AnthonyB

Existing schools that are older builds may not have emergency lighting as it wasn't required at the time.Schools used to be exempt from Building Regulations and their own guidance (BB7) didn't usually require it using the then accepted principle of daytime usage with borrowed natural light. Often only the main hall would have emergency lighting because it was used for performance, music, etc and required a license from the local council (in the decades prior to 2006 licenses could set fire safety requirements). Building Regulations only apply to new builds or refurbishments/alterations. An existing unaltered school would determine it's lighting requirements under a Fire Risk Assessment. The assessment would probably indicate retrofitting of at least some emergency lighting as schools are often now used for a range of activities including evening usage, including by third parties and also early mornings (breakfast clubs) and the current trend is to rely less on borrowed light generally

Sales trick - you only really need a fire blanket in a kitchen where you have cooking hobs where there is a risk of using pans containing cooking oils (Class F) and then they are only suitable on containers of a maximum of 3 litres content and/or 300mm diameter - any bigger requires an 'F' rated extinguisher such as wet chemical or water mist. I always have a pile of pointless fire blankets removed from premises lying around, A CO2 within 10 metres will suffice, or you could use a Britannia extinguisher (water or foam as these are suitable for up to 1000V). If you are wishing to spend a little bit extra then the Water Mist extinguisher is an excellent all rounder. One of my clients safely & effectively used a Water Mist extinguisher in a live 415V tumble drier on fire, so whilst the concept of water & electricity takes some getting your head around it's true.

Yes, it would have to be a fire door though

Flat occupants are 'relevant persons' to be considered in an FRA as a fire in the premises will affect them. Not only do you consider how a fire in the common area (which is unlikely in purpose built blocks) affects those in the area and the flats of it, but how a fire in a flat will affect the common areas (& in turn other flats). You can't give precise numbers at risk for the reasons you give, the number of flats is more realistically recordable (ideally details of how many bedrooms helps too)

Insurance & Environmental concerns are the main reason that proper live fire is rarer than it used to be. LPG gas rigs, whilst not realistic, are more common. You need to have the right insurance and the manufacturer's training for the gas rig, plus of course be competent in the use of extinguishers yourself

If it's for out of hours only and the door wouldn't be part of the escape route from the accommodation above you can secure it with padlocks & chains, bars, anything, as long as when it is open it's only secured by the panic bolts.

There is no requirement to replace detectors at 10 years in BS5839-1 - they merely must operate correctly and in a timely manner. 10 years is the length of some manufacturer's recommended service life and warranty. There is a suggestion to change this at the next revision of the BS as part of UFS reduction, however currently as long as they work the service satisfies the standard.

Look in Building Regulations - at most, unless the layout is odd, you will only need a Category M fire alarm system to BS5839-1:2013 consisting of a control and indicating panel, manual call points and electrical sounders, all linked by fire resistant cabling. The only other life safety requirement for smoke detectors would be if your layout has escape from an inner room via an access room, but as your work isn't compatible with smokes a vision panel in the inner room's door would be an equally compliant alternative solution. You may want detection for property protection (not a statutory requirement) in which case you would provide heat detectors to areas where cooking would be a false alarm risk and smoke elsewhere (or if you want to throw more money at a more advanced system you can have multisensors programmed to react to heat only in the day time and smoke at night). Obviously as a property protection system is mainly for out of hours fires your alarm would need to be either linked to a monitoring station or an autodialler with your and other keyholders numbers programmed. A lot of Building Control aren't the best at fire and either over specify, costing you money, or let things slide the other way meaning you fall foul of fire regulations at a later date (A passed full plans Building Regs application and completion certificate does not mean you automatically meet the Fire Regs as much as it should). You usually can use an Approved Inspector instead of Local Authority Building Control & it might help finding one with a sensible head, the BCO you've dealt with obviously doesn't know much about fire by citing the wrong standard!

Glad to help - if you ever needed external assistance with an FRA remember me!

If you can't hear it there is no point in having it. If the construction is such that the fire resistance for a 'stay put' policy (only the flat on fire has to evacuate) is not present and/or the associated smoke control provisions are also missing then a simultaneous evacuation policy is required necessitating at least a heat detector and sounder off the common system in each flat's internal lobby in order to: - Detect a fire in a flat where the occupiers are not in (or are dead!) before it breaches the limited compartmentation and affects other flats and the common escape - Provide 80dB at the bedroom door in each flat so as to be able to wake sleeping occupiers so they can evacuate before being trapped Life safety for the flat where the fire occurs is provided by separate domestic smoke alarms (so that inevitable cooking false alarms don't disturb the whole block) If your conversion provided the same fire resistance as if it was purpose built then you don't need a common fire alarm at all. You only need common detection (no sounders or call points) in this case if there are automatic smoke vents to the common stairs and lobbies. You need a decent Fire Risk Assessment to determine which way your property needs to go.

See this guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/do-you-have-paying-guests

Maintained emergency lights are always lit, normally via the permanent live feed from the mains and then switching to batteries upon mains failure. Conversion kit and combined fittings take a traditional light fitting that can be switched off & on and fit a battery pack so mains failure causes one lamp to be illuminated. You can wire a maintained fitting so the lamp switches on and off like other lighting, defaulting to always on via the batteries upon failure of the mains. Clear as mud!

Regardless of your lease as an employer you are responsible for carrying out the Fire Risk Assessment and ensuring that suitable protective and preventative measures are in place. Owners (Landlords) are mainly detailed in the regulations so that empty premises can be covered and are only usually responsible for internal common areas as a person having control. If your FRA details an improvement is required in something that you genuinely have no control over then you need to coordinate with the responsible person (in your case the landlord) who does and in turn they should cooperate - this doesn't mean they automatically have to pay for it (e.g. a building with a communal fire alarm system that say has a perfectly compliant Category M fire alarm system then you move in and require detection added to your area because of wqay you lay it out and use it. The landlord has to cooperate and facilitate the additions to the system, but you would usually be expected to pay as it's your demise, you are paying rent and the change is purely for relevant persons in your workplace) If you are a sole occupant of a leasehold premises you will be liable for everything related to fire safety unless you have a poorly advised landlord - most decent leases in this situation leave the landlord as purely collecting rent and perhaps dealing with external areas such as landscaping, car parks and sometimes roofs)

Yep will be maintained exit boxes - my guess is that you are a restaurant or similar?

Sounds like they are out to make a quick buck, put their detail reasoning on here and I can see if it sounds a bit suspect

There are some poor quality contractors servicing fire alarms, I've seen the incorrect use of Part 6 paperwork with some general electricians who think because they've stuck a few domestic smokes in houses that they are experts in commercial fire alarm systems. If they can't use the correct paperwork they shouldn't be doing the work and I always advise in cases like this the contractor is replaced.

Wholly Residential Property = No fire drill (even if simultaneous evacuation) - LGA Fire Safety Guide for purpose built flats

Even if they were combined emergency lights there is no way on earth it should cost £1000 p.a. to test them!

A fire door may have been fitted, but it doesn't need to be.

HI, I'd have to dig it out and redact certain bits as it was paid consultancy for a client, but I'll see what I can do.

No unless you are a very specific sector such as prisons. They have contributed to too many deaths over the years, even when the key has been attached to the door in a glass fronted box. There are plenty of other solutions available now, the nearest you could get is the Emergency Fastening (Frangible) from Imperial Locks http://www.imperiallocks.co.uk/fire.htm

You should get a refund as the FRA is not correct. If purpose built flats you do not need smoke alarms in the common areas (and if for some reason, such as insufficient compartmentation they were indicated they wouldn't be suitable either). Fire doors is a different matter - if the original notional fire doors from the flat build have been replaced then either you need new fire doors or a full fire detection & alarm system (not just smoke alarms) providing sufficient cover for full evacuation of the block. Purpose built flats guide: http://www.local.gov.uk/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=1138bf70-2e50-400c-bf81-9a3c4dbd6575 Conversions guide: http://www.rla.org.uk/docs/LACORSFSguideApril62009.PDF

Quite a lot of EL installations have no test switches, even new ones where installed by non specialist electricians. If your fixed electrical installation is subject to periodic inspections and is satisfactory then there are no risks from using the breakers inside the distribution boards, if they were that unsafe there is something very wrong (& illegal). Your breakers need to be labelled clearly so you switch off the lighting circuits as oppose to a ring main (which might have your PC's plugged into) Testing is within the remit of your site person, but for peace of mind you may wish to get an electrician to take him through it. To avoid using the breakers a test switch can be installed next to the distribution board if you so wish. You can do the annual test in house if you so wish

You should consult the battery manufacturer for advice as several types of lithium cell actually do not contain nor liberate free lithium metal and do not need a Class D extinguisher. For example we researched first aid fire fighting requirements on behalf of one of the main UK automotive lithium cell manufacturers in the UK and the result was they only required ABC Powder & Water Mist extinguishers.

Simple answer - no if it is required as a means of escape.