Tom Sutton

The answer is yes, since 2006 the common areas of blocks of flats have been subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 but the FRA need not be a recorded this will depend on how many employees the management company employs. The above order require the management company, working on behalf of the owner, to be subject to articles 9 to 22 which include conducting a fire risk assessment, which is designed to establish the level of fire safety, in the common areas, for relevant persons. (residents) The FRA is an assessment/survey checking the fire safety of the common areas and identifying items that do not meet the required standards and producing an action list detailing items that need to be addressed for the common areas to meet the required standards. The enforcing authority is the local Fire and Rescue Service who can conduct an audit of all premises falling within the above order and prosecute if considered necessary. Check http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/ and guidance http://www.cieh.org/policy/fire_safety_existing_housing.html http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/ Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats

The common areas are subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and article 22 require where two or more responsible persons share, or have duties in respect of, premises (whether on a temporary or a permanent basis) each such person must, co-operate with the other responsible person concerned so far as is necessary. This could mean he is in contravention of the order therefore breaking the law, so you could contact the enforcing authority (the local fire and rescue service) and report him. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

The chance are, if the doors are well fitting you do not need to fit any seals but it depend on your fire strategy. Are you considering intumescent strips, they only need to be fitted to both sides and the top of the door, however if you have substantial well fitting doors then you may not require them at all. If you are considering cold smoke seals they need to be fitted to both sides, top and threshold but this will depend how your domestic smoke detectors are located, if they are located in the escape route then smoke has to percolate pass the doors from habitable rooms to operate the smoke detect in the corridor or hall, if they are in every habitable room and interlinked then you could fit cold smoke seals.

You can get a test and hush remote controller, but unfortunately not for your alarms, which would means you would have to buy new alarms and your son would still have to do the ladder climbing to change batteries and such. I am 79 sporting a blue badge and I simple get my son to do the lot, I looked after him for years now its his turn. :rolleyes: Check out http://www.safelincs.co.uk/search.php?q=hush+and+test&a=products

Its the managing agents who are the Responsible Person (RP) and it is their duty to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It is their duty to decide what is suitable and sufficient and apply it. You would need to find out why those two items have been included, for instance is there sufficient borrowed light in the middle of the night for occupants to find their way out of the premises in safety. Whether a fire alarm is required would depend on compartmentation and the importance and urgency needed to inform the residents of a fire in the premises.

The door from an integral garage into the house should be a FD30 self closing door, ie 30 minutes separation. Check out page 30 of Approved Document Part B Fire Safety. You also need to check the floor of the garage which is detailed on the same page.

You need to clarify the standard the BCO requires I would imagine it is surface spread of flame to class 1, then simple Goole for “surface spread of flame to class 1” and you will get various links advertising suitable paints or emulsions, also make sure you will get a certificate to show to the BCO that the walls meet the required standard when finished.

If a fire alarm is required it is the duty of the Responsible Person (RP) to provide it under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The RP is defined by article 3 of the fire safety order and article 5 lists his/her duties. Who installs it and pays for it will depend on your tenancy agreement but in the end it is going to be the tenants through their rent who pay for it. I would think it makes sense for the owner/managing agents to install it because he/she has control of the structure of the building and could recoup any costs through rents. If the RP of each workplace was to install their own they would have to be interconnected and consider the problems with maintenance, it would make more sense if the owner took on this responsibility also its part of the structure which cannot be removed when the tenant leaves.

NFPA 252: Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Door Assemblies I am not sure how this would help. BS 5852 is the test for domestic furniture and includes bean bags under the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations. BS 7176: 2007 and BS 7177: 2008 – Upholstered furniture and mattresses is for commercial situations. First I would ignore the American standard, and because it is a commercial situation you should be looking for a simple statement such as ‘The furniture shall comply with BS 7176: 2007 for Medium Hazard’ is a full and precise definition of requirements. However BS 7176: 2007 Specification for resistance to ignition of upholstered furniture for non-domestic seating by testing composites uses the following for its fire tests, · BS EN 1021-1: 2006 Furniture. Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture Ignition source smouldering cigarette, · BS EN 1021-2: 2006 Furniture. Assessment of the ignitability of upholstered furniture Ignition source match flame equivalent and · BS 5852: 2006 Methods of test for assessment of the ignitability of upholstered seating by smouldering and flaming ignition However BS 5852 is the fire test standard for FFFSR and cover all three tests plus you would have a permanent label to prove it meets the required standards. So I cannot see any reasons why BS 5852: 2006 shouldn’t be used and is partly compatible. It may be worthwhile to check this out with FIRA and its flammability guides. http://www.fira.co.uk/publications/flammability-guides

This situation is not very clear is this gate, or access to it, on private land or the public thoroughfare, if it is private land then the owner has every right to bar it and the only way to gain access is by mutual agreement, check with a solicitor. If it is a single private dwelling then it is not subject to the fire safety order then there is no a legal requirements, if it is a flat situation then the common areas are and if you require this for means of escape then you would need to find an alternative. Most local fire and rescue services have a free fire safety check which you should take advantage of to evaluate your means of escape. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

If you are fitting a new fire door it should be a certified fire door set (door and frame) with written documentation proof that it meets the standard, if it was an existing door it may be acceptable to upgrade. In yours case it is a new installation and you should fit a new bespoke fire door with written documentation to prove to the building control officer (BCO) it meets the standard. However it is up to the BCO to decide what is acceptable because he/she will have to sign it off when completed. Another point to consider is when the work is complete and signed off it will be subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and fire risk assessment will be required, monitored by the fire and rescue service, so I would consider seriously a new bespoke fire door.

A flat is not subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 only the common areas and as it appears you do not share any common areas with other tenants you are not subject to the RR(FS)O however if you are a part or owner/freeholder of the building you could have certain duties. All domestic dwellings are subject to parts of the Housing Act which is enforced by the local housing department but it is unlikely to affect you regards fire safety. If however you are refurbishing or doing building work in your flat you could be subject to the Building Regulations and the guidance for fire safety is Approved Document Part B Fire Safety Volume 2.

So you consider there is adequate separation and early warning of fire. Also no matter where the fire originates there will be an escape route available and all the residents/staff would be able to evacuate safely despite the possibility you could lose one of the escape routes. Over to you Dan the decision is yours.

You would need to study the fire risk assessment, fire procedure and measure the travel distances to decide if any regulation are being contravened. I would think these national companies employ fire safety assessors and their fire safety would be of a satisfactory standard. You could report your concerns to the enforcing authority the local fire and rescue service who could conduct a fire safety audit. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

Are you talking about cold smoke seals or intumescent strip seals? Check out http://www.ifsa.org.uk/docs.html

Check out http://www.avonfire.gov.uk/all-areas/1547-landlord-sentenced-for-fire-safety-breaches this may make the landlord think twice.

I do not know if the following is still relevant but we used to use it many years ago , www.iafss.org/publications/frn/765/-1/view/frn_765.pdf

Dan as you said "Upgrading the glazing makes the problem go away" cost should be a secondary consideration. However looking at it from a risk point of view, if a fire originated in any of these risk rooms would there be a risk to the primary MoE and is there a good fire separation? Assuming there is, a fire originated in one of these rooms that would negate the alternative escape route but the primary MoE would still be available, I am assuming there is an L1 fire alarm fitted. I personally would discount going back into the building based on the premise once out stay out..

Is the electric cupboard a 30 minute fire resisting enclosure? There must be an owner/landlord who has employed the management company on his/her behalf. If it is an FR enclosure then depending on what is stored it could be acceptable as for getting access to the cupboard I have no answer, other than talking to the management company. If you are very concerned you could get in touch with the enforcing authority the local Fire and Rescue Service. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

I am not aware of any distances BS 5839 states they should be on means of escape routes, particularly at store exits and exits to open air, but usually they are within a metre of the door.

Depends on the layout of the flat you need to consult Approved Document Part B Fire Safety vol 2 start a page 21.

The common areas are the responsibility of the management company your flat is a domestic property and is your responsibility. If the Fire Risk Assessment considers a fire alarm is necessary in the common areas then the management company is responsible but the costs could be shared amongst the tenants through the management fees. If it is domestic smoke/heat detectors in your flat it is your responsibility and you should provide them/maintain them. In October providing smoke and CO detectors in rented properties will be the responsibility of the landlord, check out, The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015

This is not a fire safety problem it is a legal matter and should be dealt with by solicitor. All I can say is, the enforcing authority is the local fire and rescue service and it is unlikely they would accept a means of escape across private land without control and a written legal document given right of way to ensure it would be available if required. The means of escape from a premises doesn’t finish until it discharges onto the public thoroughfare.

The Responsible Person for non-domestic premises is required to conduct a Fire Risk Assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He/she has to consider the general fire precautions which are defined in article 4 and states (a) measures to reduce the risk of fire on the premises and the risk of the spread of fire on the premises. To achieve this FR assessor will consider a number of actions but will include using fire resistant furnishing, furniture and surface spread of flame. The guidance for this will be the DCLG guidance or HTM’s and http://www.fira.co.uk/document/fira-contract-flammability-guide-october-2011pdf.pdf

Is the smoke alarm in this flat a significant finding in relation to the fire risk assessment of the common areas?