Protected routes

[John B]

Is a hotel bedroom corridor with bedroom doors opening onto classed as a protected corridor? If it helps there are alternate means of escape and the entry to each escape stair is lobbied by virtue of the bedroom door and the door into the stair. I am still wrestling with advising on a coffee vending machine and consumables being located in the bedroom corridor. Most sleeping accommodation policies prohibit such items in protected routes and allows some tolerance in unprotected routes. 

[Tom Sutton]

Ideally it should be sterile and any increased fire loading should be risk assessed but over the years it has been acceptable to allow low fire risk situations be allowed in protected areas. I have seen reception desks, unprotected tea rooms and automatic dispensing machines allowed so it appears it is up to the RP/ FR assessor to decide what is acceptable and what is not.

[John B]

Thank you Tom.