Tom Sutton

I far as I am aware there is no law for the situation you describe consequently I see no problems, providing after use the fire hose is returned to its normal location and made ready for use, in case it is required for fire fighting.

Thanks for your contribution George.

The flood barriers will not be a permanent structure and only used in the event of a flood, consequently under normal conditions, they will not interfere with the means of escape from fire. As for the chances of a fire and a flood occurring at the same time, is not very likely, so I do not see any major problems and as for the need of flood defences that is between you and the powers that be.

I agree it is not a fire risk, but the possibility that it could be an obstruction risk, depending on how it is secured under the stairs. Another problem is, if one person starts using the escape route to store items, others may follow which then causes problems for the Responsible Person (RP). You need to discuss it with the RP and see if you can come to some compromise.

Yes. The corridor from the front door of a flat to the final exit, is a protected route to enable people to escape safely and any fire risks have to be eliminated or protected to achieve a minimum 30 minutes fire protection. So as the electric intake cannot be eliminated it has to be protected to achieve a safe escape route.

All self closer are required to meet the standards of BS 1154 and are awarded a classification code of six numbers which indicate the type of fire door they should be used on. It is very likely that your victorian self closer will, therefore you cannot determine if the self closer is suitable for the fire door it is being used on. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/docs/guide1935.pdf the guide is for Single Axis Hinges but it is similar system for all door furnishings including self closers.

Sorry Samuel any advice on this website is confined to England and Wales with occasional advice regarding the rest of the UK, your question is well out outside our remit.

You can contact the local Building Control but building control approval is not always required.

I cannot see any reason why you cannot turn the keypad on the door of the classroom around so that the keypad is on the classroom side rather than the corridor side providing the door will open on the operation of the fire alarm and manual override device (green box) is installed in accordance with BS 7273 part 4. As for other methods suggested by you I will need time to consider.

There are two types of seal on fire doors, on door installed after 1987 there is always an intumescent seal, fixed in a groove, which expands when heat is applied to it and fills in the gap between the door leaf and the frame, preventing the fire to pass. Also on some doors a cold smoke seal is fitted, which seals the gap between the door leaf and the frame, which prevent cold smoke from passing through the gap before heat activates the intumescent seal and you can get combination seals both intumescent/cold smoke seals. There is gap between the intumescent seal and the frame which will not cause any noise, but the cold smoke seal which is made of rubber or brushes, has to seal the gap, therefore touches both the door leaf and the frame, which could cause a noise when the door closes. There are a number of different types of cold smoke seals you could try a different one to see if it is less noisier.

Check out, Guide to fire safety signs and signing, this guide should show you all need to know and get back if there is specific areas that need further guidance.

It is the Responsible Person (RP) who has a duty under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to implement articles 8 to 22 which includes a Fire Risk Assessment in the common areas. This will be the owners/freeholders on the building or the service company acting for the owners, providing they have full control. It is not only the cost of the FRA but any work that has to be done to meet the action plan which forms part of the FRA. Depending on circumstances, the FRA may not need to be recorded and there will be no paperwork to give to the solicitor. I do not know the cost of a FRA but it would depend on the amount of work that has to be done and this should have been done eleven years ago. An asbestos report has nothing to do with fire safety you need to research this separately.

To be sure of getting what you pay for, I personally would insist on the kitemark to ensure it has met the EN 3 standard and for the present, the CE logo.

Check out http://www.water.org.uk/publications/water-industry-guidance/disposal-contaminated-water-october-2012 I know it is for large quanties of contaminated water but I would think it applies to smaller quanties aswell.

What type of rental licence do you have? https://www.newham.gov.uk/Pages/Services/Private-rented-property-licensing.aspx

In my opinion (barrack room lawyer) which should be checked out with a lawyer specialising in fire safety law, like http://www.safetylawyers.co.uk/fire-safety/ I believe you are correct, legislation doesn't require the FRA to be recorded (formally written down), but the London Fire Brigade, who conducted a fire audit on the building doesn't need a hard copy to conduct a fire audit. The whole building including the flats are subject to the Housing Act and the common areas are subject to the The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O). A licence under an enactment, is in force, in relation to the premises, would usually apply when a premises requires a licence to operate then they must record their FRA but you do not require an FRA for the flat. A rental licence is a licence under an enactment (Housing Act), but does the licence cover not only the flat but does it include the common areas? However as I am aware the Responsible Person does not have to share it with anybody other than the Enforcing Authority therefore it would be pyrrhic victory anyway because you could not force him/her to share it. I think this is a job for the legal beavers and like you I cannot understand why conveyancing solicitors cannot accept an undertaking from the RP that the common areas meet the RR(FS)O in full.

Check out http://www.firesprinklers.org.uk and http://www.firesafe.org.uk/residential-sprinklers/ and https://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030280482 which should provide you with the information you require.

I am not aware of any such guidance and would think it does not matter how close they are as they are not contradictory, unless that fire door leads to a means of escape. Then you would have to provide a bespoke sign stating something like "No authorised access except in an emergency" also you would have fire exit sign as well. Check out Guide to fire safety signs and signing.

Check out https://www.gov.uk/government/news/expert-panel-recommends-further-tests-on-cladding-and-insulation and contact the DCLG who should be able to help.

It appears the self test facility is operating check out the the instruction manual, http://channeltest.co.uk.gridhosted.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Vale-Issue-1-02.2014.pdf

Then you can lock it and secure it as much as you choose, providing when you open up, you unlock it and remove all security devices, so it are easily opened from the inside, without the need for a key.

It is very frustrating but it is a problem that has to be resolved check out http://www.safelincs.co.uk/blog/2013/08/09/gaps-underneath-fire-doors/.

There is no EU law that covers safety signs, there is a directive that required member states to produce legislation regarding safety signs and the UK produced the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996. The standard on safety signs is BS EN ISO 7010:2012+A6:2016 and for the installation of fire exit signs is BS 5499-4:2013 - Safety signs. Code of practice for escape route signing, so what are we going to adopt?

Do you intend to lock it all the time or only when the premises in unoccupied.

The fire safety issue is that the gaps specified by Neil has to be there when the work is completed and the floor coverings are fitted. As for the Building Control Office/Authorised Inspector, issuing a completion certificate, you will have to speak to them.