell bedding needs to be fire resistant, vandal resistant and durable. The Prison fire retardant bedding range extends to mattresses, pillows, fire resistant blankets, high security blankets and other essential cell bedding. The mattress should be fire resistant and is tested to BS 7175 1989 - source 7 standard. Cotton duvet should be flame resistant to BS7175 1989 Source 7 standard.

This may be of interest to you cam action door closer but price is high, but for one off's it may be considered acceptable. http://www.doorstuff.co.uk/doorclosers/geze-ts3000b-slimcam-guide-rail-door-closer.php

ADM is not a fire safety related problem it is a building control matter and I am not in a position to give an authoritative response. I would suggest you try http://forum.building.co.uk/forums/ which is more able to deal with your inquiry. A copy of ADM can be found at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/approveddocuments/ which should help.

Re-upholsterers are covered by the regulations if you purchase your materials from one of them it reasonable certain they will comply and may provide you with labels. If you go to a supplier, for the materials that meet the regulations, then you should get all the necessary documentation and labels.

I assume you have a front door to enter the premises, that is a fire exit, it may not be signed but only doors not in general use need to be signed. Whether you require more than one exit will depend on the layout of your shop, the travel distances, width of exits and more. If work is required as the result of a fire risk assessment then I would imagine it is the responsibility of the landlord but it would all depend on the contents of you lease agreement. Check out https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-offices-and-shops for more information.

There is the DCLG guide which I think you are calling the green guide, there is the purple guide HSG 195 which is being revised but not available yet and you will have to use the old one. It is very unlikely the fire service will help but you could try them and you as the Responsible Person (RP) under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 you could appoint a competent person to assist you (a consultant) or do it your self, if you are confident, but remember it is a legal situation, your choice. http://www.thepurpleguide.co.uk

The problem appears to be a legal one, if the means of escape passes through your property they need a legal agreement with you for right of way or something similar. I would suggest you involve a solicitor and tell the local council you intend blocking off these exits sometime in the future and wait for response. I would imagine if they have legal rights they may produce some legal document, if not, forbid the use of your land. Their means of escape is their problem not yours and it is up to the local fire and rescue service to enforce the fire safety in the Parish Hall. As I have said it is a legal problem not a fire safety one and you should contact a solicitor.

It all depends on the layout of the flat, if you consider the kitchen as a place of special fire risk and it is enclosed you need a FD30 door.You are also right about ADB vol 2 2013 Table B1 page 134, states doors to communal areas has to be a FD30s door but doors the hall/landing only need to be FD20 doors. I believe self closer's should be on all fire doors, because if left open it is no longer a fire door. However it is not very clear in ADB, but it appears, flats only requires them on the fire door separating the flat from the common areas. Residential homes have different rules.

I believe this has been around for some time and I can go back to the 1972 regs but I have never been able to find the answer however I will have another go and if I find out anything I will be back.

This is for the Responsible Person (RP) as defined by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to decide how many competent persons he/she requires to appoint for the effective evacuation of the premises and assist him in undertaking the preventive and protective measures. Check out article 18.Safety assistance for more details.

I think I understand what you are saying, the bars that are operated by the push bar, engages with the top and bottom of the frame. How well they engage is all about security as far as fire safety is concerned it is how easily they open, if they didn't engage at all, this wouldn't affect the means of escape, but the occupiers would not be very pleased for security reasons.