Tom Sutton

All escape routes should be a sterile area but the word reasonable is used constantly in the legislation and the two major concerns are tripping hazards and fire spread, Does a door rubber backed doormat stuck to the floor, a potted living plant on a window sill or fixed shelf, but not a Jardiniere, or a small number of pictures, framed and covered with glass, pose a trip hazard or could result in fire spread, I would think unlikely it seems like an over cautious fire risk assessor. It could be the FR assessor found a number of genuine problems which needs addressing under the legislation but the landlord is dealing with it using a blanket solution which is not necessarily the right thing to do. You should contact the landlord and voice your concerns and see if they will adopt a more reasonable managed approach. Check out 44. Housekeeping in Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats.

I can understand why the electrician wishes to connect to the common area supply (landlord supply) because it would be a guaranteed supply while the premises is occupied and it is more likely that a flat could become unoccupied which could interrupt the supply to the emergency equipment. But in your case I would assume a grade D smoke detectors and self-contained emergency luminaires connected to the lighting circuits, consequently you would not lose all the whole of the system if one flat isolated their supply. Most important the local fire and rescue service (Enforcing Authority) is in agreement with you and as you and your other freeholder are the Responsible Person’s (RP) under Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 it’s your decision, the fire risk assessor is only your advisor. It is up to you whether disclose this information to the company that did the fire risk assessment but I would assume they would stick by their report anyway and I would try to get proof of the statement made by the LFB. Check out HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisionsfor certain types of existing housing

Who supplies and pays for the normal lighting in the common areas?

As green-foam has said is sounds like a maintained emergency light but is it required please describe the premises and its function. http://www.firesafe.org.uk/emergency-lighting/

Stewart who is the Responsible Person, you or the landlord and who conducts the fire risk assessment, it should be the landlord. Also who employs the alarm company because they need to answer a few questions. Fire alarms should be tested/serviced weekly and 6 monthly depending on the grade of alarm installed. Extinguishers should be serviced annually and an extended service every five years depend on the type of extinguishers. The service company needs to be asked why the extinguishers have been condemned and why the fire alarm needs replacing. If it is because the fire alarm system does not meet current requirements that is not a good enough reason, providing it met the required standard when installed. I think the service company needs quizzing to ensure everything is above board. Whether its a HMO or not has no bearing on the case the applicable legislation is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the guidance is HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisionsfor certain types of existing housing

By my understanding you are correct but you have to fix permanent labels with limited information and fix them depending if the cover can be removed for washing. Check out http://www.fira.co.uk/document/fira-flammability-guide-october-2011pdf.pdf page 29.

Sounds like a typo error or the engineer doesn't know what he is talking about, part 6 should only apply to residential premises.

This is clearly a communal area and is subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RR(FS)O, which means the Responsible Person (RP) has to conduct a fire risk assessment and is subject to the RR(FS)O. The landlord is the RP, who has to implement the RR(FS)O and is responsible for the common areas. Whoever has conducted the FRA has passed their finding onto the RP who appears to be implementing it and if the front doors are not being changed it looks like the FR assessor is satisfied they meet the required standards. Who pays is up to your tenant agreement nothing to do with the RR(FS)O. The enforcing authority is the local fire and rescue service and most do a FRA in domestic premises. You could contact them and request a FRA and when they are in attendance you could bring up the subject of the front doors and is the curtains/door mats OTT. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/ for the contact details of your local FRS.

All care homes are subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and are required to conduct a fire risk assessment. The significant findings of the assessment, including the measures which have been or will be taken by the responsible person should indicate the level of fire safety in the premises. If you have concerns about the fire safety in your mum's care home you should bring to the attention of the person in charge of the home and maybe a chance to view the FRA will alleviate your concerns. However you would need a good understanding of fire safety matters to interpret the document and the guide Residential care premises should help you to understand the findings of the FRA. Or you could also contact the enforcing authority (Local fire and rescue service) and express your concerns about the fire safety in your mum's care home. I am sure they will take to necessary action which may include an audit of the premises and keep you informed of their findings. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/ for the contact details of your local FRS.

You are using the old formula, the latest requires you identify the fire rating which is the rating of fire followed by the class, for a 9 litre water extinguisher it is 13A, but it can vary so you need to check the fire rating. For a 6 litre water mist extinguisher it is 13A so they both have the same capability. The minimum quantity of extinguishers with an A rating should be calculated as any storey with a floor area less than or equal to 400 m2 there should be at least two extinguishers with a class A, having a combined minimum total fire rating of 26A. Any storey with a floor area exceeding 400 m2, there should be at least two extinguishers with a class A rating of a combined minimum total fire rating of 0.065 × floor area of the storey (in square metres). Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/portable-fire-extinguisher-general/

The RR(FS)O only apply to the common areas of block of flats therefore the flats themselves are exempt and consequently the residents, (except for article 32.2). As you can see from that they are free to decide to take part or not, but you still have to consider their safety as relevant persons and you appear to be doing that by providing a high degree of Fire Safety with plenty information for the tenants on their actions in case of fire.

The Regulations apply to upholstered furniture (including beds) supplied with new caravans (but not motor vehicles, motor homes or camper vans). The requirements are the same as those for upholstered furniture and for beds, sofa beds and mattresses. BS 7177 is also relevant to mattresses in new caravans for which the requirements listed under the Low Hazard classification of this standard will be appropriate. Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations

As far as I understand the purpose of the permanent label is to enable the Trading Standards to to locate the manufacturer/importer or upholsterer and check their records to establish the materials used, meet the requirements of the regulations and take any actions necessary. What you are proposing appears the do that.

You also need to check out BS 5395, could be relevant.

Check out HOUSING – FIRE SAFETY Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing page 26 (Lighting of escape routes).

Providing the glazing is fire resistant and does not exceed certain size. The size of the glazing will depend on the location of the door and subject to a risk assessment.

Use Approved Document B volume 1 if it is a single dwelling house and use volume 2 if it is a flat External fire escapes are staircases therefore use the same guidance as for internal staircases, use Approved Document K, Approved Document M and Approved Document B, for its design. However there are additional requirements, inspecting, testing and protection from the elements. Check out http://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Stairs http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/approveddocuments/

I assume you have a management committee to sort out the maintenance of the common areas, well this committee should have acted upon the significant findings of the fire risk assessment (FRA), as soon as the results were delivered to you. The purpose of the FRA is to identify any failings in the fire safety of the common areas and have them rectified as soon as possible. Both the items you have mentioned are very important and should have been considered a top priority, also is shouldn't take two years to sort it out. Your luck has held out up to now but don't trust to luck anymore, if thing should go wrong, you could find yourselves in court with severe penalties or worse.

What you have described is not emergency lighting therefore what is being tested? I would suggest is you contact the housing association and find out in detail what is being tested.

A further reply from AnthonyB. Check the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the batteries - whilst some liberate free lithium and require a Class D agent, others do not and can be tackled with ABC Powder or Water Mist A new solution is also Aqueous Vermiculite Dispersion (AVD) fire extinguishing agent: Check out http://www.avdfire.com/

As the upholsterer check out section 9 page 19 and as you are providing the materials you are now subject to the regulations. You should have all the records to prove the materials meet the required standards so when the trading standards come looking for information about the material you can supply it. You need to fit two labels, (not the retailer), the display label ( green swing ticket ) and a permanent label. I would suggest you use the shorter permanent label without the batch number which is all about traceability and as I suspect you are not a large organisation, then it should be permanently fixed to the item of furniture. As all the upholstery has been removed the original information and the details of what went before is irrelevant and yes you will need to keep records. Check out Fire safety of furniture and furnishings in the home - A Guide to the UK Regulations

It appears to be a single chain Perko type Concealed Door Closer which I believe is not able to be adjusted therefore unless you are able to replace it and it will continue to close heavily behind you. Approved Document B, Volume 2, says that all fire doors should be fitted with self closers except doors to cupboards and within flats however the front door (fire door) should be fitted with an approved self closer. Speak to your landlord and he/she may allow you to remove them and make good the holes left but you must ensure the front door (fire door) is fitted with an approved self closer.

Is it a house converted into flats or is it a single private dwelling house because it will decide which approved document should be used?

The meeting stiles require two intumescent strips next to each other on one leaf similar to what you would do on a FD60 fire door. Check it out on ASDMA Best Practice Guide 13.3.

In my opinion you can have locked fire exit doors on certain specific types of premises, providing you have a manual override facility. I accepted glass bolts supported by an intruder alarm on a bonded warehouse, many moons ago, but that is not the norm. Nowadays I hear about management controls quite often but I am afraid I am very sceptical, considering the list of priorities for management, I believe fire safety comes way down the list but many FR assessors do accept it. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/security-and-fire-safety/