Tom Sutton

As you have said, separate alarms in the flats as they are private dwellings and wireless alarms installed in the common areas, including emergency lighting, which I assume is in accordance with the fire risk assessment conducted by the landlord, should be acceptable. You also need to consider the audibility of the fire alarm in the common areas when you are in your flats,watching the television or sleeping, it should be loud enough to alert you. This is only part of the fire risk assessment I am assuming the rest is satisfactory.

I am assuming you are talking about external fire escape staircase, an this is covered by article 17 of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which states "subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair". Do what it says on the tin, which should include a structural engineers report as to its structural safety.

You could just use a piece of solid hardwood or you can get threshold smoke seal. Check out http://www.ifsa.org.uk/pdf/Information%20Sheet%205.pdf.

The refurbishment will be done under the Building Regulations you could check with the local Building Control.

It sounds like a converted large house and I do not see many problems for you but I cannot give a definitive answer without a physical survey because of the many item you have to consider. The fire alarm will need to be extended as you have suggested, the emergency lighting may have to be extended and the premises will require fire fighting equipment installed, depending on the fire risks present. The single protected staircase should be acceptable but you may be required to provide escape windows on the first floor and the ground floor if there is no alternative means of escape. The appropriate guidance is Approved Document B - Fire Safety: Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwellinghouses After the alterations you will need to conduct a fire risk assessment and the appropriate guidance is Fire safety risk assessment: educational premises

Fire safety in the common areas of flats or Maisonettes is controlled by Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) and this order lays down the legal requirements. The individual flats are domestic premises and exempt from the FSO but the common areas (staircase/hall) are subject to the FSO. Therefore fire safety in the flats are the responsibility of the tenants but the common areas is the responsibility of the landlord who under the FSO has to conduct a fire risk assessment and act on the results. I would suggest the landlord has used the HOUSING - FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing document, which would recommend emergency lighting and category D smoke alarms if not a higher standard.

Sorry Nicola not as simple as you may think, there are many questions that need answers, is the staircase protected to outside the premises, is the ground and first floor fully compartmented, how many persons will be using the premises, is there a fire alarm, plus other questions need to be answered. Without a physical survey it is impossible to give a definitive answer, therefore I would suggest you acquire the services of a fire risk assessor to survey the premises and he/she would be able to advise you on your proposals, which there is always a solution.

There are few hard and fast 'rules' in these days of risk based approach to fire safety and everything is about assessing the true risk to occupants. However Approved Document B states that the minimum width of a fire escape route or exit which will be used by 60 persons or less is 750 mm (Table 4 page 36). It also states that the width of escape routes and exits should not be less than the dimensions given in table 4. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_B2_2013.pdf

There are few hard and fast 'rules' in these days of risk based approach to fire safety and everything is about assessing the true risk to occupants. However it depends on how may person are likely to use the escape route and providing it does not reduce it too much it could be acceptable for a temporary period of time. Approved Document B states that the minimum width of a fire escape route or exit which will be used by 60 persons or less is 750 mm (Table 4 page 36). It also states that the width of escape routes and exits should not be less than the dimensions given in table 4. http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_AD_B2_2013.pdf

Yes Holly they do need to be fire rated and in most cases there should be three hinges but door manufacturers may recommend the use of only two hinges under special conditions. The hinges should be marked with the BS EN 1935/CE marks and maybe other marks like the Certfire marks which indicates they are fire rated. However the only 100% way of knowing the capabilities of the hinges is to have the HINGE DESIGNATION. (see Guide to Interpreting Markings for Single Axis Hinges.) Check out http://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-rated-hinges-set-of-3-product-1/

Check out http://www.fira.co.uk/document/fira-flammability-guide-october-2011pdf.pdf is states, Permanent labels need to be carried on all items of furniture with the exception of mattresses divans and bed bases. The labelling specifications for mattresses, divans and bed-bases are covered separately by BS 7177. Display labelling is required to indicate the ignition resistance of each item of furniture and needs to be attached to all new furniture at the point of sale, with the exception of mattresses, bed-bases, pillows, scatter cushions, seat pads, loose covers (sold separately from the furniture) and stretch covers.

First you need to establish the fire strategy including the means of escape scheme and decide which doors are fire resisting doors. There are FD doors which are fire doors with an intumescent strip, designed to prevent flames from spreading. Also FDs doors which are fire doors with an intumescent strip and cold smoke seal, designed to prevent flames/smoke from spreading. All doors should have gaps not exceeding 3 mm +/- 1 mm especially fire resisting doors and any gaps greater than 4 mm could render a fire resisting door useless because the intumescent seal/ cold smoke seal may not function properly. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-doors/

I would think so once the battery is flat, there would be no power supply to operate the EL tube but the normal tubes would still be fed from the sub lighting circuit and the emergency circuit would be isolated by the test switch.

All doors on escape routes should be quick and easy to open without the need for a key. In most situations this is the case; for instance, you simply operate the door handle of the door leading from an office and pass through. In the case of a hotel, while a key is required to access a bedroom, it is only necessary to operate the door handle to get out. However, the final exit door of a building frequently presents problems because this type of door requires a higher degree of security while still having to be to be opened easily from within. Checkout http://www.firesafe.org.uk/security-and-fire-safety/

The Tormax imotion appears to be an automatic door opening device suitable for use on fire resistant doors. If this is a final exit door it doesn't need to automatically open, it only needs to be easily openable without the use of a key, which is a method Harry has suggested.

I fully understand your frustration in my day,many moons ago, very few buildings other than entertainment and sleeping risks had EL and to test them I simple went to the switch room and threw the main switch then walked the premises. But even then there was times (hotels etc) when you could not switch the normal lighting off for safety reasons. Now days far more complicated and EL in premises that maybe do not require it, the call progress.

The current BS 5266 Pt 1 2011 states, a test facility should simulate a main failure and not interrupt the normal lighting supply. So we have two wiring systems 1 the old and 2 the new and you have the both in one building. Should you update the EL system then that depends on whether you can carry out the testing satisfactorily without interrupting work processes and the EL is effective, this is a decision you will need to make when you conduct your FRA. By operating the test switch on the new wiring system you are still simulating a mains failure its just the normal lighting is not extinguishing but the emergency lights are illuminating. Harry highlights the problems with the old wiring system.

Check out http://www.esielectrical.co.uk/media/em_ltg_design.pdf last page and I am no expert but it appears that when you test self contained luminaries the main lighting will remain on.

You could search the web with "upgrading fire doors" and see if any suitable links are found.

I think the legislation RR(FS)O art 13(1) b is quite clear " where necessary a fire extinguisher sign is required" and the British Standard recommends a FFE sign should be provided but would not a bracket without an extinguisher hanging from it, indicate it had been removed? IMO the decision lies with the Responsible Person whether it is necessary or not.

The Fire and Rescue Service a smell of burning is potentially a fire.

You are reading art 13(1) b in isolation the first two words in art 13 (1) is "Where necessary" then read (1b). Check out https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005-guidance-note-enforcement for clarification.

The simple answer is NO I believe no Fire and Rescue Services would not accept them on an fire safety audit of your premises, there are far more acceptable and better solutions available. Check out https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/14879/making-your-premises-safe-short-guide.pdf and the following paragraph is contained in that document. Suitable fire exit doors • You should be able to use fire exit doors and any doors on the escape routes without a key and without any specialist knowledge. • In premises used by the public or large numbers of people, you may need push (panic) bars or push pads.

The distinguishing feature of Telesto’s dual fluid, low pressure technology is its ability to atomize liquids into extremely small droplets and carry the droplets on an air stream. By adjusting nozzle design, water volume and air pressure parameters. How they do it will be a trade secret and I am sure we will not know for a very long time.

What type of emergency light is it, central batteries, commercial self contained type or a domestic self contained.