Tom Sutton

It is unlikely to find ANY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES in your situation, in the building as a whole or in the communal areas that section is more for commercial premises like factories. The use of template to record your FRA are designed for all types of premises and for your situation most questions will be irrelevant, so delete them. Study HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing if you feel it is necessary to record you FRA.

If the alternate fire exit route is required then he should not block it off, if you are concerned contact the local Fire and Rescue Service and voice your concerns. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

No, it is the common areas that require a FRA and the person responsible for the common area is subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which require them to conduct an FRA.

What do you mean by smoke detectors are the domestic smoke alarms which are not designed for commercial premises? By the sound of it you need a full BS 5839 part 1 fire alarm system installed.

It would not necessarily pass a certified fire door standard but it could be acceptable as a globally assessed fire door and what consideration have you given to the intumescent/cold smoke seals?

I would apply the HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisionsfor certain types of existing housing which would mean the doors to the flats would need to be FD30s doors, to protect each other. It may be possible to accept an existing lower standard of protection in the protected route if there are suitable escape windows from bedrooms and living rooms How this is achieved would be up to the landlord by doing it himself or getting the tenants to change the doors.

The main construction of the P50 is a HighDensity Polyethylene Aramid fibre Kevlar® type material weaved onto the body, it is strong and incredibly light. It is also also used in butane/propane gas bottles, towing ropes, bullet-proof vests, fire-proof gloves and many other products. Check out http://www.britannia-fire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/BF-P50-Brochure-2016.pdf

This is known a the travel distance which is determined by the occupancy and the appropriate guide will stipulate these distances.

I wouldn't think so there is no ignition sources on a push bike and it is not going to cause an obstruction, assuming it is not one assisted by motor means.

Who has access to these hallways, the owner, the flat occupiers or all the occupants of the premises?

From instruction guide AP038-01-2014, REMEMBER THE INTUMESCENT DOOR SEALS, LOCK PROTECTION, AND PROTECTED DOOR CLOSERS! A fire door is not a fire door without intumescent seals on the door or frame, plus intumescent paper must be placed around locks (see Envirograf® Products 69, 71, and 100). Protected door closers should be fitted, such as the all-in-one Envirograf® Product 71A door closer 3-hinge set with factory-fitted intumescent fire protection. Door stops only need to be 12mm thick or less, NOT 25mm THICK!

Check out the flammability regulations of http://www.bedfed.org.uk/resources/flammability/.

In my opinion it is more likely to increase the fire resistance dependent on how the stainless steel is fitted to the door and on which side the risk or low risk side? It would also be important that it didn't interfere with the seals both intumescent/cold smoke.

Further to my previous posting I think prosecution is not the way forward it is to educate the buyer not to purchase any item that is not labelled and soon the retailers would be insisting the manufacturers label their products. It is therefore important that you ask the mattress supplier for proof that the mattress is tested to UK fire safety standards before you buy a mattress, especially if you know it has been imported.

They don't, however one way for the manufacturer, to achieve their legal obligations under the GPSR is to meet the standards of BS 7177 which means a label should be attached. The fire safety of all mattresses (of any size), divans and bed bases is controlled by both the Regulations and the GPSR. Only the filling material (foam or non-foam) contained in a mattress, upholstered divan or bed base must meet the Regulations. However, the fire safety of the complete product is controlled via the GPSR. The normal route to achieve legal obligations is to have products evaluated against the British Standard best suited to product safety. In this context, a finished mattress and mattress topper, divan or bed base should comply with the low hazard category of BS 7177. If the mattresses conforms to BS 7177 the following label should be attached. Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations

You need to be more precise where on the website does it say all doors in a domestic dwelling needs to be self closing as domestic dwellings are exempt from the RR(FS)O? You are correct the Approved Document B (fire safety) volume 1 does say 'other than doors between a dwelling house and an integral garage, fire doors need not be provided with internal closing devices'. Consequently you do not need self closers on doors in domestic dwellings other than the FD30s door to an integral garage and self closing chains on fire doors would not be acceptable anyway. If you let the premises to tenants in the future and it remains a private domestic dwelling then the same would apply but if it is converted to flats then further fire doors would need approved self closing devices.

It is also important that The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O) article 17 requires maintenance of any facilities, equipment and devices provided in respect of the premises under this Order. Although a periodic survey of existing fire doors is not specifically stated it could form part of an effective maintenance regime and as Anthony has eloquently explained it would go to meeting the functional requirements of the RR(FS)O.

There is no specific legislation dictates the periodic survey of existing fire doors other than The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O) article 9 which require a FRA and it must be reviewed by the responsible person regularly so as to keep it up to date. During the review the RP or fire risk assessor would consider a survey of existing fire doors and any other fire safety matters. There is plenty of guidance on the maintenance of fire doors but not legislation that I am aware of.

Some do some don't it depends on the door leaves and the spring floor hinges. The door leaves need to be the required fire resistance and the spring floor hinges need to have been fire tested. You can contact the manufacturer and check out the technical details which should include the fire rating.

There is no specific legislation to cover this situation and no legal requirement to hold a fire resistance certificate but article 4 sub article of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which states "measures to reduce the risk of fire on the premises and the risk of the spread of fire on the premises" As the Responsible Person you are required to implement this and the best way to achieve this is to when purchasing upholstered furniture is to require it meets BS7176: 2007 medium hazard with documented proof. In your case the upholstered furniture needs to be assessed regarding the fire risk and decide if the risk can be eliminated, reduced or acceptable, also have document proof if possible. It seems to have been assess by a fire risk assessor but I do not understand what is meant by 'tolerable' can be eliminated, reduced or is it acceptable? Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the contract and non-domestic sectors

Combined Intumescent and Smoke Seals are designed to provide additional protection to prevent the passage of cold smoke. Does your FRA require FD60s or FD60 because if it is the latter you do not require cold smoke seals however In some circumstances, smoke seals are a Building Regulation requirement. Uninterrupted intumescent strips should be fitted into the frame or lining, where possible. If this cannot be achieved, the intumescent seals may be fitted into the door edge. The recommended seal size for most modern 30 minute doors, other than doorsets, is 15mm X 4mm. The recommended seal size for most modern 60 minute fire doors is 20mm X 4mm, or 2 No. 10mmX4mm.

Fire resistant PU foam is not suitable for what you propose it's recommended application is for window setting (where a clean and controlled backfill is required), entrance door linings, any kind of small breakthroughs in walls and other cavities. Rockwool insulation and chicken wire is not the only solution there are others you should check out BRE Digest 208 guide and the heritage guide may be useful. http://www.brebookshop.com/details.jsp?id=325239 http://www.cookeonfire.com/pdfs/heritage upgrading.pdf

What does your Fire Risk assessment (FRA) or review say about the need of a fire alarm system.The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, requires you to conduct a FRA which will show you what fire precautions you require to implement and if a fire alarm is required. http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ http://www.firesafe.org.uk/fire-risk-assessment/ http://www.firesafe.org.uk http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/selecting-a-risk-assessor.asp

A fire exit needs to be available during the time the premises is occupied and the exit door can be locked but escape must be simple, without the need of a key, in the direction of escape. What you are suggesting appears to stop people getting in from the outside but not preventing people on the inside getting out in the case of an emergency, consequently this would meet that criteria providing the knob is more like a lever than a knob.

A FRA should indicate the significant finding and an action plan would indicate the urgency of each significant finding. It is necessary that the findings are acted upon as soon as possible and with regards to the completion of the sale, that is between you, the solicitors and the buyer but if I was the buyer I would require the work to be carried out before I exchanged contracts.