External fire escape garden

[Guest JohnB]

Hello,

I am after some advice about an idea I had to make use of our external fire escape. We are a 9 story mixed commercial and residential community building. We have an internal and external escape route serving all floors. The external escape route is the residential primary escape while the internal is the commercial primary means of escape but it's possible for anyone to go by any route if they need to. 

As I say, we're a community building so we have people living and working in the same space. We are landlocked so we don't have any outside space, apart from the roof. I had the idea of using the fire escape for a community garden.

Is this allowed? We'd not have any pots on the stairs or landings, only fixed to the railings and any pots would be metal.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

[green-foam]

Tom will no doubt give the definitive answer but I would suggest that if you have any plants they will need "looking after" and that means a watering can left on the stairs  / landing (Its human nature) this will be followed by other "bits and pieces" because the watering can is there, so is the trowel and the bucket etc, if the stairs are kept clear at all times there is no reason for anything else to be there.

 

[Tom Sutton]

Apart from what green-foam has said you would have other problems, if they were fitted to the inside of the handrail they would cause an obstruction in an emergence when the escape stairs is a full capacity, if they were fitted to the outside of the handrail there would be health and safety issues. You would need an engineers report to ensure the stability of the external escape stair was not affected consequently I do not think it would be a workable proposal. 

[Joe Taylor]

It could be workable if you get a competent person to review this for you on site. 

You have 2 separate escape routes which is beneficial as you won't get two seats of fire so I wouldn't say it needs to be sterile. Your exit capacity (width of route) must be ensured so this could be achieved somehow. 

Limited number of people and exit width not compromised. 

[Guest JohnB]

Thank you all for your advice. It sounds a bit of a grey area so perhaps best not to take it forward.

Our long term aspiration is to have a garden on the roof but it's incredibly expensive! Thanks again.

[Tom Sutton]

I would think the roof garden is a better solution but as you said very expensive, however if the fire escape, community garden, went pear shaped it could be even more expensive.

[Joe Taylor]

Hi Tom, would you consider the link below suitable? That is what I pictured when reading the query.

 

http://www.arup.com/projects/living_staircase

 

[Tom Sutton]

As you can see the plants are fixed to the outside of the balustrade consequently what could happen if while working in the plants a hand tool is dropped or other things I see a possible strong health & safety situation developing. The link shows one storey, the one in question 9 storeys consider the potential of a dropped item by the time it reaches the ground floor.

[Joe Taylor]

So not a fire safety concern. As I said initially a competent person should review on site all the variables and potential safety implications.

If the baskets were positioned and fixed to the inside ensuring they were not a trip hazard and the exit width was suitable to the capacity, I really don't see an issue.  

The management to ensure the safe use of hand tools could be to remove the baskets. 

Just my opinion. 

[Tom Sutton]

I agree Joe to get a definitive answer the site requires a risk assessment by a competent person but unfortunately my response can only be based on assumptions.

My first assumption is the staircase in question is the standard steel external escape staircase which will have been designed for the means of escape at the time of construction, but if there has been a change of use and the numbers reduced then there is a possibility the width of the staircase could be acceptable. If the plant pots are fixed on the inside there could be a tripping or obstruction hazard as well. If they were fixed on the outside of the balustrade they there could be a health and safety problem.

Finally I would sooner go up to the roof and sit in the garden on a nice sunny day, enjoying what it has to offer than pass a few plant pots, on the rare occasions I use the staircase, I am a lift man myself. :)

That is why I prefer the roof option although it is the more expensive option and leave the external staircase for the purpose it was designed for.