AnthonyB

In theory you could do the three hour in house, if you are competent to test briefly each month then the main difference is duration which shouldn't affect ability to test for the longer period

A sprinkler system is one of the slowest systems to react, slower than heat and smoke detectors, and so there would be considerable production of hazardous fire effluent before activation, which would be a risk to life. Fire doors are still required and the only relaxation was the fitting of self closers to bedrooms, however this approach has been proven to be flawed and as part of Building Regulation changes requiring mandatory sprinkler protection to new or altered care homes this relaxation has been removed.

You would need to refer to BS7273-4 but they don't have the required failsafe's of a Category A/Critical rated hold open as if there are faults on the fire alarm they won't release and are only rated to Category B/Standard actuation at best, Category C/Indirect at worst, meaning critical locations (such as doors onto stairways) would be vulnerable.

In theory if these are the original correct hinges fitted as part of the fire doorset at the time of installation and are in good order and shut the door flush in frame then they remain acceptable. If truly adjustable they are an improvement on single chain door closers (which aren't) and aren't explicitly forbidden like a traditional rising butt hinge would be. However they are deprecated in some industry guidance so the fire risk assessor should set the acceptable benchmark. If any are worn beyond adjustment then they could be replaced like for like as still sold and do have test evidence although replacement with standard fire door hinges and a separate EN1154 closer may be preferred. https://www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk/product/adjustable-self-closing-fire-door-spring-hinge-102-x-76-x-3mm-polished-chrome-pack-of-3-692924?vat=1&GSP=true&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwwLO_BhB2EiwAx2e-3xZjdaWmx_G4CPBW-VTNHS1EbwQua2O8OZedFbdegbS8FR5xUh4vaBoCvCAQAvD_BwE

Get a new fire risk assessor that has access to and reads current standards. Grade D & Grade F smoke & heat alarms require no formal maintenance beyond user monthly checks unless linked to a telecare system (e.g. warden call or Tunstall) as there is actually nothing to service and the test smoke poles used on commercial detection are actually cautioned against by several manufacturers of domestic detection as they can damage them. The current edition of the standard BS 5839-6:2019+A1:2020 "Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings - Code of practice for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises" details this

How do you get in and out normally then? If you have a door to the street from your bottom stair landing in a terrace you don't require usually a rear garden fire exit route.

That's the current (albeit outdated and under revision) version. Under the current edition of BS5839-6 a Grade D system requires no maintenance beyond user monthly tests unless part of a telecare enabled system (e.g. linked to a warden call or Tunstall system) as there isn't actually anything to service and several manufacturers caution against smoke pole testing as it can damage a smoke alarm.

Absolutely - they are accepted by the fire service (& indeed get specific mention in London Fire Brigades guidance) and fully comply with the extinguisher manufacturing, performance & safety standard BS EN3. Because they reduce the number and type of extinguishers required, thus simplifying training and saving money as well as be inspected in house, saving money, the fire extinguisher industry has written it's voluntary guidance (BS5306) to try and stop them and will spin all sorts of yarns to ty to stop you using them - just remember you must carry out the annual user inspection to comply with Article 17 of the Fire Safety Order - they aren't fit and forget.

1 lux to the centre line (BS5266). When designing the lighting for an emergency escape route it is advised that achieving even distribution of illuminance throughout the escape route with 1 lux as a minimum level on the centre of line.

Only to the extent of what parts of the premises are a workplace for the staff. However the Fire Safety Order is not the only legislation that requires an assessment of risk (including fire) depending on the status of the care given - it's not clear cut and is better explained in this https://nfcc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NFCC_Specialised_Housing_Guidance_-_Copy.pdf

The door blanks are only ever labelled as FD30/60/90/120 and it's the completed door set, including the seals used, that determine if the 'S' suffix is applicable. The manufacturer's data should state which seals are OK for use in an 'S' scenario in line with the test data & certification.

As Stuart has linked, the way the legislation has been worded would pull your block into requiring an FRA for the external structure - although many believe this was never intended it's the way it stands in law. It's pretty low risk in the grand scale of things, but is something expected by lenders and conveyancers

If the conversion, usually due to the age/layout/listing, cannot meet the guidance in Approved Document B with respect to compartmentation and smoke control it cannot operate a 'stay put' policy and needs to evacuate as a whole in the event of fire. It is vital in such vulnerable properties to raise the alarm before the fire breaks out of the flat and affects the common parts thus endangering everyone else in the building. To this end the communal fire alarm requires a heat detector & sounder in each flat to raise the alarm whilst the fire is still in the flat and for the common alarm to be loud enough to wake everyone even if asleep. It's not there to save the life of the person in the flat where the fire starts as it uses a heat detector (so if you burn toast or leave the bathroom door open with a particularly steamy shower you won't tip out the whole block) hence why you still have your own local smoke alarm - it's there to save everyone else's lives. Fire safety legislation is functional with broad general requirements supported by guidance that has legal standing and which the FRA should be based on. Unless they can demonstrate how safety can be still maintained then by not following the guidance (which from your information the FRA has followed) that tends to prove that the legislation has not been complied with and this would be presented in court. So the alarm is likely to be required to meet the function requirements of the law - with the increased use of wireless technology it's not a disruptive or messy thing to install.

If there is just the electric meter and access can be restricted to stop any storage then local enclosure of the meter is an option if an existing HMO, although if it's going through Building Regs you may find they will insist on following the guidance in Approved Document B

Fire Risk Assessments have no expiry date in law if the premises have not changed - as this should address the external wall (either to say it is low risk or that it needs an FRAEW) it should suffice. An FRAEW can run into four figures or more to obtain and in a small traditional build like this would be disproportionate, however some lenders and solicitors are out of touch from reality in the current climate.

Depends on the results of the Fire Risk Assessment. Having done a few like this the usual outcome is that upgraded heritage doors are acceptable along with the lack of smoke control as part of a simultaneous evacuation strategy supported by an adequate common fire detection & warning system that extends into the flats. If the doors were not part of any listing then usually the expectation would have been to replace them at the time of conversion.

Then Mike is reflecting the current situation in English Building Regs guidance

Traditionally no, but as it's flats the Government's response to the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus (EEIS+) consultation and Residential PEEPs policy does appear to allow fire service rescue as an option from common areas as long as the PEEP is sufficient to enable independent evacuation from the flats where the fire is.

That's an unusual way around! That would be one of the steps to mitigate the solution, yes.

It sounds like the flats are ancillary to the use of the event space and if the stair is lobbied does have a situation that is detailed as acceptable if using Approved Document B. Building control are getting more strict on designs that don't fully reflect Approved Document B and increasingly will only consider these if justified in a full fire strategy by a Fire Engineer

If the doors won't perform as intended due to wear & tear or poor original install then remedial work is required to remain compliant with the law and more importantly to keep residents safe especially where the premises are not fully evacuated as is the case with healthcare and care premises. As this involves capital work it may be wise to use an independent specialist (who would not be doing the repair/replacement work) to give a detailed assessment, also indicating where repair is possible as oppose to replacement. The inspector and risk assessor should work together to determine the benchmark standard to which the doors must meet as minimum (although being post 1992 it would likely be current standard FD30/FD60/FD30S/FD60S doors)

Which country are you in - this has an impact as Scotland (& to a lesser extent Wales) do have different standards that may affect the validity of replies you get on here

Of course you can have wireless linked mains powered detectors these days - in fact they almost all are these days and few places manufacture wire linked domestic alarms these days. Just install the wireless stuff & get a certificate off the electrician saying it's a Grade D2 LD1/2/3 (depending on where the detectors are) system, issue it to the BCO and they have to accept it as it matches the requirements in Approved Document B which most BCO follow as the standard

Potentially yes - as FRAs are indicated for dwellings in this situation it could be interpreted as applying to the flat - which is a dwelling. Just because it's in a block of flats and isn't a standalone bungalow doesn't alter anything.

Not if simultaneous evacuation is in place - one of the reasons for needing simultaneous evacuation is lack of smoke control as well as the usual compartmentation & layout. reasons.