Tom Sutton

I agree with you it does seem suspicious but you need to check the door more closely and if you study https://www.asdma.com/knowledge-centre/ and select to appropriate download, I can see a couple that could be of help to you.

The 44mm width of the door, 1 inch stops on older doors and as fire doors are usually much heavier, then need to have three hinges, are indications that the door in question is a fire door, which is not foolproof. The protected staircase and the ventilation, would indicate the design used some form of fire safety guidance but for instance CP3 code of practice, but it didn't require front doors to be 30 mins fire doors. What would not be accepted today is the concealed door closers on the front door, they do not meet the required standards. (except one) You could get a fire door assessor to check the doors http://fdis.co.uk/ however Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats is the guidance for your block of flats, you should study it to see if it helps your case.

BS 5499 part 4 says the mounting height of escape route signs, it could be argued that Refuge Keep Clear meet that criteria, should be 1.7m to 2m on walls and 2m to 2.5m above doors or open spaces, so they are clearly visible above the heads of people. I cannot see any reason why those figures cannot be used in this case.

Check out FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing page 48 and other parts of the guide, you should find your answers there.

As AB has said, the fire officer is correct according to the present day guidance, but myself I would be cautious and wait the outcome of the Grenfell Tower inquiry in case there is any changes to the regulations and guidance. If it is left it is not going to cause any major problems the occupants will know if there is a fire on the premises and they can still stay put or evacuate as they choose.

How is the fire siren operated you need to give more information about the fire alarm.

Doors opening outwards from a room is very unusual, they normally open inwards, and they would also create an obstruction which makes me surprised the building control office accepted them. Without personal knowledge of the situation I cannot be definitive but I would think it is unacceptable because of the obstruction problem. The guidance for premises like yours is FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing and all you need to know you will find in there.

Check out https://www.iqfiresolutions.com/resources/responsible-person-duty-holder-flats-maisonettes.html it may be usful but take special notice of the last line of the page. (Note. Treat the above information with caution and if you intend acting upon it, take qualified legal advice.)

AB beat me to it but I will submit it anyway. Flats are subject to The Housing Act 2004 (HA) and the common areas to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O). The HA is enforced by the local council and requires the whole building to be safe which includes fire safety, also if you are designated an HMO then you may need to be registered as a licensed premises. The RR(FS)O enforced by the Fire and Rescue Service requires the common areas to be subject to the order which includes conducting a fire risk assessment. 1. Check with the local council if you are an HMO or you could check out https://www.firesafe.org.uk/houses-in-multiple-occupation/ may be useful. 2. It is the common areas that require a fire risk assessment under the RR(FS)O. 3. The guidance for your premises is FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing and provides guidance on all the fire safety needs you may require. 4. For the common areas RR(FS)O defines the Responsible Person (RP), who as the duty to implement the order and in your situation the owner or the person acting for the owner if they have full control, (managing company) is the RP. Selecting a fire risk assessor you should study A Guide to Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor.

Peter your concerns are admirable but most installers are only concerned with getting past the inspecting officer (IO) and many fire doors themselves are unacceptable, let alone the fire bypassing the fire door. I think some situations like the fire passing the door especially in false ceilings or floor spaces which can be easily addressed and easily spotted by an IO. As for carpets, in my experience the fire rarely gets down to floor level except where the items in the room are involved and if the carpets pass the hot nut test (35mm) the fire will only travel small distances in the protected area. However where it is possible to use non combustible threshold, which is in many places, they should be used whether an IO would pick this up, is debatable. All you have said is very relevant and it should be the enforcement officers (IO, BCO/AI) to get up to speed on this, to ensure these defects are picked up, to prevent poor workmanship.

All doors are fire exit doors the ones around the perimeter are final exits doors if they lead to a place of ultimate safety. You simply take the shortest route to the outside depending on a number of conditions like the location of the fire, as you want to walk in the opposite direction of the fire. Fire exit signs are designed to show you the way to safety if the route is unfamiliar to you. You need to be aware of many conditions to design a means of escape and without an intimate knowledge of the premises I could not advise you more fully.

BS 5839 states not less than 75 db(A) at the bedhead in rooms where the fire detection or fire alarm is intended to rouse people from sleep. not greater than 120 db(A) at any normal accessible point. These figures are arbitrary but are judged to be generally appropriate.

Most carpet if used as it should be, has some degree of fire resistance. When buying carpet look out for reference to BS 5287 and BS 4790 on labelling and informational documentation. Compliance with these would indicate a 35mm radius of fire spread which is the specification for low fire spread carpets to be used in protected fire escape routes or other sensitive areas. In a normal household any standard carpet should have sufficient fire resistance to be suitable for use in most occupied areas. Carpet used in escape routes need to pass the hot nut test as described in the above BS's.

Posting from FRFree, Yes, anyone who sells a piece of furniture in the UK is a 'supplier' under the Furniture Regs. Technically, this also applies to anyone giving away furniture for free. In practice, of course, it is highly unlikely that Trading Standards would know about or, if they did, bother to pursue an individual whose given away a second-hand sofa. It's worth bearing in mind that these Regulations are woefully out of date, not having been amended for nearly 30 years or so. Unfortunately, the Department for Business which is responsible for these Regs has deliberately ensured that the officials now 'working' on keep blocking all attempts for updating. Why? A long and complicated story but essentially in order to cover their backs. For more info, check out: www.toxicsofa.com. A much more knowledgeable person than me and makes it clear the regulations have not changed yet, so both labels still apply but in my opinion the permanent one is the most important because all the proof trading standard would need is on there.

I was thinking more about building regulation, material changes, I understand your problems but your proposals seems to present many difficulties and using new frames may be a better solution, despite the additional cost.

I am not aware of any under the RR(FS)O because students would be classed as relevant persons and the Responsible Person owns a duty to them but it is not reciprocal. If as a result of the call box being operated maliciously and the fire service attend they could do something, but in my experience they do not. I think it is up to internal discipline, catch them and punish them, CCTV can be a tool in identifying them .

THe problem with bed bases and mattresses is they are cover by two pieces of legislation, FFFSR and The General Product Safety Regulations 2005. The BS7177 low hazard label satisfies the GPSR which could be interpreted as meeting the law but you wouldn't be meeting the FFFSR. I would suggest you contact your local Trading Standards and get their advice.

If you are fitting new fire doors you should use fire door sets which are the door and frame that has been tested together. Consequently there will be no modification to the frame required and it is more likely the enforcing officer will accept it more readily.

In a private domestic dwelling you do not need self closers only if you have a fire door between the house and an integral garage. The self closer you have is not suitable for fire doors anyway they need to conform to BS EN 1154 : 1997 and the perko type closer you have does not meet that standard.

Check your second posting.

As a landlord of a furnished flat you are subject to The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations and any upholstered furniture/furnishings require that each item should be have a permanent label, permanently fixed to it by glueing, stitched or stapled. The label is proof that the item meets the required standards and if they are missing I am of the opinion that there is little you can do other than dispose of the item or reupholstery them. Most of the labels will be permanent labels in accordance with FFFSR but the mattress label is likely to be a BS7177 low hazard label. The position of the labels can be difficult to find, so you need to check it with a fine tooth comb, I have a settee and it is stapled to the wooden frame inside. I am sorry I can't be more positive but you can check the guides on the regulations in The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations.

My FS knowledge only applies to England and Wales and to a degree the rest of the UK but certainly not Italy however this is my opinion. Fencing off any area is usually acceptable providing there is adequate gates to enable people to escape safely and the means to open them, is easy to open, not using a key. Your problem is not allowing the younger children to open them, but allowing the older children/adults to have free access. One way would be to locate the catch at a height reachable to older children/adults and not the younger children. Maglocks with a manual override or covering the handle with a sheet of clear plastic that has to be lifted to access the handle these are available to cover manual calls boxes which could be adapted. I am afraid it is a difficult situation to resolve.

What exactly are you trying to achieve?

In England and Wales the commons areas of blocks of flats are subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and require a fire risk assessment (FRA). The flats themselves are not subject to the RR(FS)O but The Housing Act 2004 which does not require a FRA. As your flat does not have any commons areas what would you conduct the FRA on, it is most likely the management company are the Responsible Person, who are responsible for conducting the FRA anyway, you could ask them. Also in small premises if the RP employs less than five employees, there is no requirement to record the information, so what would you give them. Do not know about the asbestos report, you will need to look elsewhere on that.

As I have said you answered the question yourself and it is correct which is also confirmed by Harry.