Eddie

Thanks... Do you think the void not being the full extent of the room does not comply with 18.3 Point (b)? The strategy author hasn't stated specifics other than the fact that the void runs right to the ceiling but smoke travel in a large percentage of the room will not travel directly upwards until it hits the void area. I have an L1 alarm system so don't understand why they didn't utilise that to leverage a variation in exit width??

Two storey Night club with a void between ground and first floor. Void is up to first floor roof, 60m2 Floor space is 200m2 Fire strategy using BS9999 states I can have a variation to exit width based on room /ceiling height >3m because of the void. The height of the ceiling in the rest of the floor is <3m. Therefore majority of floor is<3m. Fire authority state that the room height is not uniformly 3m and the variation can't be applied based on the void as that is not what BS9999 states in 18.3. building control didn't mention it, yet. Fire strategy author states that is not the case. Who is right before I spend more money I don't have on this?

Thanks Any particular guide that you know of that has direct mention of open kitchens. I've struggled to find one?

Doesn't sound acceptable. She shouldn't have to escape through a high risk room, unless she can enter a protected corridor/area to avoid the kitchen and make her way to an alternative exit (which has to be within the recommended travel distance of 18m /35m depending on numbers of exits). Her window would merely facilitate escape in the event of fire blocking her escape via the door to the garden.

Modern restaurants are commonly using an open kitchen area, however this breaches the compartmentation between the kitchen and dining area. What are the regulations around doing this and how is it acceptable? Are there certain measures a restaurant has to take to negate the increased risk of doing this?

Why is there a difference on advice for subdivision of corridors In building regulations it states "Where a corridor exceeding 12 m in length connects two or more storey exits, it should be subdivided by self­closing fire doors". However in the local government fire risk assessment guides it states a corridor that exceeds 30m in length should be subdivided. Why is there such a difference and which is correct?