Tom Sutton

In addition to green-foam's submission which BS 5839 do you mean part 1 or 6 and which category has been installed?

It is not the height from the floor that is important it is the clearance between the sprinkler head and the storage. I would recommend that you contact your insurance company; they have fire safety engineers as part of their auditing team who will give you the advice you need. There are many governing rules, type of products stored, spaces between rows of product, type of sprinkler system etc. etc. Unfortunately it is not just height below sprinkler heads. If you get it wrong and have a fire your insurance company will be checking that your storage was to the right specification, get them on your side now. The LPCB/BRE Certification Ltd undertakes third party verification of industrial and commercial sprinkler systems installers to a standard known as LPS 1048. This standard uses the relevant British Standard BS EN 12845, the LPC Sprinkler Rules and their Technical Bulletins.

If push bars are necessary then it should be the only means of securing the door when the premises are occupied. When the premises are unoccupied you can secure it how you chose, providing any additional locking device are removed or unlocked when the premises is occupied. Also a key or chain board should be used to remind those in charge, that the extra locking devices have been removed and the exit door is only secure by the push bar/pad.

How you describe the engineers actions, it does seem suspicious, they do not appear to be the actions of a competent service engineer. You should report him/her to the company and consider changing to another company.

Are these domestic smoke and heat alarms (BS 5839 part 6) or a full fire alarm (BS 5839 part 1). Also which category because the testing can vary.

The only self closer I have seen that doesn't use a latch is a pivot hinge (floor hinge) which I have seen used on double doors in a corridor. As far as I am aware there is no marking which denotes this and I would imagine you would need to contact the manufacturer to check this out.

The stock answer must be, for the fire doors to meet the full standard you need to install a fire door set which is the door and frame. As you cannot remove the frame then the practical approach is to fit a new fire door with intumescent strips, which should achieve the required fire resistance, but it cannot be guaranteed. The frame in a fire door set is not special in any way, it is, just when it was tested that specification met the required standard. Why are you changing the doors if it is because of building regulations you should speak to the building control officer because it is him/she you have to convince.

You do require a fire alarm and emergency exit lighting, if required, if the building is subject to the Building Regulations. The guidance can be found in Approved Document Part B Fire Safety Vol 2 at http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/buildingregulations/approveddocuments/partb/bcapproveddocumentsb/

The enforcing Authority is the local Fire and Rescue Service and it is them you need to contact, which you can anonymously. http://www.firesafe.org.uk/uk-fire-rescue-services-details/

It is the Responsible Person, as defined in The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, in the college/university she will be attending, who has to devise an evacuation plan including any PEEP's for all persons requiring one.

David Put a normal handle and latch on a door to keep it closed providing the door can be opened easily in a single movement using a lever handle, not a knob but if the numbers using the door is high then you should consider panic type devices. Sorry to stick my nose in Harry. :wacko:

You say it is maintained annually but BS 5839 states the recommended time between inspections and servicing should not exceed more that 6 months so it should have a visit by the alarm company at least every six months. If it has been installed for some time then it is likely to have been installed to a previous version which may have not required fire resistant wiring which is now required. It is not normally necessary to upgrade the wiring, if it is in good condition, but if your fire risk assessment decides it needs replacing then the lastest version of BS 5839 should be used.

My mistake has raised an important point the term ECB would include the old fashion wire fuse box, which can be misused, I have seen multiple strands of fuse wire used, tinfoil, safety pin and even nails. They had caused fires and one was a fatality so it is important that the RCCB consumer box is now the norm for most premises.

It has been brought to my attention the term I had used above ECB, which now I have changed, stood for Electric Circuit Breaker I should have used RCCB (Residual Current Circuit Breaker) sorry for giving a bum steer.

As Harry has said a latch that can be opened easily in a single movement like a lever handle not a knob but if the numbers using the door is high then you should consider panic type devices. However you can use a dead lock providing you open the lock at start of business. The key should then be removed and hung on a keyboard in a prominent place as a reminder that the door has been opened. At the close of business the locks can be locked until you open for business next time.

It depends on the type of insulation used and if the wiring has been installed according to the IEE regulations? For instance if fibreglass was used it is non-flammable and therefore unable to ignite, thus unable to add fuel to a fire. Secondarily if the wiring has been installed correctly any faults that could cause a hot spot, because of the lack of ventilation, would trigger the RCCB before a fire could ignite any flammable materials.

In a multi occupied premises the employer is the Responsible Person of each area he/she has control of and has to implement articles 8 to 22 of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Fire evacuation and other responsibilities fall within those articles so the pharmacist has to conduct his/her own Fire Risk Assessment as so do you. Check out http://www.firesafe.org.uk/regulatory-reform-fire-safety-order-2005/

It depends on the grade of system you have and if you have manual call points. If it is a grade A system it should be serviced by a competent person which means a fire alarm service engineer. The following recommendations are applicable, according to BS 5839-6:2002. Testing Grade A systems should be tested every week in accordance with the recommendations of 44.2 of BS 5839-1:2013. All systems, other than Grade A systems, should be tested at least every week by operating all fire alarm devices in the dwelling. In the case of smoke alarms and any heat alarms, the weekly test may be carried out by use of a test button on each of the smoke alarms and heat alarms installed in the dwelling. If the dwelling has been unoccupied for a period during which the normal and standby supply (if provided) could have failed, the occupier should check immediately on reoccupying the dwelling that the system has not suffered total power failure. Maintenance a] Grade A systems should be inspected and serviced at periods not exceeding six months in accordance with the recommendations of Clause 45 of BS 5839-1:2013. An inspection and servicing certificate of the type contained in G.6 of BS 5839-1:2013 should be issued. In houses in multiple occupation, batteries in any radio-linked devices (such as manual call points, automatic detectors and fire alarm devices) should be changed by the servicing organization before the low battery warning condition recommended by 27.2b)3) of BS 5839-1 is likely to be given. b] Grade B and Grade C systems should be serviced every six months in accordance with the supplier’s instructions. Where experience shows that undue deposits of dust or dirt are likely to accumulate, so affecting the performance of the system before detectors are cleaned or changed at the intervals necessary for compliance with the recommendations of 26.2a), 26.2b), or 26.2c), more frequent cleaning or changing of detectors should be carried out.

It sounds like the company is SEC Lighting (http://www.sec.sk/uk ) the M3 will be a 3 hours maintained system, the 8F could be the power/type. It also looks like it is self test system and the red LED indicates the tube is faulty so it needs changing and providing its a competent layman I cannot see any reason why it needs a service engineer but I would check this out with the manufacturer. Check out http://www.sec.sk/files/product/product_25_6574_evolux-led+8w-stena.pdf for auto self test mode.

The common areas are subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which is the councils responsibility, but the flat is exempt from the regulations, however there are new regulations, due to come in force soon, which will require you to fit a domestic fire detector and a CO detector in all rented premises. It says, a smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. a carbon monoxide alarm is equipped in any room of the premises which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a solid fuel burning combustion appliance. It does not say a mains detector but I would install mains detectors with battery backup. Check Out http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2015/9780111133439/contents

If the premises does not have standby generator the the batteries should be able to operate the system, on a mains failure, for 24 hours and the operate the sounders for an addition 30 minutes. There is a formula in BS 5839 pt1 2013 to calculate the capacity of the batteries required.

You say the thickness of carpet plus underlay to be 20mm so if you leave a threshold gap of 20 mm, between the true floor and bottom of the door, when the carpet is fitted there will be no gap as the pile will touch the base of the door and as the carpet, with time will eventually flatten down, only a small gap should appear.

The normal lighting and emergency escape lighting, if required, should be extended down the external fire escape with a switch located where you exit the premises onto the escape, also should be signed “External Fire Escape Light Switch” or something similar. Emergency escape lighting is required to ensure there is sufficient light, if the normal lighting should fail in a fire, to ensure occupants can find their way out safely. This light can be provided by reliable borrowed light or emergency escape light units. This can be tested by choosing the worst scenario and isolate the electric mains and see if you can find your way out safely, this should be done when the premises are empty and the person carrying out the test should carry a flashlight in case it is required. The levels of light required is a minimum of 1 lux down the centre line of the means of escape and if persons with bad eyesight can be present, then a minimum of 3 lux is required, in open areas a minimum of 0.5 lux is required. Maintained lighting is only required when the normal lighting is dimmed or switched off during the time the premises is occupied like cinemas, theatres or clubs, other premises non-maintained is normal. The appropriate British Standard is BS 5266-1:2011 Emergency lighting. Code of practice for the emergency escape lighting of premises.

Further to green-foam questions most illuminated exit signs are used where the normal lighting in switch off during the time the premises is occupied like cinemas, theatres and clubs consequently where is the light coming from the energise the solar cells? Incidentally there is no British Standard.

The simple answer is there should not be a bolt at all but I fully see your dilemma and I can see why the fire risk assessor has allowed it. Under normal circumstances the pupils could be at risk of falling if they can get onto the external escape but in the case of a fire the pupils cannot escape because of the locked door and must rely on another person to effect their escape. Because the risk of a pupil getting onto the external escape and falling is greater than a pupil being unable to escape in the event of a fire, then I would personally accept the bolt located towards the top of the door, providing there is guaranteed that an adult will be available in the classroom whenever pupils are in the classroom, however that is for the Responsible Person (RP) to decide upon. All schools are subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 therefore there should be a fire risk assessment (FRA) conducted or arranged by the RP and available which details all the fire safety matters regarding the school. If you contact the fire risk assessor who conducted the FRA he/she should be able to reassure and advise you on this matter. The normal way to deter unauthorised use of fire exits is to fit a device that will sound a bell or buzzer if somebody opens the door. Check out warning devices at http://www.firesafe.org.uk/security-and-fire-safety/ but unfortunately it will not stop the younger pupils getting onto the external escape. Check out https://www.safelincs.co.uk/fire-exit-door-security/