Tom Sutton

The Regulations make a distinction between the permanent cover on a piece of furniture and a loose or stretch cover. The permanent cover can be defined as the cover fitted to the furniture when it is supplied to the customer even if it is removable for cleaning or changing. Similarly, replacement covers which are supplied by the manufacturer of the furniture at a later date should be regarded as permanent covers. The key point is that the removable cover forms only the wear/decorative cover used on the furniture and is designed by the producer/supplier of the furniture to be specific to that piece of furniture. Removable covers which are supplied with the furniture or at a later date by the producer/supplier as a replacement are regarded as permanent and must comply with Schedules 4 and 5 of the Regulations. Loose or stretch covers, on the other hand, are removable covers which are supplied by a producer other than the manufacturer of the furniture. These are designed to be placed on top of an existing finished piece of furniture which is already fitted with a permanent cover. This distinction is made because only the manufacturer of the furniture concerned will have detailed knowledge of how it complies with the Regulations. Loose covers for upholstered furniture must comply with Schedule 5, Part 1 of the Regulations and stretch covers must comply with Schedule 5, Part 2 of the Regulations as these are sold separately from the furniture. They also need to have a permanent label attached to them and this label may appear on the underside of the fabric. There are no display label requirements for loose and stretch covers. Check out http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1988/1324/schedule/5/made and Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations guide 2.

Other guidance documents for someone dealing with fire doors is https://www.asdma.com/knowledge-centre/ I think it is worth checking them out.

It appears you will have no problems, when you submit your building control application they will have the last say.

Check out https://www.oftec.org/Media/Default/DocGalleries/Technical Book Four Updates/OFTEC_TechnicalBook4_AMD_04_0413_15.pdf it should give you the fire separation you require.

Check out Approved Document B (fire Safety) volume 2: Premises other than Dwelling Houses page 134 Compartment walls this maybe what you are looking for.

What is the travel distance from the new end to a place of comparative safety, the staircase may not be comparative safety.

Why have you limited to 60 where did you get that guidance, the direction of openning of doors does control the numbers but I am not aware of single direction escape does.

It could be either a timber wall or timber cladding and it should be be able to check this by inspection. Each is treated differently by Approved Document B (fire Safety) volume 2: Premises other than Dwelling Houses B4.

Andy as AB said it depends on the level of fire resistance required, what is required in your case?

Not sure what you mean Andy could you please elaborate.

Thing were much easier in my day, Building Regulations 1972, schedule 8 part VII, 12.5mm plasterboard, skimmed, 1/2hour.

It all depends on the fire risk assessment theirs with yours, as required by The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 you would need to compare them, the guidance for B&B premises is Sleeping accommodation. Also check out Do You Have Paying Guests .

This is the guidance they should be using HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing check it out.

The office guide states, Where more than one escape route is available and depending on the findings of your risk assessment, items such as those below may be acceptable if the minimum exit widths are maintained and the item presents a relatively low fire risk: • non-combustible lockers; • vending machines; • small items of electrical equipment (e.g. photocopiers); and • small coat racks and/or small quantities of upholstered furniture which meets BS 7176 or the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. However allowing a desk, phone and waiting areas in escape routes, providing the seating is fire retardant has been accepted for years, unfortunately give an inch take a mile which will usually happen, consequently strict management is required. If you consider this acceptable then it must be subject to a strict fire risk assessment and I would ensure if there is a fire everybody would be able to turn their back on the fire to escape. I would also check the time the area would remain tenable and ensure people could reach a safe area, plus there would be other considerations.

As far as I am aware the FFFSR is only a UK legislation and not EU, therefore they are not in breech of any EU laws, but you would be in breech of UK laws if you sold it in the UK.

I am not a lawyer but I would think the EU supplier is not breaking th FFFSR as it does not apply to them but if you resell it you are. I also think the Trading Standards are the enforcing authority and would not be intersted until the FFFSR has been broken. What is the terms of your contract and does it stipulate all relevant items should comply with the FFFSR, I think you need the services of a contract lawyer.

Have you read the manual that comes with the smoke alarm, it appears to explain it in the troubleshooting section and if it is hard to understand check with the manufacturer.

The concern is any furniture or furnishing initiating fire and it is unlikely that an untreated timber desk is likely to initiate a fire or provide fuel in the early stages of a fire.

I am not aware of any and not sure why you would need one?

This may have arisen because in premises where there is a high situation of false alarms regarding red Break Glass Call Boxes then key call boxes are used replace them, with all staff carrying keys to operate the call boxes. However, the means of escape is still available just that the general public cannot operate the alarm it has to be a member of staff which in my opinion is acceptable. With green release boxes, this is a different matter because other people cannot escape until opened by a member of staff and in my opinion, it is not acceptable, but in a school and subject to a fire risk assessment, I can see a situation, when only students are present it could be acceptable but not when visitors and members of the public using it in the evening for LETS. It must be remembered that there are other ways of preventing the use of such fire safety equipment.

You say the cover material is fire retardant but is it match resistant and/or cigarette resistant this will decide if the interliner has to be FR (schedule 3 standard). Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations guide 2.

Without having detailed knowledge of all models it is impossible to answer your question and I doubt that anybody does. I would suggest you study your installation/user manual and if you cannot resolve your problem contact the manufacturer for their advice.

Not necessarily it depends on the type of fire door required if it is an FD30/60 fire door then a cold smoke seal is not required, if they are an FD30/60s type of fire door then they are. All fire doors to modern standards do require intumescent strips fitted to both sides and the top edge.

I would need more details on the layout.

Find out who the manufacturer is and contact them they will be able to advise you.