Tom Sutton

If a fire alarm is necessary, which I must assume, it is, as you have one, then it needs to be tested in accordance with article 17 of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 then it is in contravention of this order.

If the FRA require a fire alarm you should install, a Grade L2 coverage in the common areas and a heat alarm in each flat in the room/lobby opening onto the escape route (interlinked); and Grade D: LD3 coverage in each flat (non-interlinked) smoke alarm in the room/lobby opening onto the escape route) to protect the sleeping occupants of the flat. The reason is if a flat is unoccupied and there was a fire in the flat it could get out of control, breaking into the common areas making the common areas untenable for the rest of the tenants.

You need to check lacors guide, I understand it says, Grade A: LD2 coverage in the common areas and a heat alarm in each flat in the room/lobby opening onto the escape route (interlinked); and Grade D: LD3 coverage in each flat (non-interlinked) smoke alarm in the room/lobby opening onto the escape route) to protect the sleeping occupants of the flat. Lacors guide is accepted by most enforcing authorities if not all and it is the owner/landlord or the managing agents responsible for implementing The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Assuming the fire escape door locking device has been installed to BS 7273 part 4 then a power failure caused by the fire, the lock would be fail-safe and the door would would fail in open position.

I am afraid it is not as simple as that each premises has its own guidance and you need to use that guidance to conduct your Fire Risk Assessment (FRA). The FRA will decide is the external fire escape is necessary but the chances are that it is still required.

You have not been given sufficient information and the Responsible Person (RP) should provide more details from the Fire risk assessment (FRA). The offices will be a part 1 system and the category will be decided by the RP. The common areas of the flats will be a part 1 system with heat detector in the hall of each flat and the flats will be a part 6 system, a grade D most probable. The need for a fire alarm should be detailed in the FRA showing the areas of cover or a fire alarm risk assessment with you and the RP involved.

Any upholstered furniture pre 1950 is not subject to the regulations but if you re upholster it, any new materials have to meet the regulations. You would need to have permanent and display labels fitted and any information would need to enable the trading standards to locate you to be able to check the materials used. Where you obtain the labels would be up to you, providing they carry the appropriate information. Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations

It all depends on the construction of the timber fire door they usually consist of a fire resistant core with hardwood lippings on the stiles and softwood lippings on the top and threshold, covered with a veneer cover. I see no reason why they could not put larger lipping on but that is up to the manufacturer's, I think they just construct then to standard sizes. Which is alright until you have to hang doors in old buildings that are not standard then it's time to consider fire door blanks and make your own.

Depends on if it is a new or altered premises or an existing building. Travel distance can be found in the DCLG guidance, http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ and in a new or altered premises the Building Regulations guidance, check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-safety-in-new-extended-or-altered-buildings/.

Point taken, you do need an illuminated exit signs so why not fit illuminated exit boxes with BS 5499 standard templates.

Approved Document B (fire safety) volume 1: Dwellinghouses page 30 shows the recommendation and the swing on the fire door can be any direction of your choice and the self closer will keep the door closed anyway.

Why do you need an illuminated exit sign assuming it is not a place of public entertainment, I see many that are just not required and it would be easier to use a standard exit sign with a EL fitting no more than 2m away?

I suspect the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, considering they have had years to do something about it, will have a low priority in the new "Great Repeal Bill" and this anomaly will continue for years.

The intumescent strip can be fitted in the frame but it is acceptable to fit them in the fire door.

I cannot be definitive without checking a number of items but the the chances are that a loft hatch along the escape route would need to be fire resistant, to what standard would depend on the situation that prevails.

As far as I am aware the bedhead test is part of the commissioning process and once the number and location of sounders have been established the test is no longer required unless there is some doubt on any sounder or group of sounders. I think the weekly test should be done to establish the fire alarm is working, limited to flick testing (few seconds), which is the purpose of the test and the staff report on the audibility, not the guests, choosing a time when the rooms are being cleaned. I do not think I would get hung up on the 75 dB at the bed head.

It is legal and is known as an inner room situation, there is three options to make it safe, • a vision panel between the two rooms providing adequate vision to give an indication of the conditions in the outer room and the means of escape; • a large enough gap between the dividing wall and the ceiling, e.g. 500mm, so that smoke will be seen; or • an automatic smoke detector in the outer room that will sound a warning in the inner room. Check out https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/422175/9449_Offices_and_Shops_v2.pdf page 70 for more information.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 has no jurisdiction when the escape route reaches the public thoroughfare. You could put signs and painted hatched area outside the escape doors hoping motorists will take notice but as far as I am aware the RR(FS)O cannot help. You could contact the local council to see if they can help but your actions are limited.

How do they record the 75db at the bed head if they do not operate the sounders? This is the sound level when the sounder is operating.

You need to discuss your proposals with the Building Control Department because it is up to them to decide what is acceptable and what is not. My concerns would be if a fire broke out between the exit doors and the back of the shop this would mean the occupants would have to bypass the fire to get to the final exit. I used to have a rule of thumb that the depth must not exceed the width to a ratio of three to one which would mean the depth of your coffee shop would be limited to 10.5 m. But if you was to locate the coffee making facilities at the back of the shop and reduce any fire risks in the premises BC may accept your proposals as it meets the travel distances in one direction. As for an alternative escape into the adjacent premises is not acceptable, for many reasons, it needs to be an independent route. The guidance they will use will most probably be https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/441669/BR_PDF_AD_B2_2013.pdf

I far as I am aware there is no required to allow fire crews to enter the building from the outside, the staff will simply open the doors and allow them in, if not they have effective means of opening doors without a key. I think it all depends on the needs of the residents in the care home, does the doors need to be secure in preventing residents from wandering outside then special needs would be required and either devices has manual means of opening the door, take your choice.

Without detailed information it is impossible to say, you need to detail your proposals and have a fire safety consultant to examine them. There are many things to take into account when designing a means of escape plus other items to ensure conformity to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The final plans should be in accordance with the Building Regulations guidance.

Another link on access that may be useful to this situation http://housingexcellence.co.uk/news/croydon-council-serve-injunction-gain-access-selhurst-flat-after-leaseholder-refused-let-it

Check out http://www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk/resources/articles/southwark-council-v-various-lessees-of-the-st-saviours-estate-2017-ukut-10-lc and it appears the findings of the tribunal was limited to an eighty pounds charge because the council could not prove the doors required upgrading or replacing and I think your lawers needs to look in this more deeply. Also what you would do if the tenants refuse to replace or upgrade the doors, as this work is required as result of the implementation of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 . We would be pleased if you keep us informed on the outcome of this situation.

It appears you are the Responsible Person under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and have a duty to implement article 8 to 22 in the common areas, the front doors of the flats form part of the common area. The tenants of the flats are not subject to the RR(FS)O except for a small section of the order. You need the tenants goodwill to enter the flats so I would use a softly softly approach which in most cases should work but if there is an impasse threaten with an injunction which has worked in the past. I think as you have a legal obligation it would be better if you upgraded or replaced the front doors, passing any costs to the tenants through service charges. Providing the grade "A" fire alarm again is your legal responsibility and providing the smoke alarms/CO alarms to each flat is your legal responsibility under the The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015. Taking into account the above comments I would suggest you organise the work yourself passing on any costs through service charges and remember softly softly catchy monkey. You need to acton the work as soon as possible but it is understandable it will take sometime to complete and this should be understood by the Enforcing Authority.