Fire exit

[Guest Stephen]

 My local Church has a hall multi use that is used by preschool Monday to Friday, out of these times it’s used by slimming group and othera, the fire doors are fitted high level handles that the children can’t get hold of but they block one of the fire doors with a children’s kitchen set. It’s been said to them that this needs to be removed once all the children have left the premises (is this acceptable ) but they are not doing this. I have said to the minister that he needs to make sure it’s done. But this isn’t occurring.

My main question is their argument there is two other fire exits from the hall I have been told Ofsted not brought this up on their visit.

[AnthonyB]

Ofsted are not the enforcing body for fire safety and their inspectors are not trained fire safety experts so they will not pick up fire safety issues unless so overwhelmingly bad a lay person would consider it a exceedingly risk often wouldn't realise there is a problem and refer it to a partner agency (fire service).

As the premises must have a written Fire Risk Assessment this should look at required exits and the competent person who completed it be able to advise.

The number and location of exits plus likely maximum occupancy of the hall are all factors and depending on these then it could be found to be acceptable or unacceptable, it's not possible to advise remotely although I would lean towards it being unacceptable unless a written suitable & sufficient FRA covering their use has taken all the  factors into account and said it's OK, which there is a possibility it might as I would suspect they don't even have 100 people present.