Can a fire exit be used as daily entry point?

[Guest JenniferKn]

Hello

Can someone help me with my query? Is it illegal to use a fire exit door as an entrance/exit door for general public as a daily use or should fire exit door be kept as emergency exit only in case of fire etc? I would be grateful if someone can clear this matter up for me.

Regards

Jennifer

[Tom Sutton]

All doors in common use by the general public make ideal fire escape doors because the location in well known. Some people think that a door with a fire exit sign above are only for safe egress in the advent of a fire, this is not true.

All doors used for means of escape in the advent of a fire, are fire doors, but those whose location is less familiar should be indicated with a fire exit sign including the escape route.

[Safelincs]

I agree with Tom. One exception, however, are loading bay doors, which might need to be discounted as fire exits, as they might be temporarily blocked

Harry

[Guest SueL]

Hello, Could you please let me know if a fire exit door - ie a fire door that leads to an unrestricted outside area - can be used as an exit which is not an emergency. Also, can this sort of door be left open in hot weather to aid air flow? The access would not be restricted in any of the above scenarios. I would be grateful for your advice.

[Tom Sutton]

I see no problems as far as fire safety is concerned but there could be a security concerns.

[Guest SueL]

Many thanks for this. I think I have a “jobs worth” where I work as he is now saying that it’s his decision that I can’t use this door and is making me go the extremely “long way around” through 3 double doors to carry heavy equipment into the area where I am teaching. Is there any legal stipulation that says that a fire exit door can be used in the circumstances I have explained - even if the centre management says it can ONLY be used in an emergency? It would certainly save my arms – possible damage to me - and a potential mishap in the reception area if there was.

Not sure if you can help?

Regards

Sue

[Tom Sutton]

There is no legal requirement that fire exits doors should be only used in an emergence, they can be used at anytime but must be available for emergencies. This is a management decision and it is them you have to persuade.

[Guest GoergeB]

I work in a Community Centre with a main hall used for Birthday Parties at weekends. The hall has a wide fire exit at one corner. My question is that when Disco Companies arrive 30mins. before the client (to set up) is it allowable to enter the hall through the fire exit with disco equipment. I ask as the route is shorter and members of the public are not put at risk from equipment being carried from the main door entrance along a large front foyer eventually arriving at the hall entrance door as the Public Library shares the building's entrance.



Thank you.

[Safelincs]

Hi George

There is no problem using the fire exit for everyday use, as long as it does not get blocked by equipment during the movement.

Harry

[Guest tanya]

I am currently undergoing an investigation and trying to gather some information. It would be of great help to me if you could let me know the legalites on a certain matter.

Is it illegal for a store to be using an emergeny fire exit to gain access to a stockroom outside of the store frequently on a daily basis - say around 30 times a day?

Thank You.

[Tom Sutton]

A fire exit is just a door to be used as required but must be available for use, without a key, during the time the premises is occupied, to enable persons to escape to the outside in the event of a fire in the premises.

[Guest marty]

hi if there is an internal ordinary double door with a fire exit sign over it . can you close the curtain that it already there . there are already two more fire exit doors to outside and another exit corridor door ?

[Tom Sutton]

Cinemas, theatres and other places of assembly have door curtains so I cannot see why they should not be allowed in other workplaces providing they follow the same conditions.

Curtains or drapes should be of durably flame-retarded fabric or inherently flame-retarded fabric and should conform to the latest edition of British Standard 5867: Part 2 – Fabric Type B when tested in accordance with the latest edition of British Standard 5438. Where approval is given for curtains to be used, the curtains shall where necessary be periodically re-sprayed to maintain their fire resistance.

All curtains covering doors shall be hung on sliding rigs on a free running rail and shall be parted in the centre when in front of double doors to enable them to be parted easily.

They should not trail on the floor and such curtains shall have a clearance of at least 75 mm between the bottom of the curtain and the floor.

Curtains or drapes should be arranged so as not to obstruct EXIT signs/notices and/or fire extinguishers or other fire fighting equipment when hung in front of fire exit doors.

[Guest Mick]

We have a client who uses one of the fire exit doors in their factory as a main entrance exit on a daily basis and need to jam it open as they have a push bar fitted. can this be replaced with an internal push pad with an external lockable handle and still comply with the current regs?

regards

Mick

[Safelincs]

Hi Mick

 

A final fire exit door can be left open all the time, as long as its door leaf does not block some other escape route when opened.

 

The client can also install an external access for his push bar (the ones shown here are for the Briton of push bars). He does not need to change to a pushpad.

 

Harry

[Guest]

Many thanks for this. I think I have a “jobs worth” where I work as he is now saying that it’s his decision that I can’t use this door and is making me go the extremely “long way around” through 3 double doors to carry heavy equipment into the area where I am teaching. Is there any legal stipulation that says that a fire exit door can be used in the circumstances I have explained - even if the centre management says it can ONLY be used in an emergency? It would certainly save my arms – possible damage to me - and a potential mishap in the reception area if there was.

 

Not sure if you can help?

 

Regards

Sue

Sue

You could argue your point under H&S as its putting you back at risk and therefore they need to purchase a trolley for you to transport your items. Also interesting if less mobile people use this route and therefore have to go the long way round as they would discriminated against under DDA rules.

Austin

[AnthonyB]

There is nothing in law to stop an exit that is part of the escape provision from being used for non emergency access as long as that use does not compromise the ability of the door to be effectively used in an emergency.

Most restrictions on the use of fire exits is a security measure, nothing to do with fire safety legislation

[Guest]

Please can someone advise? As a one off occasion, can a piece of equipment be left in a fire exit corridor, provided the 750mm width is maintained and there are less than 60 occupants. We have a large delivery in a box that there is no other space to store anywhere else, but concerned to leave in fire exit. It is 2 metres from fire exit door in corridor but 750mm is available. It will be there for 4 weeks. Thanks, Mike

[Tom Sutton]

The normal answer would be No chance, but you could consider conducting a fire risk assessment on the problem. It is only going to apply for a relatively short period of time, it is not a fire hazard, the means of escape will be maintained to a minimum of 750mm wide which should be adequate for the number involved, then make a decision based on ALARP.

Check out http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/faq.htm#q1 

[Guest]

I am a carpenter being asked to replace a fire door that is currently a fire exit with a push bar, for a fire door with push bar that can also be used as a main entrance with a handle on the exterior side. Is this possible please? If so is there also a locking mechanism to allow for security etc

Many thanks

Marc

[AnthonyB]

Yes, look on most decent ironmongery websites - you can get turn knob or lever 'external access devices' that allow a panic bolt/latch to be opened from the outside face.

They generally incorporate a key lock so that whilst the panic bar will always work you can lock off the function of the external device (it will just spin without engaging the bolt) for security.

[Guest]

I am wanting to start my business in an upstairs rented building that has multiple rooms. This will be used for team building with all public bookings made on line and no off the street bookings. The maximum at any time will be 12 with 2 staff so 14 people in the buildi g max at any time. The question is the entrance is also the fire escape but it also is the only exit for the building. Is this OK ? The building has not got any other exit. The ceilings are very high and the stairs are the correct width. There is a possibility I can knock down a wall to create a door that would lead on to a banks outside fire escape is this OK ? 

[Tom Sutton]

It is possible that one exit for the building is acceptable and an alternative exit would not be required it would all depend on the means of escape (MoE) being satisfactory. The MoE is dependant on the layout of the premises, the travel/time distances, the number of persons using the exit and other conditions. Without a physical survey it would be difficult to determine if the MoE is satisfactory however the government has decided that studying the guide for Offices and shops  you may be able to do it for yourself if not then you would need to employ a competent fire risk assessor.  

[Guest]

Question about fire escapes within a warehouse environment:

We have a designated fire escape route in our warehouse which is clearly painted out on the floor. While I appreciate that it must be kept free of obstacles or debris (if there were to be a fire), does that mean that operatives cannot work in that area all together? Or can operatives work in the area as long as they are trained to remove themselves and any other items if the fire alarm is activated?

Thank you for any feedback.....

[Tom Sutton]

On 1/28/2016 at 11:53 AM, Guest said:

 

Absolutely, operatives work in the area as long as they are trained to remove themselves and any other items quickly, if if not immediately, when the fire alarm is activated and I would record the fact when the fire evacuation drill takes place.