Flats with swimming pool in basement

[V Payne]

Hi all,

in need of some advice please. I have been asked to carry out an FRA of a communal area of a detached, small block of flats which were built in 2002. 4 Flats over ground and first floor, flats open onto a the staircase with the upstairs flats having alternative means of escape via a sdeperate exterior staircase.A couldnt check any front doors as nobody was in but lets assume they are FD30 for a minute. For some reason, there is a manual fire alarm system in the communal areas with a call point and sounder outside each flat and the panel downstairs. There is a basement swimming pool for use of all residents(in these flats  and the rest of the gated complex) below these flats which has its own exit/entry via a door next to this block and a seperate alternative escape staircase.The pool has a manual alarm system with sounders too but also heat detectors in the boiler room (no one knew if they were linked to the residents sounders).

From my description above, my main issue is with advising on the most appropriate detection for this building. I normally would not recommend any detection in the communal areas but with the swimming pool hazard.... Obviously conscious of unneccessary evacuations or false alarms but also see the hazard of a possible unnoticed fire in the swimming pool complex below. Any views or advice would be a greatly appreciated.

Vince

 

 

[AnthonyB]

Very weird. I'd expect the pool and associated ancillary accommodation to operate full evacuation and so have at least the L5/M type set up it seems to have, but the actual flats I'd expect only to have detectors to the common areas if there are smoke vents, or the common overkill of smokes, sounders, call points.

I don't suppose anyone can dig out the original design fire strategy?

[V Payne]

Thanks for the reply Anthony

Yes, the pool does have an L5/M system. What are your thoughts about it being linked to the common area of the flats above? If it was just a common area with compliant fire doors etc I would not worry about detection/call points in these areas. However, with the fire risk below, I'm thinking that maybe there should be a linked AFD in these parts with sounders in the flats to alert of a fire in say, the pool boiler house, which could go unnoticed during the night for instance. That and the electric hazard (fire alarm panel) in the ground floor of the common parts means detection in the common parts also, linked to the flats.I'm thinking, do away with the call points in the common areas.  

I always get these ones! I'm trying not to overthink this and I don't want to cause unnecessary expense. A second opinion or view would be most appreciated if you, or anyone else, has the time.

Regards

Vince  

[AnthonyB]

It should be, if built correctly, in a different fire compartment from the flats so it shouldn't matter if there is a fire there, the flats don't need to know in line with stay put principles.

Full evacuation is a last resort in residential and I would be reluctant to extend the system for this unless it was the only viable option...after all in reality it doesn't work as well as people think.