Andy62

See attached document taken from ADB. If flats have protected hall then no lobby is required, so therefore no smoke vent as there is no lobby. Doc1.pdf

I am of the opinion that in a two story single stair building with two flats on GF and two flats on FF, all with internal protected hallways, no smoke vent is required at the head of the stairway enclosure. ADB clause 3.50 specifies 'Except in buildings that comply with Diagram 3.9, the corridor or lobby next to each stair should have a smoke vent'. Dia 3.9 specifies 'If the flats have protected entrance halls, the lobby between the common stair and flat entrance is not essential'. The flats accord with Dia 3.9, therefore, no smoke vent is required because there is no lobby to install it in. The Stair enclosure only has a landing with flat entrance doors directly off it. Any opinions would be appreciated?

Is anyone aware of CEW specifications within the HTMs. The only specific reference to CEWs I can find is in Health Building Note 00-04: ‘Circulation and communication spaces’ - HTM 05-02 does not specify CEWs in detail but directs you to this document. My question is, does Health Building Note 00-04 only apply to circulation and communication spaces or does it apply throughout a hospital i.e. to wards and operating theatres where bed and/or trolley evacuation is required?

Even if they have a Primary Authority, the Enforcing authority would be the local F&RS. The signage issue must have been raised at local level with the PA across the 46 or so brigades, however, I agree with you, it's hardly a life safety matter on it's own. And, who when staying in a hotel, leaves their bedroom door wedged open! The main issue is as a risk assessor, if you deviate from the ACoP, you carry the risk and not the client.

Hotel guest bedrooms are always served by a protected corridor with each bedroom door required to be a S/C-FD30s. I have visited many hotels and noticed, especially in the larger budget UK chains, no FDKS signs are provided on guest bedroom doors. Is any one aware of dispensations or determinations regarding fire door signage in hotels? Thanks in anticipation.

No reference to roller shutters is included in BS 7273. It has been proposed to install a roller shutter door that is going to be a designated fire exit. The roller shutter will provide the only exit from an external enclosed area that forms part of the escape route away from the building to a place of ultimate safety. I am considering accepting is as long as the installation complies with BS 7273 with the following three fail safe requirements: 1) It auto opens on power failure. 2) It auto opens on FA actuation. 3) A release mechanism is included in the installation with an emergency release device (green box) next to the shutter. Your thoughts please?

Escape windows are not allowed in commercial premises - purely for residential premises. An escape window is completely different to a fire exit.

I was really after any information on specific recognised guidance or ACoP that specifies the minimum height of a fire exit.

Is anybody aware of current recognised guidance or ACoP that specifies the minimum height of a fire exit. Many guides (ADB, BB100, 9999 etc) specify minimum exit widths for said occupancies, however, no mention of minimum exit height. A standard UK door is 1981 mm in height which comes from the old 6ft 6in imperial door size but again there is no reference in previous guidance to 6'6. ADB 5.16 does mention ceilings on escape routes to be no less than 2m and doors can be lower but again not specific reference to the actual minimum height of a fire exit.

I have a copy and have spent quite a bit of time reading it but I do not find the guidance to be very clear. I was of the opinion that all sliding doors on escape routes or those that are designated fire exits should automatically open on the FA sounding. Table B3 suggests that if the sliding doors can be manually opened they can be a Cat B or Cat C. Table 1 makes reference to electrical power failure of the power supply and/or FA but nothing mentioned regarding cause & effect on the sounding of FA system.

Sliding doors on escape routes & exits should open on the sounding of the FA (except for prisons etc) but I cannot find where it is stipulated in recognised guidance/ACoP. BS 7273 stipulates arrangements on power failure but very little on FAsounding. Any suggestions?

I have visited a school that has key-operated locks on the inner face of classroom doors. I seem to recall that classroom doors fitted with a lock, should have a thumb turn fitted to their inner face to ensuring that the door will always be available without the use of a key and to prevent persons being inadvertently locked in the classroom . I cannot seem to find any guidance on door locks apart from BB100 (clause 4.5.1.3) and the CLG Education guide, both which only make reference to 'doors on escape routes'. I suppose that the door to a classroom also provides the MofE and therefore, technically may be interpreted as 'on an escape route' from the classroom. I would appreciate your thoughts please.

looking at ABD only storerooms in residential care premises require enclosing in fire resisting materials; however, the times I see storerooms in schools, offices etc. (that do not contain a special fire hazard) that have fire door sets, signage and even S/Cs. Is everybody of the opinion that in general, storerooms are not required to be enclosed in FR? Apart from sleeping accommodation & resi care, there is no mention of storerooms being enclosed in the GLG guides or other recognised guidance that can be applied to schools - even BB100. Your thoughts will be appreciated, thanks AB.

BS5839 Pt 1 2017 requires a zone plan to be displayed at the all FA panels including slave panels. My question is, if the building is small with a single zone is there a requirement to display a zone plan? Reading BS5839 it does not state single zone FA systems are omitted from this requirement and I suppose a single zone plan would actually inform the fire service that an alarm actuation covers the whole building, which is useful from a search and rescue perspective.

Thanks for your input Anthony. Regarding the height of the cavity, are you aware of any recognised guidance?