AnthonyB

There is a lot of misinformation & upselling out there. July 2025 is indeed the 'end date' for 'old' AFFF containing C8 fluorosurfactants such as PFOA & similar. These stopped being sold well over 10-15 years ago and so many won't be still about as many extinguishers are binned at 5 years and if refilled should have been with other AFFF. Current AFFF contains C6 fluorosurfactants such as PFHxA which are still damaging to the environment (they have to be incinerated at end of life) but not yet outlawed. The EU has published it's legislation for phase out of these which if ratified this year as planned gives a 12 month phase out for new equipment & a 2030 hard stop for all remaining use. We are no longer in the EU so are lagging behind and are still consulting on phase out so it will be at least 2026 before any legislation drops and again an expected hard stop of 2030 or 2031 for that in use - no instant ban. You can currently lawfully buy & have a C6 AFFF extinguisher, but if being ethical (& if your environmental policy is anything more than ticking a box) you can when a new extinguisher is needed or an existing needs Extended Service use a Fluorine Free Foam extinguisher instead, or as many Foam extinguishers are used where they aren't needed you could also use Water, Water Mist, Class A Water Additive, Class ABF Water Additive or ABC Powder dependant on the risk.

Where are you - I have an Environment Agency license to dispose of these as well as having a historical collection of old extinguishers which this may be a welcome addition to!

Guidance is not retrospective, it's up to the fire risk assessment to determine if an upgrade is required due to a change in risk or where the protection under old standards has been proven unsuitable (unusual as injuries and deaths from school fires are virtually unheard of). If the school is in England then both the Government new build and existing school guidance (BB100 & DCLG Educational Guide) still accept a Manual System as minimum, with L4 if used out of hours and L2 (or higher) as compensatory measures (e.g. for CLAP/SCOLA build schools or where other guidance departures exist). BS5839-1 suggests M or M/P2 or M/P2/L4 or M/P2/L5

One for your risk assessor. Lots of considerations - how many people in the office, number and width of exits, travel distances, etc. Text book answer is no, but a risk assessed view might find it tolerable - is there not any way you can move the desks a bit to give more room?

You should ideally use an accredited installer to ensure that a certified doorset is correctly specified and installed (although admittedly it's no guarantee). Vents should be avoided unless the room includes plant requiring a minimum specification of ventilation (e.g. boilers) & there is no alternative such as external wall vents. If a fire door (e.g. FD30) they should be intumescent vents or if a firedoor also requiring smoke control (e.g. FD30s) then you would need the vent to be protected by an automatic fire and smoke damper linked to the fire alarm system, usually with detection either side.

It's not much use on it's own for many things. If you check the manufacturer's test certification you will find it's only good for small linear gaps of up to 15mm high x 85mm deep between walls and floors or similar gaps between a door frame & wall https://www.soudal.co.uk/sites/default/files/soudal_api/document/F0041630_0001.pdf https://www.soudal.co.uk/sites/default/files/soudal_api/document/F0041634_0001.pdf If used with a fire blanket and intumescent mastic capping it can be used for some penetration seals

If it's over and above legally required life safety requirements and you are aware of any limitations of the system but are still happy for the additional cover then that shouldn't be a problem

Due to the small size of the premises you can follow the guidance at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-your-small-non-domestic-premises-safe-from-fire The fire alarm info is below - if you need a fire alarm for legal compliance it should be a BS5839-1 commercial system. If you don't other than for say an access room situation or non life safety property protection then Grade D or higher domestic equipment would be permitted. The Simplisafe website states their smoke detectors aren't interlinked so wouldn't sound throughout the premises nor have manual call points - for the same money you might as well have a proper wireless interlinked BS5839-6 system with call points such as the Aico brand sold here: https://www.safelincs.co.uk/smoke-alarms/ Means of giving warning in the event of a fire In single storey premises with open plan layouts and small numbers of people, the alarm may be raised by shouting “fire”. Alternatively, the alarm could be raised manually, using a hand-operated bell or siren. In premises of more than one storey, where the above method of giving warning would be unreliable, an electrical fire alarm system may be necessary. These systems should have ‘break glass’ call points and fire alarm sounders, connected to a control panel. In premises of more than one storey, where a fire might start and be undetected in its early stages, the fire alarm system may need to incorporate automatic fire detectors (these will generally be smoke detectors or, in the case of kitchens or other rooms in which smoke detectors would cause false alarms, heat detectors). In premises that do not have, and do not generally need, an electrical fire alarm system, but have inner rooms without adequate vision to the associated access room, interlinked, mains-powered domestic smoke alarms might be used to provide an early warning of a fire to people in an inner room.

Your proposal is the usual installation in these situations, however different buildings will require more. If there is a risk of spread from rooms to external structure or rooms to floor above that are greater than they should be in a correctly built block then the provision to all rooms may be appropriate. You know where the issues lay, you specify the cover required based on that.

Falling into the trap of reading legislation in isolation. Even before the Fire Safety (England) Regulations there was a legal requirement under Article 17 for ALL premises subject to the Fire Safety Order to have a suitable system of maintenance for fire safety measures (including fire doors) however it didn't set intervals leaving that down to guidance & risk assessment. Due to there being a general failure in those managing flats to comply with this the Government introduced prescriptive requirements for the intervals that must be followed for blocks over 11m, but did not remove the existing requirements for other blocks, where guidance suggests 6 monthly communal door checks and annual flat front door checks (but not to 'best endeavours' like larger blocks.)

Not usually.

You shouldn't see a gap around smoke seals in a closed door, they are there to stop cold smoke passing in the time period before any fire eventually causes the intumescent seals the smoke brushes to swell & seal the door. If you are the Responsible Person for the common areas checking the front doors and ensuring they meet the required standard is your responsibility, but the leaseholders are responsible for the cost of any repair/replacement work

If it's more than two stories then all relevant guidance requires a Grade A or Part 1 communal system with flat self contained systems being Grade D LD3 minimum, ideally LD2. This is assuming it's a converted premises requiring a simultaneous evacuation policy. If it's stay put you don't need the common system

What doors are on them now, what is in them and by fire stopped do you mean service penetrations are sealed or that each has a floor and ceiling rather than being an open shaft

That would depend on the installation type. Where the lighting is part of a central testing system or is an addressable system powered and tested from a central source then there are technical elements that require external maintenance one or two times a year. If they are just a large quantity of self contained self testing units then as they carry out the monthly and annual tests in theory you don't need anymore than the monthly walkaround to check the visual indicators and for any damage with the wiring side checked in the 5 year EICR. The law only requires "A suitable system of maintenance". Keep a log of monthly checks and manufacturers data showing these are self testing and the system of maintenance doesn't require the traditional service visits and you are legal regardless of what a fire officer, used to standard fittings, wants. Of course of the manufacturer's data requires a service (such as with a central system) then that's what you have to do.

People often get their terminology mixed up. The Responsible Person is usually the employer - where none exists it is the person who has to any extent control over part of the premises - failing that then the owner is the Responsible Person (such as in a vacant building) If there is a Resident's Management Company set up by the freeholder flat owners (which is usually recommended for limitation of liability) then the Responsible Person is a "legal person" e.g. 'Acme Towers Management Co Ltd.'. If no corporate body exists and control is exerted by an individual then that 'natural person' is the Responsible Person e.g. 'Mr Joe Bloggs the landlord' Other people and companies can be appointed by the Responsible Person to assist them in their legal responsibilities, but the Responsible Person usually retains ultimate responsibility. A Property Management company can be appointed to run the premises, Competent Persons can be appointed to carry out FRAs, Fire Alarm Service, etc. In fact there can be a whole list of different 'persons with responsibilities' under the overarching Responsible Person and it does not have to be a single individual. In your case you are all individually Responsible Persons unless you set up a RMC when it would transfer to the corporate body. Converted Houses if split into flats are covered by the Fire Safety Order but also potentially s257 of the Housing Act (if two thirds of the flats are rented out) and usually require different fire precautions to purpose built flats. Where they come under s257 of the Housing Act they can require a license if the local authority introduces 'additional licensing' to part of their area that includes them.

If it's a concrete stair and the door is a fire door then it wouldn't affect the protection of the stair and should be OK.

A notional fire resistance for a standard lath and plaster wall is typically considered to be around 30 minutes; however, this can vary depending on the thickness of the plaster layer, the type of lath used, and the overall construction quality, meaning it's important to consult professional advice for specific situations. To improve the fire resistance of an existing lath and plaster wall, specialized intumescent paints/papers can be applied, which expand when exposed to heat, creating a protective barrier. (e.g. https://envirograf.com/product/105-fire-resistant-coating-for-lath-and-plaster/) If the FRA determines a notional only fire resistance of 30 minutes is OK, then the wall would be suitable and a fire door in it would be viable. The FRA would also determine if an older notional fire door would suffice or whether it would need to be an upgraded notional door or a current spec certified FD30/FD30S door.

It's also nothing to do with fire safety legislation and has no place in a fire risk assessment and belongs in a general health & safety assessment (it also gives me a clue as to who has done the FRA!) They are no longer an explicit legal requitement as the factory legislation from which they originated is long repealed. Guidance to The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 only suggests they be used for high risk live working environments - to quote: "Emergency resuscitation and first aid 224 You should consider placing notices or placards giving details of emergency resuscitation procedures in the event of electric shock at those locations where people may be at greater risk of electric shock. Such places might include electrical test areas, substations and laboratories but, for resuscitation techniques to be effective, those required to exercise them must receive proper training and regular practice. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 make various requirements for the provision of suitably trained first-aiders at places of work." https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsr25.pdf Therefore you could argue provision is not a valid service charge item as not a legal requirement or a reasonable risk based provision. (They aren't that expensive though! https://books.hse.gov.uk/product/9780717666690/Construction/Electric-Shock-First-aid-procedures-A3-poster-Poster)

Employees has no relevance - as a building with 2 or more dwellings in whoever is responsible for the internal common areas and external structure (in your case the management company) is legally responsible for carrying out a written fire risk assessment and ensuring adequate general fire precautions are in place and maintained. Everything you need to know is in this guide: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/making-your-small-block-of-flats-safe-from-fire

The sign should be changed as it doesn't need to be shut as a matter of routine as it now does it automatically and you don't want people forcing the door shut damaging the door or closer. Strictly speaking you should ask the manufacturer although it's not likely to be an issue. As you are learning be aware you can't just use any category of auto closer on any door - this guide to BS7273-4 will help https://www.fia.uk.com/static/uploaded/1de49d5a-0607-4c86-b25927f541bb03d0.pdf

It used to be in the guidance for very small premises, but has been removed in recent years and now the guidance only refers to proper emergency lighting. Your Fire Risk Assessment may accept such an approach but it would need to justify why it deviates from the guidance & remains acceptable. The premises do sound bigger than that covered by the old guide (aimed at small single storey premises like a lock up shop) It would be a reasonable short term measure whilst the proper lighting is installed.

It sounds the same as a set of shelving, just recessed as a built in cupboard - sounds a little overkill I'd agree!

As the part 6 inside the flat is local to that flat it's only for the life safety of the flat occupier and the flat is a private dwelling then it's out of the scope of the Fire Safety Order and the liability of the RP (unless there is some contractual maintenance responsibility) so it shouldn't be a concern - only facilities in a flat to protect the other parts of the building (such as heats & sounders off a common system) would be the RP's responsibility and liability if not maintained.

Strictly speaking if it's text only it doesn't meet the requirements for fire safety signs under the Health & Safety (Safety Signs & Signals) Regulations 1996 as it does not include a pictogram (symbol/picture) - however I take a balanced approach to this based on the potential number & type of users of the exit as the most common symbol you see is just a white tick on green which adds nothing to understanding how to use the door. If the exit has the required level of emergency lighting adjacent it won't need to be photoluminescent as it would have suitable external lighting (plus photoluminescent signage isn't very effective unless externally lit continuously to keep the material 'charged' so it has the required brightness and duration of luminescence to be any use when the power fails)