Fire Safety Risk Assessment – Sleeping accommodation

This guide is for employers, managers, occupiers and owners

of sleeping accommodation. It tells you what you have to do
to comply with fire safety law, helps you to carry out a fire risk
assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need
to have in place.
Other guides in the series:

Guide Main use

Offices and shops e.g. shopping centres).

ISBN: 978 1 85112 815 0
Offices and retail premises
(including individual units
within larger premises,

Factories and warehouses

ISBN: 978 1 85112 816 7
Factories and warehouse
storage premises.

Sleeping accommodation All premises where the main use is to provide sleeping accommodation, e.g. hotels,
guest houses, B&Bs, hostels, residential training centres, holiday accommodation
ISBN: 978 1 85112 817 4
and the common areas of flats, maisonettes, HMOs and sheltered housing (other
than those providing care – see Residential care premises), but excluding hospitals,
residential care premises, places of custody and single private dwellings.

Residential care premises (where care is provided) and similar premises, which are permanently staffed
and where the primary use is the provision of care rather than healthcare (see
ISBN: 978 1 85112 818 1
Healthcare premises).
Residential care and nursing
homes, common areas of
sheltered housing

Educational premises except the residential parts (see Sleeping accommodation).

ISBN: 978 1 85112 819 8
Teaching establishments
ranging from pre-school
through to universities,

Small and medium places Smaller public houses, clubs, restaurants and cafés, village halls, community
of assembly centres, libraries, marquees, churches and other places of worship or study
accommodating up to 300 people.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 820 4

Large places of assembly Larger premises where more than 300 people could gather, e.g. shopping centres
(not the individual shops), large nightclubs and pubs, exhibition and conference
ISBN: 978 1 85112 821 1

sleeping accommodation
centres, sports stadia, marquees, museums, libraries, churches, cathedrals and
other places of worship or study.

Theatres, cinemas and Theatres, cinemas, concert halls and similar premises used primarily for
similar premises this purpose.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 822 8

Open air events and venues Open air events, e.g. theme parks, zoos, music concerts, sporting events
(not stadia – see Large places of assembly), fairgrounds and county fairs.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 823 5

Healthcare premises Premises where the primary use is the provision of healthcare (including private),
e.g. hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dentists and other similar healthcare premises.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 824 2

Transport premises Transportation terminals and interchanges, e.g. airports, railway stations
and facilities (including sub-surface), transport tunnels, ports, bus and coach stations
and similar premises but excluding the means of transport (e.g. trains, buses,
ISBN: 978 1 85112 825 9
planes and ships).

Stables and agricultural Agricutural premises, stables, livery yards and stables within zoos, large animal
premises sanctuaries or farm parks.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 884 6

Supplementary Guide

Means of Escape for This guide is a supplement to be read alongside other guides in this series.
Disabled People It provides additional information on accessibility and means of escape.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 874 7

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 Published by TSO (The Stationery Office) and available from:
Online
www.tsoshop.co.uk
Mail, Telephone, Fax & E-mail
TSO
PO Box 29, Norwich, NR3 1GN
Telephone orders/General enquiries: 0870 600 5522
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TSO@Blackwell and other Accredited Agents

Published for HM Government under licence from the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

© Crown Copyright 2006

All rights reserved.

ISBN 978 185112817 4

You may re-use this document/publication (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium,
under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/
doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives,
Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU; or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.

Originally published by the Department for Communities and Local Government, reprinted (from previous
artwork supplied) by The Stationery Office, January 2015

This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications

Printed in the United Kingdom for The Stationery Office

J3026753 C1 04/15

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 Contents

How to use this guide 2

Preface 3

Introduction 4

Part 1 Fire risk assessment 9

Step 1 Identify fire hazards 12

Step 2 Identify people at risk 14

Step 3 Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk 15

Step 4 Record, plan, inform, instruct and train 32

Step 5 Review 38

Part 2 Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions 41

Section 1 Further guidance on fire risks and preventative measures 42

Section 2 Further guidance on fire-detection and warning systems 53

Section 3 Further guidance on firefighting equipment and facilities 58

Section 4 Further guidance on escape routes 65

Section 5 Further guidance on emergency escape lighting 103

Section 6 Further guidance on signs and notices 105

Section 7 F
 urther guidance on recording, planning, informing,
instructing and training 108

Section 8 Quality assurance of fire protection equipment and installation 116

Appendix A Example fire safety maintenance checklist 117

Appendix B T
 echnical information on fire-resisting separation, fire doors
and door fastenings 121

Appendix C Historic buildings 129

Appendix D Glossary 131

References 136

Further reading 140

Index 142

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 How to use the guide

This guide is divided into two parts:

• Part 1 Explains what fire risk assessment is and how you might go about it.
Fire risk assessment should be the foundation for all the fire precautions in
your premises.
• Part 2 Provides further guidance on fire precautions. The information is provided
for you and others to dip into during your fire risk assessment or when you are
reviewing your precautions.

The appendices provide example checklists, some detailed technical information

on fire-resisting elements and advice on historic buildings.

This guide is one from a series of guides listed on the back cover.

The rest of this introduction explains how the law applies.

Technical terms are explained in the glossary and references to other publications
listed at the end of the publication are identified by a superscript number in the text.

In this Guide reference is made to British Standards and standards provided by

other bodies. The standards referred to are intended for guidance only and other
standards could be used. Reference to any particular standard is not intended to
confer a presumption of conformity with the requirements of the Regulatory Reform
(Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Order).1

The level of necessary safety (or service) must be dictated by the findings of your
risk assessment so you may need to do more or less than that specified in any
particular standard referred to. You must be prepared to show that what you have
done complies with any requirements or prohibitions of the Order1 irrespective of
whether you have relied on a particular standard.

A full list of references, e.g.1, can be found at the back of this book.

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 Preface

This guidance gives advice on how to avoid fires and how to ensure people’s
safety if a fire does start. Why should you read it? Because:
• Fire kills. In 2004 (England and Wales) fire and rescue services attended over
33,400 fires in non-domestic buildings. These fires killed 38 people and injured
over 1,300.
• Fire costs money. The costs of a serious fire can be high and afterwards
many businesses do not reopen. In 2004, the costs as a consequence of fire,
including property damage, human casualties and lost business, were estimated
at £2.5 billion.

This guide applies to England and Wales only. It does not set prescriptive
standards, but provides recommendations and guidance for use when assessing
the adequacy of fire precautions in premises providing sleeping accommodation.
Other fire risk assessment methods may be equally valid to comply with fire safety
law. The guide also provides recommendations for the fire safety management
of the premises.

Your existing fire safety arrangements may not be the same as the recommendations
used in this guide but, as long as you can demonstrate that they meet an equivalent
standard of fire safety, they are likely to be acceptable. If you decide that your
existing arrangements are not satisfactory there may be other ways to comply with
fire safety law. This means there is no obligation to adopt any particular solution in
this guide if you prefer to meet the relevant requirement in some other way.

Where the building has been recently constructed or significantly altered, the fire
detection and warning arrangements, escape routes and facilities for the fire and
rescue service should have been designed, constructed and installed in accordance
with current building regulations. In such cases, it is likely that these measures will
be satisfactory as long as they are being properly maintained and no significant
increase in risk has been introduced.

This guide should not be used to design fire safety in new buildings. Where
alterations are proposed to existing premises, they may be subject to building
regulations. However, it can be used to develop the fire safety strategy for
the building.

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 Introduction

WHO SHOULD USE THIS GUIDE?

This guide is for all employers, managers and owners of premises providing sleeping
accommodation. Details of other guides in the series are listed on the back cover. It
tells you about how you might comply with fire safety law, helps you to carry out a fire
risk assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need to have in place.

It applies to premises where the main use is for sleeping accommodation.

The premises addressed in this guide include:

• all guest accommodation properties, e.g. bed and breakfasts, guest houses, inns,
restaurants with rooms, and farmhouses;
• self catering accommodation (individual and multiple units), chalets, flat complexes,
narrow boats and cruisers, caravan holiday parks (excluding privately owned units –
unless they are sub-let);
• hotels, motels, holiday villages, serviced apartments and aparthotels;
• hostels, e.g. Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A., youth hostels, bail hostels or homeless persons’
accommodation;
• refuges, e.g. family accommodation centres, halfway houses;
• residential health and beauty spas, resort and destination spas;
• residential conference, seminar and training centres;
• student halls of residence and areas of sleeping accommodation in other training
institutions including military barrack style quarters;
• those areas of buildings in boarding schools that provide sleeping accommodation;
• seminaries and other religious colleges;
• the common areas of houses in multiple occupation (HMO);
• the common areas of flats and maisonettes;
• the common areas of park homes;
• the common areas of sheltered accommodation, where care is not provided (where
care is provided, see residential care guide); and
• areas in workplaces, where staff ‘sleeping-in’ is a condition of the employment or a
business requirement, as in licensed premises and hotels (but not including tied
accommodation such as separate flats, houses or apartments).

Note: HMOs and flats and maisonettes are covered by two pieces of legislation, the
Order1 and the Housing Act 2004.79

This guide addresses:

4 • sleeping accommodation for staff;

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 • sleeping, dining or other accommodation for guests/residents; and
• common areas for residents.

This guide is not intended for use in:

• domestic premises occupied as a single private dwelling (which includes private
flats or rooms);
• hospitals, residential care and nursing homes; and
• prisons and other establishments where people are in lawful custody.

It has been written to provide guidance for a responsible person, to help them
to carry out a fire risk assessment in less complex premises. If you read the guide
and decide that you are unable to apply the guidance, then you should seek expert
advice from a competent person. More complex premises will probably need to
be assessed by a person who has comprehensive training or experience in fire
risk assessment. However this guide can be used for multi-occupied buildings
to address fire safety issues within their individual occupancies.

It may also be useful for:

• employees;
• employee-elected representatives;
• trade union-appointed health and safety representatives;
• enforcing authorities;
• all other people who have a role in ensuring fire safety in premises providing
sleeping accommodation; and
• residents.

If your premises are listed as of historic interest, also see Appendix C.

Fire safety is only one of many safety issues which management must address to
minimise the risk of injury or death to staff or the public. Unlike most of the other
safety concerns, fire has the potential to injure or kill large numbers of people very
quickly. This guidance is concerned only with fire safety but many of the measures
discussed here will impact upon other safety issues, and vice versa. It is recognised
that these various differing safety demands can sometimes affect one another and
management should consult other interested agencies (e.g. Local Authority) where
necessary to confirm that they are not contravening other legislation/guidance.

You can get advice about minimising fire losses from your insurer.

THE FIRE SAFETY ORDER

Previous general fire safety legislation

The Order1 replaces previous fire safety legislation. Any fire certificate issued under
the Fire Precautions Act 19712 will cease to have any effect. If a fire certificate has

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 been issued in respect of your premises or the premises were built to recent
building regulations, as long as you have made no material alterations and all the
physical fire precautions have been properly maintained, then it is unlikely you will
need to make any significant improvements to your existing physical fire protection
arrangements to comply with the Order.1 However, you must still carry out a fire risk
assessment and keep it up to date to ensure that all the fire precautions in your
premises remain current and adequate.

If you have previously carried out a fire risk assessment under the Fire Precautions
(Workplace) Regulations 1997,3 as amended 1999,4 and this assessment has been
regularly reviewed then all you will need to do now is revise that assessment
taking account of the wider scope of the Order1 as described in this guide.

If your premises are an HMO, flat or maisonette they will also be subject to the
Housing Act 2004.79 Further information regarding the scope of the Housing Act
can be found by contacting your local housing authority.

Background
The Order1 applies in England and Wales. It covers general fire precautions and
other fire safety duties which are needed to protect ‘relevant persons’ in case of
fire in and around most ‘premises’. The Order requires fire precautions to be put
in place ‘where necessary’ and to the extent that it is reasonable and practicable
in the circumstances of the case.

Responsibility for complying with the Order1 rests with the ‘responsible person’.
In a workplace, this is the employer and any other person who may have control
of any part of the premises, e.g. the manager or owner. In all other premises the
person or people in control of the premises will be responsible. If there is more
than one responsible person in any type of premises (e.g. a multi-occupied complex),
all must take all reasonable steps to co-operate and co-ordinate with each other.

If you are the responsible person you must carry out a fire risk assessment which
must focus on the safety in case of fire of all ‘relevant persons’. It should pay
particular attention to those at special risk, such as disabled people, those who
you know have special needs and children, and must include consideration of any
dangerous substance liable to be on the premises. Your fire risk assessment will
help you identify risks that can be removed or reduced and to decide the nature
and extent of the general fire precautions you need to take.

If your organisation employs five or more people, your premises are licensed or an
alterations notice is in force, you must record the significant findings of the
assessment. It is good practice to record your significant findings in any case.

There are some other fire safety duties you need to comply with:
• You must appoint one or more competent persons, depending on the size and
use of your premises, to assist in undertaking any of the preventive and
protective measures required by the Order1 (you can nominate yourself for this
purpose). A competent person is someone with enough training and experience
or knowledge and other qualities to be able to implement these measures properly.

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 • You must provide your employees with clear and relevant information on the
risks to them identified by the fire risk assessment, about the measures you have
taken to prevent fires, and how these measures will protect them if a fire breaks out.
• You must consult your employees (or their elected representatives) about
nominating people to carry out particular roles in connection with fire safety and
about proposals for improving the fire precautions.
• You must, before you employ a child, provide a parent with clear and relevant
information on the risks to that child identified by the risk assessment, the
measures you have put in place to prevent/protect them from fire and inform any
other responsible person of any risks to that child arising from their undertaking.
• You must inform non-employees, such as residents, temporary or contract
workers, of the relevant risks to them, and provide them with information about
who are the nominated competent persons, and about the fire safety procedures
for the premises.
• You must co-operate and co-ordinate with other responsible persons who also
have premises in the building, inform them of any significant risks you find and
how you will seek to reduce/control those risks which might affect the safety of
their employees.
• You must provide the employer of any person from an outside organisation who
is working in your premises (e.g. an agency providing temporary staff) with clear
and relevant information on the risks to those employees and the preventive
and protective measures taken. You must also provide those employees with
appropriate instructions and relevant information about the risks to them.
• If you are not the employer but have any control of premises which contain more
than one workplace, you are also responsible for ensuring that the requirements
of the Order1 are complied with in those parts over which you have control.
• You must consider the presence of any dangerous substances and the risk this
presents to relevant persons from fire.
• You must establish a suitable means of contacting the emergency services and
provide them with any relevant information about dangerous substances.
• You must provide appropriate information, instruction and training to your
employees, during their normal working hours, about the fire precautions in your
workplace, when they start working for you, and from time to time throughout the
period they work for you.
• You must ensure that the premises and any equipment provided in connection
with firefighting, fire detection and warning, or emergency routes and exits are
covered by a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained by a competent
person in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
• Your employees must co-operate with you to ensure the workplace is safe
from fire and its effects, and must not do anything that will place themselves or
other people at risk.

The above outline some of the main requirements of the Order.1 The rest of this
guide will explain how you might meet these requirements.

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 Who enforces the Fire Safety Order?
The local fire and rescue authority (the fire and rescue service) will enforce the
Order1 in most premises. The exceptions are:
• Crown-occupied/owned premises where Crown fire inspectors will enforce;
• premises within armed forces establishments where the defence fire and rescue
service will enforce;
• certain specialist premises including construction sites, ships (under repair or
construction) and nuclear installations, where the HSE will enforce; and
• sports grounds and stands designated as needing a safety certificate by the local
authority, where the local authority will enforce.

The enforcing authority will have the power to inspect your premises to check that
you are complying with your duties under the Order.1 They will look for evidence
that you have carried out a suitable fire risk assessment and acted upon the
significant findings of that assessment. If you are required to record the outcome
of the assessment they will expect to see a copy.

If the enforcing authority is dissatisfied with the outcome of your fire risk assessment
or the action you have taken, they may issue an enforcement notice that requires
you to make certain improvements or, in extreme cases, a prohibition notice that
restricts the use of all or part of your premises until improvements are made.

If your premises are considered by the enforcing authority to be or have potential

to be high risk, they may issue an alterations notice that requires you to inform
them before you make any changes to your premises or the way they are used.

Failure to comply with any duty imposed by the Order1 or any notice issued by the
enforcing authority is an offence. You have a right of appeal to a magistrates court
against any notice issued. Where you agree that there is a need for improvements
to your fire precautions but disagree with the enforcing authority on the technical
solution proposed (e.g. what type of fire alarm system is needed) you may agree
to refer this for an independent determination.

If having read this guide you are in any doubt about how fire safety law applies to
you, contact the fire safety office at your local fire and rescue service.

If your premises were in use before 2006, then they may have been subject to the
Fire Precautions Act2 and/or the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations.3,4 Where
the layout (means of escape) and other fire precautions have been assessed by
the fire and rescue service to satisfy the guidance that was then current, then it is
likely that your premises already conform to many of the recommendations here,
providing you have undertaken a fire risk assessment as required by the Fire
Precautions (Workplace) Regulations.3,4

New buildings or significant building alterations should be designed to satisfy

current building regulations24 (which address fire precautions).

However, you will still need to carry out a fire risk assessment, or review your
existing assessment (and act on your findings), to comply with the Order.1

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 Part 1 Fire risk assessment

Part 1 •
Fire risk assessment
MANAGING FIRE SAFETY

Good management of fire safety is essential to ensure that fires are unlikely to
occur; that if they do occur they are likely to be controlled or contained quickly,
effectively and safely; or that, if a fire does occur and grow, everyone in your
premises is able to escape to a place of total safety easily and quickly.

The risk assessment that you must carry out will help you ensure that your fire
safety procedures, fire prevention measures, and fire precautions (plans, systems
and equipment) are all in place and working properly, and the risk assessment
should identify any issues that need attention. Further information on managing
fire safety is available in Part 2 on page 41.

WHAT IS A FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT?

A fire risk assessment is an organised and methodical look at your premises, the
activities carried on there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm
to those in and around the premises.

The aims of the fire risk assessment are:

• To identify the fire hazards.
• To reduce the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as reasonably
practicable.
• To decide what physical fire precautions and management arrangements are
necessary to ensure the safety of people in your premises if a fire does start.

The term ‘where necessary’ (see Glossary) is used in the Order,1 therefore when
deciding what fire precautions and management arrangements are necessary you
will need to take account of this definition.
The terms ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’ are used throughout this guide and it is important that
you have a clear understanding of how these should be used.
• Hazard: anything that has the potential to cause harm.
• Risk: the chance of that harm occurring.

If your organisation employs five or more people, or your premises are licensed or
an alterations notice requiring it is in force, then the significant findings of the fire
risk assessment, the actions to be taken as a result of the assessment and details
of anyone especially at risk must be recorded. You will probably find it helpful to
keep a record of the significant findings of your fire risk assessment even if you are
not required to do so.

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 HOW DO YOU CARRY OUT A FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT?

A fire risk assessment will help you determine the chances of a fire starting and the
dangers from fire that your premises present for the people who use them and any
person in the immediate vicinity. The assessment method suggested in this guide
shares the same approach as that used in general health and safety legislation and
can be carried out either as part of a more general risk assessment or as a separate
exercise. As you move through the steps there are checklists to help you.

Before you start your fire risk assessment, take time to prepare, and read through
the rest of Part 1 of this guide.

Much of the information for your fire risk assessment will come from the knowledge
your employees, colleagues and representatives have of the premises, as well as
information given to you by people who have responsibility for other parts of the
building. A tour of your premises will probably be needed to confirm, amend or
add detail to your initial views.

It is important that you carry out your fire risk assessment in a practical and
systematic way and that you allocate enough time to do a proper job. It must take
the whole of your premises into account, including outdoor locations and any
rooms and areas that are rarely used. If your premises are small you may be able
to assess them as a whole. In larger premises you may find it helpful to divide them
into rooms or a series of assessment areas using natural boundaries, e.g. bedroom
areas, kitchens, offices, stores, as well as corridors, stairways and external routes.

If your premises are in a building with more than one occupier then the information
on hazard and risk reduction will still be applicable to you. However, any alterations
to the use or structure of your premises will need to take account of the overall fire
safety arrangements in the building.

Your premises may be simple, with few people present or with a limited degree of
business activity, but if it forms part of a building with different occupancies, then
the measures provided by other occupiers may have a direct effect on the
adequacy of the fire safety measures in your premises.

Under health and safety law (enforced by the HSE or the local authority) you are
required to carry out a risk assessment in respect of any work processes in your
workplace and to take or observe appropriate special, technical or organisational
measures. If your health and safety risk assessment identifies that these processes
are likely to involve the risk of fire or the spread of fire then you will need to take
this into account during your fire risk assessment under the Order,1 and prioritise
actions based on the level of risk.

You need to appoint one or more competent persons (this could be you) to carry
out any of the preventive and protective measures needed to comply with the
Order.1 This person could be you, or an appropriately trained employee or, where
appropriate, a third party.

Your fire risk assessment should demonstrate that, as far as is reasonable, you
have considered the needs of all relevant people, including disabled people.

Figure 1 shows the five steps you need to take to carry out a fire risk assessment.
10

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 Part 1 •
FIRE SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT

Fire risk assessment

Identify fire hazards
Identify:
Sources of ignition
Sources of fuel
Sources of oxygen

2 Identify people at risk

Identify:
People in and around the premises
People especially at risk

3 Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk

Evaluate the risk of a fire occurring
Evaluate the risk to people from fire
Remove or reduce fire hazards
Remove or reduce the risks to people
• Detection and warning
• Fire-fighting
• Escape routes
• Lighting
• Signs and notices
• Maintenance

4 Record, plan, inform, instruct and train

Record significant finding and action taken
Prepare an emergency plan
Inform and instruct relevant people; co-operate and co-ordinate with others
Provide training

5 Review
Keep assessment under review
Revise where necessary

Remember to keep to your fire risk assessment under review.

Figure 1: The five steps of a fire risk assessment

11

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 STEP 1 IDENTIFY FIRE HAZARDS

For a fire to start, three things

are needed:
• a source of ignition;
• fuel; and
• oxygen.

If any one of these is missing, a

fire cannot start. Taking measures to
avoid the three coming together will
therefore reduce the chances of a
fire occurring.

The remainder of this step will advise on

how to identify potential ignition sources,
the materials that might fuel a fire and the
Figure 2: The fire triangle
oxygen supplies that will help it burn.

1.1 Identify sources of ignition

You can identify the potential ignition sources in your premises by looking for
possible sources of heat, which could get hot enough to ignite material found in
your premises. These sources could include:
• smokers’ material, e.g. cigarettes, matches and lighters;
• naked flames, e.g. candles, night lights, gas or liquid-fuelled open-flame equipment;
• electrical, gas or oil-fired heaters (fixed or portable);
• boilers;
• hot processes, e.g. welding by Naked flame Hot surface

contractors;
• cooking equipment and activities;
• machinery with hot surfaces;
• faulty or misused electrical equipment,
e.g. electric blankets, computers,
vending machines;
• lighting equipment (fixed and movable),
e.g. halogen lamps or table lamp;
• obstruction of ventilation Mechanically generated sparks Electrically generated sparks
equipment; and
Figure 3: Sources of ignition
• arson.

Indications of ‘near-misses’, such as scorch marks on furniture or fittings,

discoloured or charred electrical plugs and sockets, cigarette burns etc., can help
you identify hazards which you may not otherwise notice.
12

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 1.2 Identify sources of fuel

Part 1 •
Anything that burns is fuel for a fire. You need to look for the things that will burn
reasonably easily and are in enough quantity to provide fuel for a fire or cause it to
spread to another fuel source. Some of the most common ‘fuels’ found in

Fire risk assessment

premises providing sleeping accommodation are:
• furniture (permanent and temporary storage);
• textiles and soft furnishings, such as hanging curtains and clothing displays;
• laundry (bedding, linen, towels);
• waste products, particularly finely divided items such as shredded paper
and wood shavings, off cuts, and dust;
• waste storage, refuse containers and skips;
• flammable-liquid-based products, such as paints, varnishes, thinners
and adhesives;
• flammable liquids and solvents, such as white spirit, methylated spirit, cooking
oils and disposable cigarette lighters;
• flammable chemicals, such as certain cleaning products, photocopier chemicals
and dry cleaning that uses hydrocarbon solvents;
• flammable gases such liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and aerosols;
• paper products, packaging materials, stationery, advertising material, paper
and books;
• decorations for seasonal and religious occasions;
• plastics and rubber, such as video tapes, polyurethane foam-filled furniture and
polystyrene-based display materials;
• guest possessions; and
• wall and ceiling hangings.

You should also consider the materials used to line walls and ceilings, e.g.
polystyrene or carpet tiles, the fixtures and fittings, and bought-in materials, and
how they might contribute to the spread of fire. Further information is available in
Part 2, Section 1.

1.3 Identify sources of oxygen

The main source of oxygen for a fire is in the air around us. In an enclosed building
this is provided by the ventilation system in use. This generally falls into one of two
categories: natural airflow through doors, windows and other openings; or
mechanical air conditioning systems and air handling systems. In many buildings
there will be a combination of systems, which will be capable of introducing/
extracting air to and from the building.

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 Additional sources of oxygen can
sometimes be found in materials
used or stored at premises such as:
• some chemicals (oxidising materials),
which can provide a fire with
additional oxygen and so help it
burn. These chemicals should be
identified on their container (and
Control of Substances Hazardous
to Health data sheet, see Figure 4)
by the manufacturer or supplier
who can advise as to their safe
use and storage;
• oxygen supplies from cylinder
storage, e.g. oxygen used in
welding processes; and Figure 4: Label on oxidising materials

• pyrotechnics (fireworks), which

contain oxidising materials and
need to be treated with great care.

Checklist
• Have you identified all potential ignition sources?
• Have you identified all potential fuel sources?
• Have you identified all potential sources of oxygen?
• Have you made a note of your findings?

STEP 2 IDENTIFY PEOPLE AT RISK

As part of your fire risk assessment, you need to identify those at risk if there is
a fire. To do this you need to identify the occupants of the premises, e.g. guests,
residents, people working, either at permanent workstations or at occasional
locations around the premises, and to consider who else may be at risk, such as
visitors, visiting contractors etc., and where these people are likely to be found.

You must consider all the people who use the premises but you should pay
particular attention to people who may be especially at risk such as:
• people asleep (who will be slow to respond and disorientated);
• employees who work alone and/or in isolated areas, e.g. cleaners, maintenance
staff, security staff, night staff;
• people who are unfamiliar with the premises, e.g. guests, visitors, customers,
seasonal staff, new staff and contractors;
• unaccompanied children and young persons;

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 • people with disabilities15* (including mobility impairment, or hearing or vision

Part 1 •
impairment etc.);
• people who may have some other reason for not being able to leave the
premises quickly, e.g. parents with children;

Fire risk assessment

• people who are sensorially impaired due to alcohol, drugs or medication; and
• other people in the immediate vicinity of your premises.

In evaluating the risk to people with disabilities you may need to discuss their
individual needs with them. In larger premises used extensively by the public you
may need to seek professional advice.

Further guidance on people with special needs is given in Part 2, Section 1.

Checklist
• Have you identified who is at risk?
• Have you identified why they are at risk?
• Have you made a note of your findings?

STEP 3 EVALUATE, REMOVE, REDUCE AND PROTECT FROM RISK

The management of the premises and the way people use it will have an effect
on your evaluation of risk. Management may be your responsibility alone or there
may be others, such as the building owners or managing agents, who also have
responsibilities. In multi-occupied buildings all those with some control must
co-operate and you need to consider the risk generated by others in the building.

3.1 Evaluate the risk of a fire occuring

The chances of a fire starting will be low if your premises has few ignition sources
and combustible materials are kept away from them.

In general, fires start in one of three ways:

• accidentally, such as when smoking materials are not properly extinguished
or when lights are knocked over;
• by act or omission, such as when electrical equipment is not properly maintained,
or when waste is allowed to accumulate near to a heat source; and
• deliberately, such as an arson attack involving setting fire to external rubbish bins
placed too close to the building.

Look critically at your premises and try to identify any accidents waiting to happen
and any acts or omissions which might allow a fire to start. You should also look
for any situation that may present an opportunity for an arsonist.

Further guidance is given in Part 2, Section 1 on evaluating the risk of a fire starting.
*Visit the Disability Rights commission website on www.drc-gb.org for more information.
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 3.2 Evaluate the risk to people
In Step 2 you identified the people likely to be at risk should a fire start anywhere
in the premises and earlier in Step 3 you identified the chances of a fire occurring.
It is unlikely that you will have concluded that there is no chance of a fire starting
anywhere in your premises so you now need to evaluate the actual risk to
those people should a fire start and spread from the various locations that you
have identified.

While determining the possible incidents, you should also consider the likelihood
of any particular incident; but be aware that some very unlikely incidents can put
many people at risk.

To evaluate the risk to people in your premises, you will need to understand the
way fire can spread. Fire is spread by three methods:
• convection;
• conduction; and
• radiation.

Convection
Fire spread by convection is the most dangerous and causes the largest number
of injuries and deaths. When fires start in enclosed spaces such as buildings,
the smoke rising from the fire gets trapped by the ceiling and then spreads in
all directions to form an ever-deepening layer over the entire room space. The
smoke will pass through any holes or gaps in the walls, ceiling and floor into other
parts of the building. The heat from the fire gets trapped in the building and the
temperature rises.

Conduction
Some materials, such as metal
shutters and ducting, can absorb
heat and transmit it to the next room,
where it can set fire to combustible
items that are in contact with the
heated material.

Radiation
Radiation heats the air in the same
way as an electric bar heater heats a
room. Any material close to a fire will
absorb the heat until the item starts
to smoulder and then burn.

Figure 5: Smoke moving through a building

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 Smoke produced by a fire also contains toxic gases which are harmful to people.

Part 1 •
A fire in a building with modern fittings and materials generates smoke that is thick
and black, obscures vision, causes great difficulty in breathing and can block the
escape routes.

Fire risk assessment

It is essential that the means of escape and other fire precautions are adequate to
ensure that everyone can make their escape to a place of total safety before the
fire and its effects can trap them in the building.

In evaluating this risk to people you will need to consider situations such as:
• fire starting on a lower floor affecting the only escape route for people on upper
floors or the only escape route for people with disabilities;
• fire developing in an unoccupied space that people have to pass by to escape
from the building;
• fire or smoke spreading through a building via routes such as vertical shafts,
service ducts, linen and waste chutes, ventilation systems, poorly installed,
poorly maintained or damaged, walls, partitions and ceilings affecting people in
remote areas;
• fire and smoke spreading through a building due to poor installation of fire
precautions, e.g. incorrectly installed fire doors (see Appendix B2 for more
information on fire doors) or incorrectly installed services penetrating fire
walls; and
• fire and smoke spreading through the building due to poorly maintained and
damaged fire doors or fire doors being wedged open.

Further guidance on fire risks is given in Part 2, Section 1.

3.3 Remove or reduce the hazards

Having identified the fire hazards in Step 1, you now need to remove those hazards
if reasonably practicable to do so. If you cannot remove the hazards, you need to
take reasonable steps to reduce them if you can. This is an essential part of fire
risk assessment and as a priority this must take place before any other actions.

Ensure that any actions you take to remove or reduce fire hazards or risk are not
substituted by other hazards or risks. For example, if you replace a flammable
substance with a toxic or corrosive one, you must consider whether this might
cause harm to people in other ways.

Remove or reduce sources of ignition

There are various ways that you can reduce the risk caused by potential sources
of ignition, for example:
• Operate a safe smoking policy in designated smoking areas and prohibit smoking
elsewhere, ensuring sufficient ashtrays are provided and cleaned appropriately.
• Replace naked flame and radiant heaters with fixed convector heaters or a
central heating system. Restrict the movement of and guard portable heating
appliances.
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 • Ensure electrical, mechanical and gas equipment is installed, used, maintained
and protected in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions e.g. electric
blankets, cooking appliances.
• Ensure all electric fuses and circuit breakers are of the correct rating and suitable
for the purpose.
• Ensure electric sockets are not overloaded.
• Check all areas where hot work (e.g. welding) has been carried out to ensure
that no ignition has taken place or any smouldering materials remain that may
cause a fire.
• Ensure that no one carrying out work on gas fittings that involves exposing
pipes that contain or have contained flammable gas uses any source of ignition
such as blow-lamps or hot-air guns.
• Ensure that no one uses any source of ignition while searching for an
escape of gas.
• Operate a permit-to-work system for maintenance contractors who carry
out hot work.
• Take precautions to avoid arson.
• Remove any unnecessary sources of heat and/or replace with safer alternatives.

Remove or reduce sources of fuel

There are various ways that you can reduce the risks caused by materials and
substances which burn, for example:
• Ensure combustible items, such as
furniture, laundry, decorations, are
stored properly and are separate
from potential ignition sources, such
as boilers.
• Reduce the amount of combustible
materials, such as paper products
and plastics. Keep spare items in
storerooms or storage areas where
the public are not allowed to go.
• Make sure staff responsible for
cleaning bedrooms are aware of
potential fire hazards (e.g. storage,
use and disposal of aerosols/
newspapers) that may be brought
into rooms by guests and residents
and left in a haphazard manner
creating a fire risk). You should have
a policy in place to deal with this Figure 6: Storage of flammables
constant hazard.

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 • Remove or treat large areas of highly combustible wall and ceiling linings,

Part 1 •
e.g. polystyrene or carpet tiles, to reduce the rate of flame spread across
the surface.
• Reduce or protect combustible displays, furnishings and foliage.

Fire risk assessment

• Develop a formal system for the control of combustible waste by ensuring
that waste materials and rubbish are not allowed to build up and are carefully
stored until properly disposed of, particularly at the end of the day.
• Clean ducts and flues.
• Reduce stocks of flammable materials, liquids and gases to a minimum. Keep
remaining stock in dedicated storerooms or storage areas, preferably outside,
where the public are not allowed to go, and keep the minimum required for the
operation of the business.
• Ensure flammable materials, liquids and gases, are kept to a minimum, and are
stored properly with adequate separation distances between them.
• Do not keep flammable solids, liquids and gases together.
• Take action to avoid any parts of the premises, and in particular storage areas
being vulnerable to arson or vandalism.
• Check all areas where hot work (e.g. welding) has been carried out to ensure that
no ignition has taken place and no smouldering or hot materials remain that may
cause a fire later.

Further guidance on removing and reducing hazards is given in Part 2, Section 1.

Remove or reduce sources of oxygen

You can reduce the potential source of oxygen supplied to a fire by:
• closing all doors, windows and other openings not required for ventilation,
particularly out of working hours;
• shutting down ventilation systems which are not essential to the function of
the premises;
• not storing oxidising materials near or with any heat source or flammable
materials; and
• controlling the use and storage of oxygen cylinders, ensuring that they are
not leaking.

3.4 Remove or reduce the risks to people

Having evaluated and addressed the risk of fire occuring and the risks to people
(preventative measures) it is unlikely that you will have concluded that no risk
remains of fire starting and presenting a risk to people in your premises.

You now need to reduce the remaining fire risk to people to as low as reasonably
practicable by ensuring that adequate fire precautions are in place to warn people
in the event of a fire and allow them to safely escape.

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 The rest of this step describes the fire protection measures you may wish to adopt
to reduce the remaining fire risk to people (see Steps 3.4.1 to 3.4.6).

The level of fire protection you need to provide will depend on the level of risk that
remains in the premises after you have removed or reduced the hazards and risks.
Part 2, Section 4.1 can help you decide the level of risk that you may still have.

Flexibility of fire protection measures

Flexibility will be required when applying this guidance, the level of fire protection
should be proportional to the risk posed to the safety of the people in the premises.
Therefore, the objective should be to reduce the remaining risk to a level as low as
reasonably practicable. The higher the risk of fire and risk to life, the higher the
standards of fire protection will need to be.

Your premises may not exactly fit the solutions suggested in this guide and they
may need to be applied in a flexible manner without compromising the safety
of the occupants.

For example, if the travel distance is in excess of the norm for the level of risk
you have determined (see Part 2, Table 3 on page 70), it may be necessary to do
any one or a combination of the following to compensate:
• Provide earlier warning of fire using automatic fire detection.
• Revise the layout to reduce travel distances.
• Reduce the fire risk by removing or reducing combustible materials and/or
ignition sources.
• Control the number of people in the premises.
• Limit the area to trained staff only (no public).
• Increase staff training and awareness.

Note: The above list is not exhaustive and is only used to illustrate some examples
of trade-offs to provide safe premises.

If you decide to significantly vary away from the benchmarks in this

guidance then you should seek expert advice before doing so.

3.4.1 Fire detection and warning systems

Virtually all premises that this guide applies to will need an electrical fire detection
and warning system incorporating automatic fire detection, sounders and manually
operated call points (break-glass boxes).

In simple premises of limited size/occupation e.g. ground and first floor with a small
number of guest/residents, an alternative system of interconnected smoke alarms
or point detectors, incorporating interconnected manual call points and, where
necessary separate sounders may be acceptable.

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 In more complex premises, such as the sleeping areas of hotels, boarding schools

Part 1 •
or student accommodation, you will probably need an automatic fire detection and
warning system with a control panel which is able to identify either the zone or the
specific location where the alarm has been raised. The control panel (or a repeat

Fire risk assessment

panel) should be located near the entrance to the premises.

In very large or complex premises, particularly those accommodating large numbers

of people, such as multi-storey hotels, it is possible that a more sophisticated form
of evacuation, e.g. phased evacuation, will be used. In these cases it will be necessary
for a fire detection and warning system to automatically trigger the action that people
need to take (in accordance with the pre-determined fire proceedure) e.g. by a two
stage audible warning or a voice alarm system. The voice alarm will need to include
the necessary recorded languages.

In the case of purpose built flats or maisonettes, built in accordance with modern
building regulations it is assumed that a fire will generally be confined to the dwelling.
This is because there is a high degree of compartmentation and a low probability
of fire spread beyond the dwelling of origin. It is further assumed that there will
be good risk reduction and arson reduction measures and that the materials and
construction of the escape routes should prevent the fabric of the building from
being involved. For these reasons common areas are not usually fitted with a fire
detection and warning system, (although self-contained smoke alarms should
normally be fitted within each accommodation unit), as simultaneous evacuation
of the building is unlikely to be necessary.

If your premises have been converted into flats or a maisonnette you will need to
ensure they have been altered in accordance with building regulations. If you are
not sure then you should seek advice from a competent person as additional
precautions maybe necessary.

Although the main risk will be to

people when they are asleep you
may still need to consider special
arrangements for times when people
are working alone, or are disabled
or when your normal occupancy
patterns are different, e.g. maintenance
staff or other contractors working Visual Voice

at the weekend.

False alarms from electrical fire

warning systems are a major problem
(e.g. malicious activation of manual
Figure 7: Fire detection
call points) and result in many unwanted
and warning system
calls to the fire and rescue service every
year. To help reduce the number of false
alarms, the design and location of activation devices should be reviewed against the
way the premises are currently used.

If you are not sure whether your current arrangements are adequate, see the
additional guidance on fire warning systems in Part 2, Section 2.
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 Checklist
• Can the existing means of detection ensure a fire is discovered quickly
enough for the alarm to be raised in time for all the occupants to
escape to a place of total safety?
• Are the detectors of the right type and in the appropriate locations?
• Can the means of warning be clearly heard and understood by everyone
throughout the whole building when initiated from a single point? Are there
provisions for people or locations where the alarm cannot be heard?
• If the fire-detection and warning system is electrically powered,
does it have a back-up power supply?

3.4.2 Firefighting equipment and facilities

Firefighting equipment can reduce the risk of a small fire, e.g. a fire in a waste
paper bin, developing into a large one. The safe use of an appropriate fire
extinguisher to control a fire in its early stages can also significantly reduce the
risk to other people in the premises by allowing persons to assist others who
are at risk.

This equipment will need to comprise enough portable extinguishers that must be
suitable for the risk.

Main types of portable extinguishers, their uses and colour coding.

WATER POWDER FOAM CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2 )

For wood, paper, textile For liquid and electrical fires. For use on liquid fires. For liquid and electrical fires.
and solid material fires.

DO NOT USE on liquid, DO NOT USE DO NOT USE on DO NOT USE on

electrical or metal fires on metal fires electrical or metal fires metal fires

The contents of an extinguisher is indicated by a zone of colour on the red body.

Halon extinguishers are not shown since no new Halon production is permitted in the UK.

Figure 8: Types of fire extinguishers

In simple premises, having one or two portable extinguishers of the appropriate

type, readily available for use, may be all that is necessary. In more complex
premises, more portable extinguishers may be required and they should be sited
in suitable locations, e.g. on the escape routes at each floor level. It may also be
necessary to indicate the location of extinguishers by suitable signs.

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 Some premises will also have permanently installed firefighting equipment such as

Part 1 •
hose reels for use by trained staff or firefighters.

People with no training should not be expected to attempt to extinguish a

Fire risk assessment

fire. However, all staff should be familiar with the location and basic operating
procedures for the equipment provided, in case they need to use it. If your fire
strategy means that certain people, e.g. fire marshals, will be expected to take
a more active role, then they should be provided with more comprehensive training.

Other fixed installations and facilities to assist firefighters, such as dry rising mains
and access for fire engines, or automatically operated, fixed fire suppression systems
such as sprinklers and gas or foam flooding systems, may also have been provided.

Where these have been required by law, e.g. the Building Regulations or local Acts,
such equipment and facilities must be maintained.

Similarly, if provided for other reasons, e.g. insurance, it is good practice to ensure
that they are properly maintained.

In most cases it will be necessary to consult a competent service engineer. Keeping

records of the maintenance carried out will help you demonstrate to the enforcing
authority that you have complied with fire safety law.

Appendix A.1 provides a sample fire safety maintenance checklist you can use.

For more guidance on portable fire extinguishers see Part 2, Section 3.1, for fixed
firefighting installations, Part 2, Section 3.2 and other facilities (including those for
firefighters) Part 2, Section 3.3

Checklist
• Are the extinguishers suitable for the purpose?
• Are there enough extinguishers sited throughout the premises at
appropriate locations?
• Are the right types of extinguishers located close to the fire hazards and
can users get to them without exposing themselves to risk?
• Are the extinguishers visible or does their position need indicating?
• Have you taken steps to prevent the misuse of extinguishers?
• Do you regularly check equipment provided to help maintain the escape routes?
• Do you carry out daily checks to ensure that there is clear access for
fire engines?
• Are those who test and maintain the equipment competent to do so?
• Do you have the necessary procedures in place to maintain any facilities
that have been provided for the safety of people in the building (or for the use
of firefighters, such as access for fire engines and firefighting lifts)?

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 3.4.3 Escape routes
Once a fire has started, been detected and a warning given, everyone in your
premises should be able to escape to a place of total safety unaided and without
the help of the fire and rescue service. However, some people with disabilities and
others with special needs may need help from staff who will need to be designated
for the purpose.

Escape routes should be designed to ensure, as far as possible, that any person
confronted by fire anywhere in the building, should be able to turn away from it and
escape to a place of reasonable safety, e.g. a protected stairway. From there they
will be able to go directly to a place of total safety away from the building.

Those who require special assistance (e.g. very young children and some people
with disabilities) could be accommodated on the same level as the final exit from
the premises to facilitate escape. Where they need assistance to evacuate, you
should make sure that there are sufficient staff to ensure a speedy evacuation.

The level of fire protection that should be given to escape routes will vary
depending on the level of risk of fire within the premises and other related factors.
Generally, premises that are simple, consisting of a single storey, will require fairly
simple measures to protect the escape routes, compared to a more complex
multi-storey building, which would require a more complex and inter-related
system of fire precautions.

When determining whether your premises have adequate escape routes, you need
to consider a number of factors, including:
• the type and number of people using the premises;
• escape time;
• the age and construction of the premises;
• the number and complexity of escape routes and exits;
• the use of phased or delayed alarm evacuation;
• assisted means of escape/personal evacuation plans (PEEPS);
• whether lifts can or need to be used; and
• assembly points.

The type and number of people using the premises

The people present in premises such as hotels, motels, guest and boarding houses
will consist of members of the public, who may only be present over a short period
of time, and staff. Members of the public (including contractors) are unlikely to have
advance knowledge of your premises and so will be unfamiliar with the escape
routes. They may also be slow to respond for a number of reasons such as:

• an unfamiliar alarm or inability to hear the alarm (due to hearing impairment);

• belief that the alarm may be false and waiting for further direction from staff;

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 • attempting to get fully dressed, gathering other family members together and

Part 1 •
collecting personal belongings; or
• being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication.

Fire risk assessment

In some residential premises, people can be expected to have more detailed
knowledge of the layout of the premises and its escape routes; however, the
issues of a delayed response, discussed above, should still be assessed. These
premises include:
• hostels;
• student and nursing halls of residence;
• family accommodation centres;
• barracks and quarters;
• accommodation at training centres;
• houses in multiple occupation (HMO);
• sheltered accommodation;
• holiday flats; and
• flats and maisonettes.

The number and capability of people present will influence your assessment of the
escape routes. The number of people likely to use your premises at any time, may
be fairly constant, e.g. in hostels, halls of residence and HMO type premises, but in
hotels it can vary from a few people, to large numbers depending on the time of
year, conference facilities and other social gatherings.

Escape time
In the event of a fire, it is important to evacuate people as quickly as possible from
the premises. Escape routes in a building should be designed so that people can
escape quickly enough to ensure they are not placed in any danger from fire. The
time available will depend on a number of factors, including, how quickly the fire is
detected and the alarm raised, the number of escape routes available, the nature
of the occupants and the speed of fire growth. For simplicity the travel distances in
Part 2, Table 3 (page 70) takes these factors into account. Part 2, Section 4.1 will
help you decide the level of risk in your premises, for escape purposes.

The age and construction of the premises

Older buildings may comprise different construction materials from newer buildings
and may be in a poorer state of repair. The materials from which your premises are
constructed, the quality of building work and state of repair could contribute to the
speed with which any fire may spread, and potentially affect the escape routes the
occupants will need to use. A fire starting in a building constructed mainly from
combustible material will spread faster than one where fire-resisting construction
materials have been used.

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 If you wish to construct internal partitions or walls in your premises, perhaps to
create a storage area or to divide a bedroom area, you should ensure that any new
partition or wall does not obstruct any escape routes or fire exits, extend travel
distances or reduce the sound levels of the fire alarm system. Any walls that affect
the means of escape should be constructed of appropriate material. (Further
technical information is provided in Appendix B.)

If you wish to change any door, e.g. a front door to a flat for security reasons, you
should ensure that any new door is constructed to an appropriate standard and
has the appropriate furniture, e.g. fire resisting and self closing device (further
technical information is provided in Appendix B).

Depending on the findings of your fire risk assessment, it may be necessary to

protect the escape routes against fire and smoke by upgrading the construction
of the floors, ceiling and walls to a fire-resisting standard. You should avoid having
combustible wall and ceiling linings in your escape routes. For further information see
Appendix B. You may need to seek advice from a competent person. Any
structural alterations may require building regulation approval.

The number of escape routes and exits

In general there should usually be at least two escape routes from all parts of
the premises but a single escape route may be acceptable in some circumstances
(e.g. part of your premises accommodating less than 60 people or where travel
distances are limited).

Where two escape routes are necessary and to further minimise the risk of people
becoming trapped, you should ensure that the escape routes are completely
independent of each other. This will prevent a fire affecting more than one escape
route at the same time.

When evaluating escape routes, you may need to build in a safety factor by
discounting the largest exit from your escape plan, then determine whether the
remaining escape routes from a room, floor or building will be sufficient to evacuate
all the occupants within a reasonable time. Escape routes that provide escape in a
single direction only may need additional fire precautions to be regarded as adequate.

Exit doors on escape routes and final exit doors should normally open in the
direction of travel, and be quickly and easily openable without the need for a key.
Checks should be made to ensure final exits are wide enough to accommodate
the number of people who may use the escape routes they serve.

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 Management of escape routes

Part 1 •
It is essential that escape routes, and the means
provided to ensure they are used safely, are managed
and maintained to ensure that they remain usable and

Fire risk assessment

available at all times when the premises are occupied.
Tell employees in staff training sessions about the
escape routes within the premises.

Corridors and stairways that form part of escape

routes should be kept clear and hazard free at all
times. Items that may be a source of fuel or pose
Figure 9:
an ignition risk should not normally be located on
A blocked corridor
any corridor or stairway that will be used as an
with incorrect signage
escape route. Further guidance is available in
Part 2, Section 4.

Emergency evacuation of persons with mobility impairment

The means of escape you provide must be suitable for the evacuation of everyone
likely to be in your premises. This may require additional planning and allocation
of staff roles – with appropriate training. Provisions for the emergency evacuation of
disabled persons may include:
• stairways;
• evacuation lifts;
• firefighting lifts;
• horizontal evacuation;
• refuges; and
• ramps.

Use of these facilities will need to be linked to effective management arrangements

as part of your emergency plan. The plan should not rely on fire and rescue service
involvement for it to be effective.

Further guidance on escape routes is given in Part 2, Section 4.

Marquees, tents and temporary structures

Exit routes from marquees, tents and temporary structures may be over uneven
ground or temporary flooring, duckboards, ramps etc. These factors should be
taken into account to ensure that there are safe egress routes. Travel distances
should be shorter than in conventional buildings (see Part 2, Section 4.1).

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 Checklist
• Is your building constructed, particularly in the case of multi-storey buildings,
so that, if there is a fire, heat and smoke will not spread uncontrolled through
the building to the extent that people are unable to use the escape routes?
• Are any holes or gaps in walls, ceilings and floors properly sealed, e.g. where
services such as ventilation ducts and electrical cables pass through them?
• Can all the occupants escape to a place of total safety in a reasonable time?
• Are the existing escape routes adequate for the numbers and type of
people that may need to use them, e.g. members of the public, young
people and disabled people?
• Are the exits in the right place and do the escape routes lead as directly as
possible to a place of total safety?
• If there is a fire, could all available exits be affected or will at least one route
from any part of the premises remain available?
• Are the escape routes and final exits kept clear at all times?
• Do the doors on escape routes open in the direction of escape?
• Can all final exit doors be opened easily and immediately if there is
an emergency?
• Will everybody be able to safely use the escape routes from your premises?
• Are the people who work in the building aware of the importance of
maintaining the safety of the escape routes, e.g. by ensuring that fire doors
are not wedged open and that combustible materials are not stored within
escape routes?
• Are there any particular or unusual issues to consider?

3.4.4 Emergency escape lighting

People in your premises must be able to find their way to a place of total safety if
there is a fire by using escape routes that have enough lighting.

In simple premises, e.g. a small bed and breakfast establishment of 2 floors (i.e.
ground and first floor with no floor greater than 200m2 in area), where the escape
routes are simple and straightforward, borrowed lighting from a dependable source,
e.g. from street lamps where they illuminate escape routes, may be acceptable.
Exceptionally, where borrowed lighting is not available, suitably placed torches may
be acceptable for use by trained staff.

In larger more complex premises, e.g. multi-storey guest houses, hotels, student
accommodation and residential conference centres it is likely that a more
comprehensive system of automatic emergency escape lighting will be needed to
illuminate all the escape routes.

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 Where people have difficulty seeing conventional signs, a ‘way-guidance’ system

Part 1 •
may need to be considered.

Further guidance on emergency escape lighting is given in Part 2, Section 5.

Fire risk assessment

Checklist
• Are all your escape routes covered by an acceptable form of emergency lighting?
• Will there always be sufficient lighting to safely use escape routes?
• Do you have back-up power supplies for your emergency lighting?

3.4.5 Signs and notices

Signs
Signs must be used, where necessary, to help people identify escape routes, find
firefighting equipment and emergency fire telephones. These signs are required
under the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 19965, 6 and
must comply with the provisions of those Regulations.

A fire risk assessment that determines that no escape signs are required (because,
for example, trained staff will always be available to help members of the public to
escape routes), is unlikely to be acceptable to an enforcing authority other than in
the smallest and simplest of premises where the exits are in regular use and familiar to
staff and guests.

For a sign to comply with these Regulations it must be in pictogram form (see
Figure 10). The pictogram can be supplemented by text if this is considered
necessary to make the sign more easily understood, but you must not have a
safety sign that uses only text.

Where the locations of escape routes and firefighting equipment are readily apparent,
e.g. in a hotel foyer, and the firefighting equipment is visible at all times, then signs
are not necessary. In all other situations it is likely that the fire risk assessment will
indicate that signs will be necessary.

Figure 10: Typical fire exit sign

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 Notices
Notices must be used, where
necessary, to provide the following:
• instructions on how to use any
fire safety equipment;
• the actions to be taken in the
event of fire; and
• help for the fire and rescue service
(e.g. location of sprinkler valves
or electrical cut-off switches).

All signs and notices should be

positioned so that they can be easily
Figure 11: Simple fire action notice
seen and understood.

Further guidance on signs and notices is given in Part 2, Section 6.

Checklist
• Where necessary are escape routes and exits, the locations of firefighting
equipment and emergency telephones indicated by appropriate signs?
• Have you provided notices such as those giving information on how to
operate security devices on exit doors, those indicating doors enclosing
fire hazards that must be kept shut and fire action notices for staff and
other people?
• Are you maintaining all the necessary signs and notices so that they continue
to be correct, legible and understood?
• Are you maintaining signs that you have provided for the information of the fire
and rescue service, such as those indicating the location of water suppression
stop valves and the storage of hazardous substances?

3.4.6 Installation, testing and maintenance

New fire precautions should be installed by a competent person.

You must keep any existing equipment, devices or facilities that are provided in
your premises for the safety of people, such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers, lighting,
signs, fire exits and fire doors, in effective working order and maintain separating
elements designed to prevent fire and smoke entering escape routes.

You must ensure regular checks, periodic servicing and maintenance are carried
out whatever the size of your premises and any defects are put right as quickly
as possible.

You, or a person you have nominated, can carry out certain checks and routine
maintenance work. Further maintenance may need to be carried out by a

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 competent service engineer. Where contractors are used, third party certification

Part 1 •
is one method where a reasonable assurance of quality of work and competence
can be achieved (see Part 2, Section 8).

Fire risk assessment

The following are examples of checks and tests that should be carried out. The
examples of testing and maintenance given are not intended to be prescriptive and
other testing regimes may be appropriate.

Daily checks
Check escape routes to ensure they are clear from obstructions and combustible
materials. Ensure that doors on escape routes swing freely, close fully and are in
a good state of repair. Where security devices are fitted to fire exits, these should
be checked for correct operation. Check the fire alarm panel to ensure the system
is active and fully operational. Where practicable, visually check that emergency
lighting units are in good repair and working. Check that all safety signs and
notices are legible. (See Appendix B3 for more details on bolts, padlocks and
security devices.)

Weekly tests and checks

Test fire detection and warning systems and manually operated warning devices
weekly following the manufacturer’s or installer’s instructions. Check the batteries
of safety torches and that fire extinguishers and hose reels are correctly located
and in apparent working order. Fire pumps and standby diesel engines should be
tested for 30 minutes each week.

Monthly tests and checks

Test all emergency lighting systems and safety torches to make sure they have
enough charge and illumination according to the manufacturer’s or supplier’s
instructions. This should be at an appropriate time when, following the test, they
will not be immediately required.

Check that fire doors are in good working order and closing correctly and that the
frames and seals are intact.

Six-monthly tests and checks

A competent person should test and maintain the fire-detection and warning
system and emergency lighting.

Annual tests and checks

All firefighting equipment, fire alarms and other installed systems should be tested
and maintained by a competent person.

All structural fire protection and elements of fire compartmentation should

be inspected and any remedial action carried out. Specific guidance on the
maintenance of timber fire-resisting doors is given in Appendix B2.

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 Appendix A.1 provides an example of a fire safety maintenance checklist. You will
find it useful to keep a log book of all maintenance and testing.

Further guidance on maintenance and testing is given in the relevant Section of Part 2.

Checklist
• Do you regularly check all fire doors and escape routes and associated
lighting and signs?
• Do you regularly check all your firefighting equipment?
• Do you regularly check your fire-detection and alarm equipment?
• Are those who test and maintain the equipment competent to do so?
• Do you keep a log book to record tests and maintenance?

Step 3 Checklist
Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risks by:
• Evaluating the risk to people in your building if a fire starts
• Removing or reducing the hazards that might cause a fire
Have you:
– Removed or reduced sources of ignition?
– Removed or reduced sources of fuel?
– Removed or reduced sources of air or oxygen?
Have you removed or reduced the risks to people if a fire occurs by:
– Considering the need for fire detection and for warning?
– Considering the need for firefighting equipment?
– Determining whether your escape routes are adequate?
– Determining whether your lighting and emergency lighting are adequate?
– Checking that you have adequate signs and notices?
– Regularly testing and maintaining safety equipment?
– Considering whether you need any other equipment or facilities?

STEP 4 RECORD, PLAN, INFORM, INSTRUCT AND TRAIN

In Step 4 there are four further elements of the risk assessment you should focus
on to address the management of fire safety in your premises. In some premises
with simple layouts this could be done as part of the day-to-day management,
however, as the premises or the organisation get larger it may be necessary for a
formal structure and written policy to be developed. Further guidance on managing
fire safety is given in Part 2, Section 7 on page 41.
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 4.1 Record the significant findings and action taken

Part 1 •
If you or your organisation employ five or more people, your premises are licensed,
or an alterations notice requiring you to do so is in force, you must record the
significant findings of your fire risk assessment and the actions you have taken.

Fire risk assessment

Significant findings should include details of:
• The fire hazards you have identified (you don’t need to include trivial things like a
tin of solvent based glue).
• The actions you have taken or will take to remove or reduce the chance of
a fire occurring (preventive measures).
• Persons who may be at risk, particularly those especially at risk.
• The actions you have taken or will take to reduce the risk to people from the
spread of fire and smoke (protective measures).
• The actions people need to take in case of fire including details of any persons
nominated to carry out a particular function (your emergency plan).
• The information, instruction and training you have identified that people need
and how it will be given.

You may also wish to record discussions you have had with staff or staff
representatives (including trade unions).

Even where you are not required to record the significant findings, it is good
practice to do so.

In some simple premises, record keeping may be no more than a few sheets
of paper (possibly forming part of a health and safety folder), containing details
of significant findings, any action taken and a copy of the emergency plan.

The record could take the form of a simple list which may be supported by
a simple plan of the premises (see Figure 12).

In more complex premises, it is best to keep a dedicated record including

details of significant findings, any action taken, a copy of the emergency plan,
maintenance of fire-protection equipment and training. There is no one ‘correct’
format specified for this. Further guidance is given in Part 2, Section 7.1.

You must be able to satisfy the enforcing authority, if called upon to do so,
that you have carried out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. Keeping
records will help you do this and will also form the basis of your subsequent
reviews. If you keep records, you do not need to record all the details, only
those that are significant and the action you have taken.

It might be helpful to include a simple line drawing to illustrate your precautions

(Figure 12). This can also help you check your fire precautions as part of your
ongoing review.

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 Garden Shed

1 Electrical equipment Laundry

5 Room 6
2 Gas fire
8 Store
3 Deep fat fryer E
4 Shredder & photocopiers E
1 1
5 Boiler
6 Petrol can for lawnmower Kitchen Dining Room
7 Computers & paper
1
8 Dryers & washing machines SC 3 SC

4 Office
Lounge 2
7

Break glass call point

Emergency escape SC E E
lighting
Ground floor
Automatic fire detection
E Exit sign Bathroom Bedroom
9 litre water gas
type fire extinguisher Bedroom SC
Lounge Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom
9 Kg dry powder
type fire extinguisher
Fire blanket Bedroom SC SC SC SC SC
Automatic suppression E E
system
SC SC SC SC SC SC
Fire warning device
Table
Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom Bedroom
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing First floor

Figure 12: Example of a line drawing showing general fire safety precautions

The findings of your fire risk assessment will help you to develop your emergency
plan, the instruction, information and training you need to provide, the co-operation
and co-ordination arrangements you may need to have with other responsible
people and the arrangements for maintenance and testing of the fire precautions.
If you are required to record the significant findings of your fire risk assessment
then these arrangements must also be recorded.

Further guidance about fire safety records with an example is given in Part 2, Section 7.1.

Checklist
• Have you recorded the significant findings of your assessment?
• Have you recorded what you have done to remove or reduce the risk?
• Are your records available for inspection by the enforcing authority?

4.2 Emergency plans

You need to have an emergency plan for dealing with any fire situation.

The purpose of an emergency plan is to ensure that people know what to do if

there is a fire and that the premises can be safely evacuated.

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 If you or your organisation employ five or more people, or your premises are

Part 1 •
licensed or an alterations notice requiring it is in force, then details of your
emergency plan must be recorded. Even if it is not required, it is good practice
to keep a record.

Fire risk assessment

Your emergency plan should be based on the outcome of your fire risk assessment
and be available for your employees, their representatives (where appointed) and
the enforcing authority.

In simple premises the emergency plan may be no more than a fire action notice.

In multi-occupied and more complex premises, the emergency plan will need
to be more detailed and compiled only after consultation with other responsible
people, e.g. owners, who have control over the building. In most cases this
means that an emergency plan covering the whole building will be necessary.
It will help if you can agree on one person to co-ordinate this task.

Further guidance on emergency plans is given in Part 2, Section 7.2.

Checklist
• Do you have an emergency plan and, where necessary, have you
recorded the details?
• Does your plan take account of other emergency plans applicable
in the builiding?
• Is the plan readily available for staff to read?
• Is the emergency plan available to the enforcing authority?

4.3 Inform, instruct, co-operate and co-ordinate

You must give clear and relevant information and appropriate instructions to your
staff and the employers of other people working in your premises, such as contractors,
about how to prevent fires and what they should do if there is a fire.

If you intend to employ a child, you must inform the parents of the significant risks
you have identified and the precautions you have taken. You must also co-operate
and co-ordinate with other responsible people who use any part of the premises.
It is unlikely that your emergency plan will work without this.

Information and instruction

All staff should be given information and instruction as soon as possible after
they are appointed and regularly after that. Make sure you include staff who work
outside normal working hours, such as night staff, contract cleaners or
maintenance staff.

All other relevant persons should be given information about the fire safety
arrangements as soon as possible, e.g. residents when they take up residency,
guests when they register e.g. draw attention to the fire action notices in bedrooms.

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 The information and instructions you give must be in a form that can be used and
understood. They should take account of those with disabilities such as hearing or
sight impairment, those with learning difficulties and those who do not use English
as their first language.

The information and instruction you give staff should be based on your emergency
plan and must include:
• the significant findings from your fire risk assessment;
• the measures that you have put in place to reduce the risk;
• what staff should do if there is a fire;
• the identity of people you have nominated with responsibilities for fire safety; and
• any special arrangements for serious and imminent danger to persons from fire.
In simple premises, where no significant risks have been identified and there
are limited numbers of guest/residents, information and instruction may simply
involve an explanation of the fire procedures and how they are to be applied.
This should include showing staff the fire-protection arrangements, including the
designated escape routes, the location and operation of the fire-warning system
and any other fire safety equipment provided, such as fire extinguishers. Fire
action notices can complement this information and, where used, should be
posted in prominent locations.

In complex premises, particularly those in multi-occupied buildings, you should

ensure that written instructions are given to people who have been nominated to
carry out a designated safety task, such as calling the fire and rescue service or
checking that exit doors are available for use.

Further guidance on information and instruction to staff, and on working with

dangerous substances is given in Part 2, Section 7.3.

Co-operation and co-ordination

In premises that are not multi-occupied you are likely to be solely responsible.
However, in buildings owned by someone else, or where there is more than one
occupier, and others are responsible for different parts of the building, it is
important that you liaise with them and inform them of any significant risks that
you have identified. By liaising you can co-ordinate your resources to ensure that
your actions and working practices do not place others at risk if there is a fire,
and a co-ordinated emergency plan operates effectively.

Where two or more responsible persons share premises in which an explosive

atmosphere may occur, the responsible person with overall responsibility for the
premises must co-ordinate any measures necessary to protect everyone from any
risk that may arise. Employees also have a responsibility to co-operate with their
employer so far as it is necessary to help the employer comply with any legal duty.

Further guidance on co-operation and co-ordination is given in Part 2, Section 7.3.

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 Part 1 •
Checklist
• Have you told your staff about the emergency plan, including the
identity of people you have nominated to do a particular task?

Fire risk assessment

• Have you informed residents and guests about what to do in an emergency?
• Have you given staff information about any dangerous substances?
• Do you have arrangements for informing temporary or agency staff?
• Do you have arrangement for informing other employers whose staff are guest
workers in your premises, such as maintenance contractors and cleaners?
• Have you co-ordinated your fire safety arrangements with other responsible
people and with any contractors in the building?
• Have you recorded details of any information or instructions you have given and
the details of any arrangements for co-operation and co-ordination with others?

4.4 Fire safety training

You must provide adequate fire safety training for your staff. The type of training
should be based on the particular features of your premises including any ancillary
accommodation and should:
• take account of the findings of the fire risk assessment;
• explain your emergency procedures;
• take account of the work activity and explain the duties and responsibilities of staff;
• take place during normal working hours and be repeated periodically where
appropriate;
• be easily understandable by your staff and other people who may be present;
• address the roles of staff and others (guest, residents); and
• be tested by fire drills.

In simple premises, e.g. small hostel, this may be no more than showing new
staff and long term residents the fire exits and giving basic training on what to
do if there is a fire. In complex premises, such as hotels with a high staff turnover
and shift patterns, the organisation of fire safety training will need to be more
formal, e.g. by an induction course.

Your staff training should include the following:

• what to do on discovering a fire;
• how to raise the alarm and what happens then;
• what to do upon hearing the fire alarm;
• the procedures for alerting guest, residents and visitors including, where
appropriate, directing them to exits;

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 • the arrangements for calling the fire and rescue service;
• the evacuation procedures for everyone to reach an assembly point at a place
of total safety;
• the location and, when appropriate, the use of firefighting equipment;
• the location of escape routes, especially those not in regular use;
• how to open all emergency exit doors;
• the importance of keeping fire doors closed to prevent the spread of fire,
heat and smoke;
• where appropriate, how to stop machines and processes and isolate power
supplies in the event of a fire;
• the reason for not using lifts (except those specifically installed or nominated,
following a suitable fire risk assessment);
• the safe use of and risks from storing or working with highly flammable and
explosive substances; and
• the importance of general fire safety, which includes good housekeeping.

All the staff identified in your emergency plan that have a supervisory role if there is
a fire (eg heads of department, fire marshals or wardens and, in complex premises,
fire parties or teams), should be given details of your fire risk assessment and
receive additional training.

Further guidance on training and how to carry out a fire drill is given in Part 2, Section
7.4.
Checklist
• Have your staff received any fire safety training?
• Have you carried out a fire drill recently?
• Are employees aware of specific tasks if there is a fire?
• Are you maintaining a record of training sessions?
• Do you carry out joint training and fire drills in multi-occupied buildings?
• If you use or store hazardous or explosive substances have your staff
received appropriate training?

STEP 5 REVIEW

You should constantly monitor what you are doing to implement the fire risk
assessment, to assess how effectively the risk is being controlled.

If you have any reason to suspect that your fire risk assessment is no longer valid
or there has been a significant change in your premises that has affected your fire

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 precautions, you will need to review your assessment and if necessary revise it.

Part 1 •
Reasons for review could include:
• change of use, e.g. hotel to hostel or hall of residence to residential conference centre;

Fire risk assessment

• changes to work activities or the way that you organise them, including the
introduction of new equipment;
• alterations to the building, including the internal layout;
• substantial changes to furniture and fixings;
• the introduction, change of use or increase in the storage of hazardous
substances;
• the failure of fire precautions, e.g. fire-detection systems and alarm systems,
life safety sprinklers or ventilation systems;
• problems reported by staff and/or residents;
• significant changes to displays or quantities of stock;
• a significant increase in the number of people present; and
• the presence of people with some form of disability.

You should consider the potential risk of any significant change before it is introduced.
It is usually more effective to minimise a risk by, for example, ensuring adequate,
appropriate storage space for an item before introducing it to your premises.

Do not amend your assessment for every trivial change, but if a change introduces
new hazards you should consider them and, if significant, do whatever you need to
do to keep the risks under control. In any case you should keep your assessment
under review to make sure that the precautions are still working effectively. You
may want to re-examine the fire prevention and protection measures at the same
time as your health and safety assessment.

If a fire or ‘near miss’ occurs, this could indicate that your existing assessment
may be inadequate and you should carry out a re-assessment. It is good practice
to identify the cause of any incident and then review and, if necessary, revise your
fire risk assessment in the light of this.

Records of testing, maintenance and training etc. are useful aids in a review
process. See Appendix A.1 for an example.

Alterations notices
If you have been served with an ‘alterations notice’ check it to see whether you
need to notify the enforcing authority about any changes you propose to make
as a result of your review. If these changes include building work, you should also
consult a building control body.

END OF PART 1

You should now have completed the five-step fire risk assessment process, using
the additional information in Part 2 where necessary. In any review you may need
to revisit Steps 1 to 4.
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 40

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 Part 2 Further guidance on fire risk

Part 2 •
assessment and fire precautions

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Managing fire safety You should have a plan of action to bring
together all the features you have evaluated
Good management of fire safety in your premises and noted from your fire risk assessment so
is essential to ensure that any fire safety matters that you can logically plan what needs to be
that arise are always effectively addressed. done. It should not be confused with the
In small premises this can be achieved by the emergency plan, which is a statement of what
manager or owner maintaining and planning you will do if there is a fire.
fire safety in conjunction with general health
and safety. The plan of action should include what you
intend to do to reduce the hazards and risks
In larger premises it is good practice for a you have identified and to implement the
senior manager to have overall responsibility necessary protection measures.
for fire safety. It may be appropriate for this
responsibility to be placed with the manager You will need to prioritise these actions to
designated with overall responsibility for health ensure that any findings which identify people
and safety. in immediate danger are dealt with straightaway.
In other cases where people are not in immediate
An organisation’s fire safety policy should be danger but action is still necessary, it may be
flexible enough to allow modification. This is acceptable to plan this over a period of time.
particularly important when local managers
have to function daily with other businesses The guidance in Part 2 provides additional
in the same building. It should be recognised information to:
that fire safety operates at all levels within • 
ensure good fire safety management by
an organisation and therefore local managers helping you establish your fire prevention
should be able to develop, where necessary, measures, fire precautions and fire safety
a local action plan for their premises. procedures (systems equipment and
plans); and
The company policy should be set out in
writing and may cover such things as: • 
assist you to carry out your fire safety risk
assessment and identify any issues that
• 
who will hold the responsibility for fire need attention.
safety at board level;
• 
who will be the responsible person for
each of their premises (this will be the
person who has overall control, usually
the manager);
• 
the arrangement whereby managers will,
where necessary, nominate in writing
specific people to carry out particular tasks
if there is a fire; and
• 
the arrangement whereby regional or area
managers should monitor and check that
individual managers are meeting the
requirements of the fire safety law.

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 Section 1 Further guidance on fire risks
and preventative measures

This section provides further information on In hotels, boarding houses and similar premises,
evaluating the risk of a fire and its prevention the nature of guests and their daily routine of
in your premises. You should spend time coming and going will require you to develop
developing long-term workable and effective adequate systems to manage the accumulation
strategies to reduce hazards and the risk of a of waste and laundry. The movement of clean
fire starting. At its simplest this means separating linen, old newspapers and spare or ‘put-me-up’
flammable materials from ignition sources. beds, should be controlled to ensure that the
premises are left in a safe condition, e.g. by
You should minimise fire hazards by avoiding temporary or permanent storage in
considering: escape routes.
• 
housekeeping;
In family group homes the need to avoid
• 
laundries; an institutional appearance will mean that
combustible material will often remain in the
• 
kitchen areas;
premises. However, such material should not
• 
storage; be allowed to accumulate in the escape routes
and this should form part of your considerations
• 
dangerous substances, storage, display
when carrying out the fire risk assessment.
and use;
• 
equipment and machinery; Waste material should be kept in suitable
containers prior to removal from the premises.
• 
electrical safety;
If bins, particularly wheeled bins, are used
• 
smoking; and outside they should be secured in a compound
to prevent them being moved to a position
• 
managing building work and alterations.
next to the building and set on fire (see Figure
13). Skips should never be placed against a
You should minimise risk to people by
building and should normally be a minimum of
considering:
6 metres away from any part of the premises.
• 
existing layout and construction;
Good housekeeping is essential to reduce the
• 
particular hazards in corridors and
chances of escape routes being blocked, see
stairways used as escape routes;
Part 2, Section 1.11.
• insulated core panels;
Escape routes need to be maintained free from
• 
restricting the spread of fire and smoke;
obstruction by items such as laundry, temporary
• 
arson; and storage of furniture, goods, materials, equipment,
large displays and rubbish. In particular fire
• 
help for people with special needs.
doors and final exits should be regularly
inspected to make sure that they are openable
and not obstructed. Seating areas should not be
1.1 Housekeeping provided within escape routes and floor surfaces
within escape routes should be maintainable,
The accumulation of combustible materials in even and slip-resistant.
premises that provide sleeping accommodation
should be carefully monitored. In higher risk areas you need to make sure
arrangements are in place for safe close down
e.g. checking all appliances are turned off and
combustible waste has been removed.

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 Figure 13: Bins under stairway (courtesy of 1.3 Kitchen areas

Part 2 •
Cheshire fire and rescue service)
In premises with extensive catering facilities
(e.g. a hotel), the cooking range should have

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

some form of automatic fire suppression
system and deep fat cooking equipment should
have thermostatic temperature control. In
smaller premises (e.g. a kitchen in a shared
house or a small bed and breakfast) a suitable
fire extinguisher and fire blanket should be
provided. Extractor ducting, grease traps and
filters should be regularly cleaned and
maintained. Isolation switches for gas and
electricity supplies, and any extractor fans
1.2 Laundries should be located near to an exit.
Laundries are a high risk area and are often Cooking equipment should never be left
located in the basement which means that any unattended. There are approximately 8,000
fire may affect the escape routes above. The chip pan fires every year.* In some premises,
use of laundry chutes provide a ready path for such as houses in multiple occupation and
smoke from any fire to travel throughout the hostels, you should consider prohibiting the
residential areas of the premises. Smoke and use of ‘open top chip pans’.
fire dampers within the laundry chute should
be automatically operated following activation Where guests/residents are allowed to use their
of fire detection devices within the chute. own equipment, or in self-catering accommodation
where facilities are provided, cooking should
Washing and drying machines should not only take place in designated areas and guest/
be loaded in excess of the manufacturer’s residents should be advised how to prevent
recommendations, exhaust filters should be any fire risks.
cleaned and maintenance carried out regularly.
Items such as cleaning cloths and mop heads Flambé cooking should be carried out in areas
placed in the dryers can spontaneously where the flames cannot ignite other
combust if there is any chemical residue combustible materials such as decorations.
left on them.

In situations where residents use facilities

provided (e.g. self-catering accommodation), 1.4 Storage
you need to inform residents of correct
procedures to prevent any fire risk. You can If your premises have inadequate or poorly
do this by installing signage in the laundry area. managed storage areas then the risk of fire is
likely to be increased (Figure 14). The more
Ironing equipment should be correctly used combustible materials you store the greater
and maintained. Where ironing equipment the source of fuel for a fire. Poorly arranged
is temporarily issued for use, e.g. in a hotel storage could prevent equipment such as
room, guests should be advised how to sprinklers working effectively.
prevent any fire risks.
Combustible materials are not just those generally
The laundry area should not be used for regarded as highly combustible, such as
storing miscellaneous combustible material. polystyrene, but all materials that will readily
catch fire, e.g. cleaning rags or artificial flower
displays. However, by carefully considering
the type of material, the quantities kept and
the storage arrangements, the risks can be
significantly reduced.

* Fire Statistics UK 2004: ODPM 2006.

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 Figure 14: An example of poor storage 1.5 Dangerous substances;
storage, display and use
Specific precautions are required when
handling and storing dangerous substances to
minimise the possibility of an incident. Your
supplier should be able to provide detailed
advice on safe storage and handling, however,
the following principles will help you reduce
the risk from fire:
• 
substitute highly flammable substances and
materials with less flammable ones;
• 
reduce the quantity of dangerous substances
to the smallest reasonable amount
necessary for running the business or
organisation;
• 
correctly store dangerous substances, e.g.
Do not pile combustible material against in a fire-resisting enclosure. All flammable
electrical equipment or heaters, even if turned liquids and gases should ideally be locked
off for the summer, and do not allow smoking away, especially when the premises are
in areas where combustible materials are stored. unoccupied, to reduce the chance of them
being used in an arson attack; and
To reduce the risk, store combustible materials • 
ensure that you and your employees are
such as baggage, linen and reserve furniture aware of the fire risk the dangerous
in a dedicated storeroom or cupboard that is substances present and the precautions
fire-resisting. Do not store material in escape necessary to avoid danger.
routes or areas where the public would usually
have access. Additional general fire precautions may be
needed to take account of the additional risks
Consider how combustibles are arranged. For that may be posed by the storage and use of
example large quantities of clothing on vertical these substances.
hangers would present a greater risk of rapid
fire development than clothing arranged Certain substances and materials are by
in a pile. their nature, highly flammable, oxidising or
potentially explosive. These substances are
Your fire risk assessment should also consider controlled by other legislation in addition to
any additional risk generated by seasonal fire safety law, in particular the Dangerous
products such as fireworks and Christmas Substances and Explosive Atmospheres
decorations. Regulations 20027 (also see the HSE’s Approved
Code of Practice and guidance 8).
Consider the following to reduce these risks:
• 
ensure you have sufficient storage areas for Flammable liquids
your needs; Highly flammable liquids present a particularly
high fire risk. For example, a leak from a container
• 
ensure storage and display areas are of flammable solvents, such as acetone, may
adequately controlled and monitored; produce large quantities of heavier-than-air
• 
use fire-retardant display materials flammable vapours. These can travel large
wherever possible (suppliers should be distances, increasing the likelihood of their
able to provide evidence of this); and reaching a source of ignition well away from the
original leak, such as a basement containing
• 
ensure electrical lighting used as part of heating plant and/or electrical equipment on
the display does not become a potential automatic timers.
source of ignition.
Flammable liquids stored in plastic containers
can be a particular problem if involved in fire

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 because they readily melt spilling their contents minimise the possibility of its involvement in

Part 2 •
and fuelling rapid fire growth. a fire. The total amount of LPG should be
kept to the minimum necessary to meet your
The risk is reduced by ensuring the storage needs. Where it is necessary to keep spare
and use of highly flammable liquids is carefully LPG cylinders in premises providing sleeping

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

managed, that materials contaminated with solvent accommodation, this should be limited to 15kg
are properly disposed of (Figure 15) and when in not more than 2 cylinders. These should be
not in use, they are safely stored. Up to 50 kept in a safe, secure and well ventilated place
litres may be stored in a fire-resisting cabinet where they cannot be interfered with; can be
or bin that will contain any leaks (Figure 16). kept upright (with valve protection fitted); are
away from sources of ignition and/or readily
Figure 15: A fire-resisting pedal bin for rags ignitable materials; and are away from any
corrosive, toxic or oxidant materials.

Where there are retail premises within the

building, holding LPG cylinders and cartridges,
the maximum stock should not exceed 70kg.

Stock in excess of 15kg should be in a properly

designed and located storage area away from
the premises, or in a building that is dedicated
for LPG. Advice on the use of LPG for heating
is given Section 1.6.

Bulk storage tanks for LPG should be designed,

installed and located in accordance with
industry guidance.

Further guidance on the safe storage of LPG is

available from your supplier or the Liquefied
Petroleum Gas Association’s Code of Practice.9
Figure 16: A 50 litre storage bin for flammables
Aerosols
Some aerosol cans contain flammable products
stored at pressure and can present a high
hazard. When ignited, they can explode,
Half-hour
fire-resistant exterior
Non-combustible,
high melting point hinges
produce fireballs and rocket to distances of
40m. Their presence can make it unsafe for
firefighters to enter a building and they have
the potential for starting multiple fires.

Bonded/fire stopped junction The following should be considered to reduce

Maximum 50 litres total
these risks:

• 
All staff involved in the use and storage
There should be no potential ignition sources of flammable aerosol cans should be aware
in areas where flammable liquids are used or of the potential fire hazard.
stored and flammable concentrations of
• 
Damaged and leaking aerosol can­s should
vapours or dusts may be present. Any electrical
be removed immediately to a safe, secure,
equipment used in these areas, including fire
well ventilated place prior to disposal.
alarm and emergency lighting systems, needs
to be suitable for use in flammable atmospheres. • 
Segregation of stocks of aerosols from
In such situations, you should seek advice other items, where possible in a fire-
from a competent person. resisting enclosure or by caging.
• 
Cleaning and other staff should be made
LPG Storage and use
aware of the potential dangers of aerosol
Where LPG in cylinders or cartridges is canisters and the need for their safe disposal.
present, you need to take particular care to

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 Hazardous materials • 
Heaters which burn a fuel should be sited
Where it is necessary to use hazardous materials, away from draughts.
such as fuels (whether in containers or within
fuel tanks and machinery), fertilisers, weed
• 
Portable fuel burning heaters (including
bottled gas (LPG)) should only be used in
killers, paints or gas cylinders used for medical
public areas in exceptional circumstances
purposes, they should be stored in a secure
and if shown to be acceptable in your risk
and safe location, for example a properly
assessment.
ventilated fire-resisting storeroom. Care should
also be taken to ensure that incompatible
All gas heating appliances should be used only
materials are not stored together. If in any
in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions
doubt you should seek the advice of your supplier.
and should be serviced annually by a
competent person.

1.6 Equipment and machinery In general, residents/guest/staff should be

discouraged from bringing in their own portable
Common causes of fire in equipment are: heaters, into the premises. The use of boiler
• 
allowing ventilation points to become rooms to store combustible materials should
clogged or blocked, causing overheating, be avoided.
e.g. driers;
• 
inadequate cleaning of equipment, such as
fryers and toasters;
1.7 Electrical safety
• 
allowing extraction equipment in catering Electrical equipment is a significant cause of
environments to build up excessive grease accidental fires. The main causes are:
deposits;
• 
overheating cables and equipment e.g. due
• 
disabling or interfering with automatic or to overloading circuits, bunched or coiled
manual safety features and cut-outs; and cables or impaired cooling fans;
• 
leaking valves, glands or joints allowing • 
overheating cables and equipment due to
oils and other flammable liquids to equipment left on, e.g. irons, kettles,
contaminate adjacent floors or goods. electric blankets;

A competent person should adequately and

• 
incorrect installation or use of equipment;
regularly maintain machinery, equipment and • 
damaged or inadequate insulation on
plant, including cooking appliances and cables or wiring;
heating equipment. Appropriate signs and
instructions on safe use may be necessary.
• 
combustible materials being placed too
close to electrical equipment which may
give off heat even when operating
Heating
normally or may become hot due to a
Individual heating appliances require particular
fault, e.g. trouser presses in wardrobes;
care if they are to be used safely, particularly
those which are kept for emergency use during • 
arcing or sparking by electrical equipment;
a power cut or as supplementary heating and
during severe weather. The greatest risks arise
from lack of maintenance and staff unfamiliarity
• 
lack of maintenance or testing.
with them. Heaters should be secured in position
All electrical equipment should be installed and
when in use and fitted with a fire guard if
maintained in a safe manner by a competent
appropriate.
person. If portable electrical equipment is used,
including items brought into a workplace by
As a general rule, convector or fan heaters
staff, then your fire risk assessment should
should be preferred to radiant heaters because
ensure that it is visually inspected and
they present a lower risk of fire and injury.
undergoes portable appliance testing (‘PAT’) at
The following rules should be observed:
intervals suitable for the type of equipment and
• 
All heaters should be kept well clear of its frequency of use (refer to HSE guidance10).
combustible materials and where they do If you have any doubt about the safety of your
not cause an obstruction. electrical installation then you should consult a
competent electrician.

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 Issues to consider include: being used. Empty all ashtrays daily into a metal

Part 2 •
waste bin and take it outside. It is dangerous
• 
overloading of equipment,
to empty ashtrays into plastic waste sacks
• 
correct fuse ratings; which are then left inside for disposal later.

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

• 
PAT testing and testing of the fixed
installation;
1.9 Managing building work and
• 
protection against overloading of
installation;
alterations
• 
protection against short circuit; Fires are more frequent when buildings are
undergoing refurbishment or alteration.
• 
insulation, earthing and electrical isolation
requirements;
You should ensure that, before any building
• 
frequency of electrical inspection and test; work starts, you have reviewed the fire risk
assessment and considered what additional
• 
temperature rating and mechanical strength
dangers are likely to be introduced. You will
of flexible cables;
need to evaluate the additional risks to people,
• 
portable electrical equipment, including particularly in those buildings that continue to
lanterns; be occupied. Lack of pre-planning can lead to
haphazard co-ordination of fire safety measures.
• 
physical environment in which the
equipment is used (e.g. wet or dusty
You should liaise and exchange information
atmospheres); and
with contractors who will also have a duty
• 
suitable use and maintenance of personal under the Construction (Health, Safety and
protective equipment. Welfare) Regulations 199611,12 to carry out a risk
assessment and inform you of their significant
All electrical installations should be regularly findings and the preventive measures they may
inspected by a competent electrical engineer employ. This may be supported by the
appointed by you, or on your behalf, in contractors’ agreed work method statement.
accordance with the Electricity at Work The designer should also have considered fire
Regulations 1989 (EAW Regulations).49 The use safety as part of the Construction (Design and
of low voltage equipment should conform to Management) regulations 1994 (The CDM
the requirements of the Electrical Equipment Regulations).51
(Safety) Regulations 1994,50 including the
requirement to be CE marked. You should continuously monitor the impact
of the building work on the general fire safety
precautions, such as the increased risk from
1.8 Smoking quantities of combustible materials and
accumulated waste and maintaining adequate
Carelessly discarded cigarettes and other means of escape. You should only allow the
smoking materials are a major cause of fire. minimum materials necessary for the work in
A cigarette can smoulder for several hours, hand within or adjacent to your building.
especially when surrounded by combustible
material. Many fires are started several hours Additional risks can include:
after the smoking materials have been emptied • 
hot work such as flame cutting, soldering,
into waste bags and left for future disposal. welding or including paint stripping;

Consider operating a safe smoking policy • 

temporary electrical equipment;
in designated smoking areas and prohibit • 
blocking of escape routes including
smoking elsewhere. Display suitable signs external escape routes;
throughout the premises informing people
of the smoking policy and the locations • 
introduction of combustibles into an
where smoking is permitted. escape route;
• 
loss of normal storage facilities;
In those areas where smoking is permitted,
provide non-combustible deep and substantial • 
fire safety equipment, such as automatic
ashtrays to help prevent unsuitable containers fire-detection systems becoming affected;

47

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 • 
fire-resisting partitions being breached buildings will have more void areas, possibly
or fire doors being wedged open (see hidden from view, which will allow smoke and
Appendix B1 for information on fire- fire to spread away from its source. Whatever
resisting separation); and your type of building, you may need to
consider typical situations that may assist the
• 
additional personnel who may be
spread of fire and smoke such as:
unfamiliar with the premises.
• 
vertical shafts, e.g. lifts, open stairways,
Activities such as welding, flame cutting, use of linen and waste chutes and dumb waiters;
blow lamps or portable grinding equipment
• 
false ceilings, especially if they are not fire-
can pose a serious fire hazard and need to be
stopped above walls;
strictly controlled when carried out in areas
near flammable materials. This can be done by • 
voids behind wall panelling;
having a written permit to work for the people
• 
unsealed holes in walls and ceilings where
involved (whether they are your staff or those
pipe work, cables or other services have
of the contractor).
been installed;
A permit to work is appropriate in situations of • 
doors, particularly to stairways, which are
high hazard/risk and, for example, where there ill-fitting or routinely left open; and
is a need to:
• 
storage under stairs.
• 
ensure that there is a formal check
confirming that a safe system of work is
being followed; 1.11 Particular hazards in
• 
co-ordinate with other people or activities; corridors and stairways used as
• 
provide time limits when it is safe to carry escape routes
out the work;
Items that are a source of fuel, pose an ignition
• 
provide specialised personal protective risk, or are combustible and likely to increase
equipment (such as breathing apparatus) or the fire loading or spread of fire, should not be
methods of communication; and located on any corridor or stairway or circulation
• 
check that contractors have a policy in space that will be used as an escape route.
place with respect to a smouldering fire. Such items include:
You should inspect areas before each night. • 
portable heaters, e.g. bottled gas (LPG)
or electric radiant heaters and electric
Further guidance on fire safety during convectors or boilers;
construction work is given by the HSE52,53 and
the Fire Protection Association.54 • 
gas cylinders for supplying heaters;
• 
cooking appliances; and
• 
unenclosed gas pipes, meters, and other
1.10 Existing layout and fittings.
construction
However, depending on the findings of your
Traditionally, occupants are advised to shut risk assessment and, where more than one
doors when escaping from a fire but in open- escape route is available, items such as those
plan areas there are few doors to shut. In these below may be acceptable if the minimum exit
areas the fire, and especially the smoke, may widths are maintained and the item presents a
spread faster than expected. relatively low fire risk:

To assess the risk in your premises you need • 

non-combustible lockers;
to evaluate the construction and layout of your • 
vending machines;
building. This does not mean a structural
survey, unless you suspect that the structure • 
small items of electrical equipment
is damaged or any  structural fire protection is (e.g. photocopiers); and
missing or damaged, but rather an informed • small coat racks and/or small quantities of
look around to see if there are any easy paths upholstered furniture which meets BS 717658
through which smoke and fire may spread and or the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire)
what you can do to stop that. In general, older (Safety) Regulations 1988.85

48

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 1.12 Insulated core panels The use of combustible panels in areas of

Part 2 •
buildings with a high life risk, e.g. where large
Many buildings have insulated core panels as numbers of people are present, should be
exterior cladding or for internal structures and carefully considered. Your fire risk assessment
may need to be revised to ensure that any

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

partitions (Figure 17). Insulated core panels
are used because they are easily constructed, increased risk resulting from this type of
which enables alterations and additional construction is considered.
internal partitions to be erected with minimum
disruption to business. The panels should be installed by a competent
person in accordance with industry guidance.
They normally consist of a central insulated
core, sandwiched between an inner and outer Guidance on the design, construction,
metal skin, normally coated with PVC covering. specification and fire management of insulated
The central core can be made of various core panels has been published by the
insulating materials, ranging from virtually non- International Association of Cold Storage
combustible through to highly combustible. Contractors.57
Fire can grow unnoticed in the core and only
become apparent when it is well developed.
1.13 Restricting the spread of fire
Figure 17: Insulated core panel – internal and smoke
To reduce the risk to people if there is a fire,
you need to consider how to control or restrict
the spread of fire and smoke. The majority of
people who die in fires are overcome by the
smoke and gases.

It is important to ensure that, in the event of

fire, the rate of fire growth is restricted in its
early stages. It should also be noted that most
measures which restrict the rate of fire growth
in its early stages will also serve to restrict the
It is difficult to identify the type of core the fire spread in its later stages.
panels have, therefore best practice can help
you reduce any additional risk: Combustible contents
• 
Do not store highly combustible materials, The use of flame-retardant materials will
or install heating appliances, such as substantially reduce the fire risk. Your premises
baking ovens, against the panels. may contain a range of materials and could
include:
• 
Control ignition sources that are adjacent
to, or penetrating the panels. • 
mattresses, bedding, furnishings,
upholstered furniture and cushions;
• 
Have damaged panels or sealed joints
repaired immediately and make sure that • 
curtains, drapes and other textile hangings;
jointing compounds or gaskets used around • 
resident/guest display material on walls; and
the edges of the panels are in
good order. • 
promotional and seasonal festival displays.

• 
Check where openings have been made Furniture and furnishings used in domestic
for doors, windows, cables and ducts that premises (including any supplied by the
these have been effectively sealed and the owners or landlords or any that are brought in
inner core has not been exposed. by residents) must comply with the Furniture
• 
Ensure there has been no mechanical and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations
damage, e.g. caused by mobile equipment. 1988, as amended 1989 and 1993.85

• 
Ensure that loads, such as storage and The Regulations cover the ignitability
equipment, are supported by such panels characteristics of the materials used and
only if they have been designed and include requirements for labelling. The
installed to perform this function. following items which contain upholstery
are covered by the regulations:
49

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 • 
beds, headboards, pillows, mattresses and • 
resistance to ignition of upholstered
sofa beds; furniture for non-domestic use: BS 717658
• 
nursery furniture, garden furniture (which • 
flammability of fabrics for curtains and drapes
can be used indoors); (including nets and linings): BS 5867-260
• 
furniture in new caravans; and • 
burning behaviour (ignitability and flame
spread) of curtains and drapes: BS EN 1101
• 
scatter cushions, seat pads, and loose and
(ignitability)87 and BS EN 1102 (flame spread).88
stretch covers.
Note: For all the above standards equivalent
The Regulations require such products to be able
European classification standards, where
to pass fire tests specified in certain standards
available, may also be used.
and, in some cases, for the products to be labelled.
You may need to consider the need for ceiling
Where doubt exists about the fire performance
linings and other hanging textiles to be fire
of a product or material you should consider
retardant. Care is also needed on the selection
asking for a copy of the test certificate that can
of decorative finishes and multi-layer
show compliance with the appropriate standard
decorative systems, e.g. wall papers and oil
required by the Regulations.
based paints.
In some premises, e.g. HMOs and hostels,
If you provide accommodation specially for
you should consider prohibiting residents from
children (e.g. a children’s hostel) any toys used
bringing in their own furniture, beds etc., if
must meet the essential requirement for
it does not meet the above Regulations.
flammability under the Toy’s (Safety)
Regulations 1995.77
Further guidance on the Regulations is
available from the DTI at www.dti.gov.uk or
Display materials and decorations
from your local Trading Standards department.
Displays are often located in corridors and
in entrance foyers, and generally comprise
Ideally, the use of furnishings, beds and
materials such as paper, cardboard and plastic
bedding, and synthetic materials which are
which provide a means for the rapid spread of
easily ignited or have rapid spread of flame
fire. You should evaluate what material could
characteristics should be avoided wherever
ignite first and what would cause the fire to
possible in all other premises to which this
develop and spread, and assess how materials
guide applies. If such materials are present,
used in temporary or permanent displays
this should be taken into account when
would interact with surface linings and position
determining the level of fire precautions in
them accordingly. To reduce the risk of fire
the premises.
spread, you should consider the following:
Note: Soft furnishings treated with flame- • 
avoid the use of displays in corridors
retardant treatments may have a limited ‘wash and foyers;
life’ before the effectiveness of the flame-
• 
minimise the size and number of display
retardant is diminished. To maintain the protection,
areas to discrete, separated areas (e.g.
you should follow the manufacturer’s/supplier’s
along a corridor);
instructions. If you are in any doubt about the
flame retardant treatment of any product you • 
treat displays with proprietary flame-
should seek confirmation from the supplier that retardant sprays;
the items have been tested for flammability by
• 
the use of display boxes;
a UKAS* accredited organisation.
• 
keep displays away from curtains, light
Specifications for the fire performance and fittings and heaters;
testing of furniture and furnishings can be
• 
keep displays away from ceiling voids
found in the following standards:
which may lack fire barriers; and
• 
ignitability of upholstered furniture
• 
ensure that there are no ignition sources
(including composites of cover material
in the vicinity.
and infill) and loose covers: BS 585286
• 
resistance to ignition of mattresses, divans Caravans and tents
and bed bases: BS 717759 Fire can spread rapidly between caravans and
between tents, if they are too close. Safe
50 * United Kingdom Accreditation Service. www.ukas.com

9281 SA Part 2 v0_2.indd 50 26/01/2015 11:03

 separation distances between units should be If your building has smoke vents fitted, or any

Part 2 •
applied, e.g. 6m spacing for park homes. other form of smoke control, then you may
Further guidance on caravan and tent fire need to seek advice from someone who is
precautions can be found in BS 5576,80 circular competent in such systems. Further information
14/89 Model Standards81 and BRE IP 15/91.82 on smoke control can be found from CIBSE

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Guide E67 or from the BRE.68
Fire-resisting structures
Many buildings are divided into different areas Ventilation systems
by fire doors and fire-resisting walls and floors. Where ventilation systems might assist the
These are partly designed to keep a fire within spread of flames, smoke and hot gases from a
one area, giving people more time to escape. fire it will be necessary to take steps to safe
You will need to identify which doors, walls guard the means of escape against this hazard.
and floors in your building are fire-resisting.
There may be information available from when Sprinklers
the building was built, if alterations have been In some premises there may be a sprinkler
made, or from a previously held fire certificate. system. Sprinkler systems are designed to restrict
the spread of fire by suppressing the fire.
High-risk areas (e.g. extensive catering facilities Further guidance is available in Part 2, Section 3.2.
such as a hotel kitchen) should be separated
from the rest of the premises by 30-minute fire-
resisting construction. 1.14 Arson
Normally if there are fire doors in a wall, then Recent studies indicate that over 2,100 serious
the wall itself will also need to be fire-resisting. deliberately set fires, resulting in two deaths
(See Appendix B1 for more technical information and 55 injuries, occur every week. In premises
about fire-resisting wall and doors.) If a wall or used for sleeping accommodation it is
floor is required to be fire-resisting then you estimated that 24% of all fires are deliberately
should not make any holes in it, e.g. for extra set.**51 All premises can be targeted either
doors or pipe ducts, without consulting deliberately or just because they offer easy access.
a competent person.
Be aware of other small, deliberately set fires
If your premises are of CLASP* type construction, in the locality, which can indicate an increased
the installation of appropriately installed cavity risk to your premises. Be suspicious of any
barriers to fire-resisting walls, floors and roof small ‘accidental’ fires on the premises and
spaces will generally be required to restrict the investigate them fully and record your findings.
spread of fire and smoke. If you are in any doubt
as to whether any remedial work will be required, Fires started deliberately can be particularly
then ask for advice from a competent person. dangerous because they generally develop
much faster and may be intentionally started
Smoke control in escape routes. Of all the risk-reduction
In more complex buildings, such as modern measures, the most benefit may come from
hotels and flats, there may be some form of efforts to reduce the threat from arson.
smoke control provided for the safety of the
occupants and to assist firefighting (e.g. Smoke Measures to reduce arson may include the
and Heat Exhaust Ventilation Systems (SHEVS)). following:
These systems are designed to restrict the
spread of fire and smoke usually by venting the • 
ensure the outside of the premises is well
heat and smoke through the roof or via other lit and, if practical, secure the perimeter of
routes to outside. Low level inlet air is essential the premises;
for the operation of SHEVS and all openings for • 
thoroughly secure all entry points to the
this purpose should not be obstructed. premises, including windows and the roof, but
make sure that this does not compromise
Special down-stands may have been installed people’s ability to use the escape routes;
to create a reservoir which will contain the smoke
and hot gases at roof level, while vents allow • 
make sure you regularly remove all
the smoke to escape. It is important that any combustible rubbish;
smoke can flow easily into the reservoirs and • 
do not place rubbish skips adjacent to the
that nothing which could cause an obstruction, e.g. building and secure waste bins in a
large advertising displays, is fixed near the vents. compound separated from the building;
*C
 onsortium of Local Authorities Special Programme: www.clasp.gov. ** Fire Statistics UK, 2004, ODPM: 2006. 51
uk

9281 SA Part 2 v0_2.indd 51 26/01/2015 11:03

 • 
do not place vehicles, caravans or other If disabled people are going to be in your
portable structures adjacent to the building; premises then you must also provide a safe
means for them to leave if there is a fire. You and
• 
encourage staff to report people acting
your staff should be aware that disabled people
suspiciously;
may not react, or can react differently, to a fire
• 
remove automatic entry rights from staff warning or a fire. You should give similar
who have been dismissed; consideration to others with special needs such
as parents with young children as the elderly.
• 
ensure that your security alarm/fire-
detection system is monitored and acted on;
In premises with a simple layout, a common-
• 
secure flammable liquids so that intruders sense approach, such as offering to help lead
cannot use them; a blind person or helping an elderly person
down steps may be enough. In more complex
• 
secure all storage areas and unused areas
premises, more elaborate plans and procedures
of the building that do not form part of an
will be needed, with trained staff assigned to
escape route against unauthorised access,
specified duties. In complex premises, you may
ensure access to keys to those areas is
also wish to contact a professional consultant
restricted; and
or take advice from disability organisations.
• 
fit secure metal letterboxes on the inside of
letter flaps to contain any burning materials Whilst the majority of people with special
that may be pushed through. needs wish to and are able to make their own
escape, there may be a number who are only
Further guidance on the reducing the risk of able to move or react adequately with
arson has been published by the Arson assistance from staff.
Prevention Bureau.52*
Consider the needs of those with mental
disabilities or spatial recognition problems.
1.15 Help for people with special The range of disabilities encountered can be
considerable, extending from mild epilepsy
needs to complete disorientation in an emergency
situation. Many of these can be addressed by
Of all the people who may be especially at
properly trained staff, discreet and empathetic use
risk you will need to pay particular attention
of the ‘buddy system’ or by careful planning of
to people who have special needs including
colour and texture to identify escape routes.
those with a disability. The Disability Rights
Commission estimates that 11 million people
Where people with special needs use or work
in this country have some form of disability,
in the premises, their needs should, so far as
which may mean that they find it more difficult
practicable be discussed with them. These will
to leave a building if there is a fire. Under the
often be modest and may require only changes
Disability Discrimination Act,13 if disabled people
or modifications to existing procedures. You
could realistically expect to use the service (or
may need to develop individual ‘personal
premises) you provide, then you must anticipate
emergency evacuation plans’ (PEEPs) for disabled
any reasonable adjustments that would make it
persons who frequently use a building. They will
easier for that right to be exercised.
need to be confident of any plan/PEEP that is
put in place after consultation with them. As part
The Disability Discrimination Act13 includes
of your consultation exercise you will need to
the concept of ‘reasonable adjustments’ and
consider the matter of personal dignity.
this can be carried over into fire safety law.
It can mean different things in different
If members of the public use your building then
circumstances. For a small business it may be
you may need to develop a range of standard
considered reasonable to provide contrasting
PEEPs which can be provided on request to a
colours on a handrail to help people with
disabled person or others with special needs.
vision impairment to follow an escape route
more easily. However, it might be unreasonable
Guidance on removing barriers to the everyday
to expect that same business to install an
needs of disabled people is in BS 8300.14 Much
expensive voice-alarm system. Appropriate
of this advice will also help disabled people
‘reasonable adjustments’ for a large business or
during an evacuation.
organisation may be much more significant.
Further advice can be obtained from the
Disability Rights Commission at www.drc-gb.org.
52 * Visit www.arsonpreventionbureau.org.uk for more information.

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 Section 2 Further guidance on

Part 2 •
fire detection and warning systems

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

The primary purpose of the automatic fire know that the building should be evacuated.
detection and warning system is to alert If a person with hearing difficulties is likely to
occupants/residents to enable them to move be alone, then consider other means of raising
away from the fire to a place of total safety the alarm. Among the most popular are visual
while the escape routes are still clear of smoke. beacons and vibrating devices or pagers that
are linked to the existing fire alarm.
Your electrical fire detection and warning
system should typically include the following: Voice alarms
Research has shown that some people and,
• 
fire detectors, e.g. smoke, heat;
in particular, members of the public do not
• 
manual call points (break-glass call points) always react quickly to a conventional fire
next to exits with at least one call point on alarm. Voice alarms are therefore becoming
each floor; increasingly popular and can also incorporate
a public address facility. The message or
• 
electronic sirens or bells; and
messages sent must be carefully considered. It
• 
a control and indicator panel. is therefore essential to ensure that voice-alarm
systems are designed and installed by a person
If your building has areas where a fire could with specialist knowledge of these systems.
develop undetected or where people work
alone and might not see a fire, then it may Schematic plan
be necessary to check your system protects In order to quickly determine where a fire has
these areas. been detected, you should consider displaying
a schematic plan showing fire alarm zones in a
If, for any reason, your system fails you must multi-zoned system adjacent to the control panel.
still ensure that people in your premises can
be warned and escape safely. A temporary
arrangement, such as gongs, whistles or air 2.1 Manual call points
horns, combined with suitable training, may
be acceptable for a short period, pending Manual call points, often known as ‘break-
system repairs. glass’ call points, enable a person who discovers
a fire to immediately raise the alarm and warn
The fire warning sound levels should be other people in the premises of the danger.
loud enough to alert everyone, taking into
account background noise. In areas with high People leaving a building because of a fire
background noise, or where people may be will usually leave by the way they entered.
wearing hearing protectors, the audible warning Consequently, manual call points are usually
should be supplemented, e.g. with visual alarms. positioned at exits and storey exits that people
In sleeping areas, to ensure that people are may reasonably be expected to use in case
woken, a sufficient sound level should be of fire, not just those designated as fire exits.
achieved at the head of the bed (i.e. 75dBA). However, it is not necessary in every case
This will usually mean the fitting of a sounder to provide call points at every exit.
device in each bedroom.
Manual call points should usually be positioned
People with hearing difficulties so that, after all fixtures and fittings, machinery
Where people have hearing difficulties, and stock are in place, no one should have
particularly those who are profoundly deaf, to travel more than 45m to the nearest alarm
then simply hearing the fire warning is likely point. This distance may need to be less if
to be the major difficulty. If these persons are your premises cater for people of limited
never alone while on the premises then this mobility or there are particularly hazardous
may not be a serious problem, as it would be areas. They should be conspicuous (red), fitted
reasonable for other occupants to let them at a height of about 1.4m (or less for premises
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 with a significant number of wheelchair users), • 
if you have areas where a fire can develop
and not in an area likely to be obstructed. unobserved (e.g. storerooms);

Conventionally sited call points that operate

• 
as a compensating feature, e.g. for
inadequate structural fire protection, in
an immediate general alarm are not always
dead ends or where there are extended
desirable in some areas of complex buildings,
travel distances;
e.g. function rooms in a hotel. To reduce the
risk of malicious or accidental operation you • 
where smoke control and ventilation
should consider alternative arrangements such as: systems are controlled by the automatic
fire-detection system;
• 
locating the majority of manual call points
in staff areas; • 
areas of high risk, e.g. boiler rooms,
kitchens;
• 
the guarding of manual call points; and
• 
a delayed alarm for investigation purposes
• 
other areas such as, high risk unoccupied
areas, storage areas and walk in cupboards,
before any general alarm is given.
large rooms, access rooms to sleeping
accommodation, areas or buildings served
For these arrangements to be effective your
by a single stairway; and
management plan should have robust
management procedures in place. • 
to reduce the effects of arson.

The precise design and scope of the system

2.2 Automatic fire detection required will be subject to the findings of your
risk assessment, advice from system designers
Most premises providing sleeping and guidance from appropriate standards.
accommodation will need automatic fire Table 1 gives guidance on suggested
detection, which actuates the fire warning categories/grades of system for typical types
systems. Automatic fire detection provides the of premises. It must be emphasised that this
means to know that you have a fire at the table can only provide the starting point for
earliest possible time. It offers you the possiblity assessing the level of fire detection and
of carrying out firefighting (because the fire is warning system necessary.
still small) and the maximum period of time to
implement your emergency plan and to evacuate
residents, staff or any other relevant persons.
The system can be linked to other active fire
safety systems in your building (e.g. door
closing devices and smoke control vents) so
that they operate automatically. Automatic fire
detection is usually needed in the following
circumstances:
• 
for alerting people who are sleeping;
• 
if you have areas where people are isolated
or remote and could become trapped by a
fire because they are unaware of its
development, such as lone workers;

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 Table 1: Suggested standard of automatic fire detection.

Part 2 •
Type of premises Category/Grade of systemNote 5

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Hotels, motels, hostels, large bed and breakfast and boarding house
type accommodation.Note 1 L2

School and student residencies. Family group homes,

(especially refuges for vulnerable groups). L2 or L3

Sheltered accommodation. L2 in common areasNote 2

Houses in multiple occupation of more than two storey’s

(more than one floor above ground) or any floor greater than 200m2

Flats and conversions (including holiday flats) that have not been Grade A LD2
constructed to building regulation standards. in common areasNote 3

Houses in multiple occupation and small premises, e.g. bed and

breakfast of up to two storey’s (up to one floor above ground) with no
floor greater than 200m2.. Grade D LD2 or 3Note 3

Flats and maisonettes constructed to current building regulation

standards (common areas). Note 4

Key
L2 automatic fire detection system with detectors sited in escape routes (including rooms that
open on to escape routes) and rooms or areas of high fire risk to occupants, detailed in
BS 5839-116
L3 automatic fire detection system with detectors sited in escape routes (including rooms that
open on to escape routes), detailed in BS 5839-116
Grade A LD2 an automatic fire detection system (designed for dwellings and based on a BS 5839-116
system) with detectors sited in escape routes (including rooms that open on to escape routes)
and in rooms or areas that present a high fire risk to occupants, detailed in BS 5839-690
Grade D LD2 an automatic fire detection system (designed for dwellings) based on interconnected mains
powered smoke alarms (with battery back-up) with detectors sited in escape routes (including
rooms that open on to escape routes) and in rooms or areas that present a high fire risk to
occupants, detailed in BS 5839-690
Grade D LD3 an automatic fire detection system (designed for dwellings) based on interconnected mains
powered smoke alarms (with battery back-up) with detectors sited in escape routes (including
rooms that open on to escape routes), detailed in BS 5839-690

Note 1:
In the case of single self contained chalet type accommodation a Grade D LD2 or 3 system may be appropriate.
Note 2:
An individual private dwelling in sheltered accommodation should have a Grade C LD 2 or 3 system but this need not be connected to the
system that covers the common areas. Where the occupants are mobility impaired to a degree that they would be at high risk in the event
of fire; or they suffer from a disability (e.g. speech impairment) that would preclude communication with the fire and rescue service, provision
of facilities for the automatic transmission of the fire alarm signal to the fire and rescue service should be considered.
Note 3:
An individual private dwelling should have a Grade D LD2 or 3 system but this need not be interconnected with the system that covers
the common areas of the building.
Note 4:
Flats and maisonettes constructed to current building regulations, will not require automatic fire detection in common areas. However,
self-contained smoke alarms will normally be fitted within each accommodation unit.
Note 5:
The outcome of your risk assessment will determine the necessary standard of AFD required, e.g. in some cases, a BS5839-116
Category L1 system may be appropriate.

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 The reliability of automatic fire detection can These alternative arrangements broadly fall into
be enhanced, especially if there are periods two groups. Firstly, those people potentially
when nobody is awake, by having the system most at risk from a fire, usually those closest
monitored by a commercial monitoring company. to where the alarm was activated, will be
immediately evacuated, while others in the
building are given an alert signal and will
2.3 Reducing false alarms only evacuate if it becomes necessary. This is
generally called a phased evacuation and the
False alarms from automatic fire detection initial movement, depending on the layout and
systems are a major problem and result in configuration of the premises, can be either
many unwanted calls to the fire and rescue horizontal or vertical.
service every year. Guidance on reducing
false alarms has been published by ODPM/ The second alternative is for the initial alert
CFOA/BFPSA.15 signal to be given to certain staff, who then
carry out pre-arranged actions to help others
If there are excessive false alarms in your to evacuate more easily. It requires able, fully-
premises, people may become complacent and trained staff to be available at all times and
not respond correctly to a warning of a real should not be seen as a simple means of
fire. In such circumstances, you may be failing reducing disruption to working practices.
to comply with fire safety law. All false alarms Where staged alarms are being used, disabled
should be investigated to identify the cause of people should be alerted on the first stage to
the problem and remedial action taken. give them the maximum time to escape.

To help reduce the number of false alarms, the These arrangements both require fire-warning
system design and location of detection and systems capable of giving staged alarms,
activation devices should be reviewed against including an ‘alert signal’ and a different
the way the premises are currently used. For ‘evacuate signal’ and should only be
example, if a storeroom has been converted considered after consultation with specialist
to staff area with cooking facilities (e.g. a installers and, if necessary, the relevant
microwave and toaster) then the likelihood enforcing authority.
of the detector being set off is increased.
Similarly, if a manual call point is placed in Such systems also require a greater degree of
a storage area where there is continual management input to ensure that staff and
movement of stock, the call point is likely to others are familiar with the system and action
be accidentally damaged. In this case a simple, required.
fabricated hinged metal guard around the call
point is likely to solve the problem.
2.5 Testing and maintenance
Occasionally people set off a manual call point
in the genuine, but incorrect belief that there is Your fire-warning and/or detection system
a fire. Nothing should be done to discourage should be supervised by a named responsible
such actions and the number of false alarms person, given enough authority and training to
generated this way is not significant. manage all aspects of the routine testing and
scrutiny of the system.
Further detailed guidance on reducing false
alarms is available in BS 5839-1.16 The control and indicating equipment should
be checked at least every 24 hours to ensure
there are no specific faults. All types of fire-
2.4 Staged fire alarms warning systems should be tested once a
week. For electrical systems a manual call
In the vast majority of premises sounding the fire point should be activated (using a different
warning system should trigger the immediate call point for each successive test), usually by
and total evacuation of the building. However, inserting a dedicated test key (see Figure 18).
in some large or complex premises, such as a This will check that the control equipment is
large multi storey hotel, this may not be capable of receiving a signal and in turn,
necessary as alternative arrangements may be activating the warning alarms. Manual call
in place. points may be numbered to ensure they are
sequentially tested.

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 Figure 18: Using a test key 2.6 Guaranteed power supply

Part 2 •
Premises providing sleeping accommodation
will normally require an electrical fire-warning

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

system, therefore the Health and Safety (Safety
Signs and Signals) Regulations 19965 requires it
to have a back-up power supply.

Whatever back-up system is used, it should

normally be capable of operating the fire-
warning and detection system for a minimum
period of 24 hours and sounding the alarm
signal in all areas for 30 minutes.

2.7 New and altered systems

Guidance on the design and installation of
new systems and those undergoing substantial
alterations is given in BS 5839-116 or BS 5839-690
(for dwelling type accommodation). If you are
unsure that your existing system is adequate
It is good practice to test the alarm at the same you will need to consult a competent person.
time each week, but additional tests may be
required to ensure that staff or people present
outside normal working hours are given the
opportunity to hear the alarm.

Where systems are connected to a central

monitoring station, arrangements should be
made prior to testing to avoid unwanted false
alarms.

Six-monthly servicing and preventive maintenance

should be carried out by a competent person
with specialist knowledge of fire-warning and
automatic detection systems. This task is
normally fulfilled by entering into a service
contract with a specialist fire alarm company.

Testing and maintenance of the system should

be carried out by a competent person. Further
guidance on testing and maintenance of fire
warning systems can be found in British
Standard 5839-1.16

It is good practice to record all tests, false

alarms and any maintenance carried out.

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 Section 3 Further guidance on
firefighting equipment and facilities

You have responsibility for the provision of

appropriate firefighting equipment. It is also
your responsibility to check that all firefighting
equipment is in the correct position and in
satisfactory order before the premises are used.

Appropriate staff should be trained in the use

of all such equipment.

3.1 Portable firefighting

equipment
Fires are classed according to what is burning.
Fire extinguishers provided should be
appropriate to the classes of fire found in
your premises in accordance with Table 2.

Table 2: Class of fire

Class of fire Description

Class A Fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles.

Class B Fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils.

Class C Fires involving gases.

Class D Fires involving metals.

Class F Fires involving cooking oils such as deep-fat fryers.

Note: If there is a possibility of a fire in your

premises involving material in the shaded
boxes then you should seek advice from a
competent person.

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 Number and type of extinguishers The following paragraphs describe the different

Part 2 •
Typically for the Class A fire risk, the provision types of extinguisher. The colour referred to is
of one water-based extinguisher for approximately the colour of the extinguisher or the colour-
every 200m2 of floor space, with a minimum coded area.
of two extinguishers per floor, will normally

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

be adequate. Water extinguishers (red)
This type of extinguisher can only be used
Where it is determined that there are additionally on Class A fires. They allow the user to direct
other classes of fire risk, the appropriate type, water onto a fire from a considerable distance.
number and size of extinguisher should be A 9-litre water extinguisher can be quite heavy
provided. Further information is available in and some water extinguishers with additives
BS 5306-8.18 can achieve the same rating, although they are
smaller and therefore considerably lighter. This
Where the fire risk is not confined to a type of extinguisher is not suitable for use on
particular location, e.g. Class A fires, the fire live electrical equipment.
extinguishers should be positioned on escape
routes, close to the exit from the room or floor, Water extinguishers with additives (red)
or the final exit from the building. Similarly, This type of extinguisher is suitable for Class
where the particular fire risk is specifically A fires. They can also be suitable for use on
located, e.g. flammable liquids, the appropriate Class B fires and where appropriate, this will
fire extinguisher should be near to the hazard, be indicated on the extinguisher. They are
so located that they can be safely used. They generally more efficient than conventional
should be placed on a dedicated stand or hung water extinguishers.
on a wall at a convenient height so that
employees can easily lift them off (at about Foam extinguishers (cream)
1m for larger extinguishers, 1.5m for smaller This type of extinguisher can be used on
ones, to the level of the handle). Ideally no Class A or B fires and is particularly suited to
one should have to travel more than 30m to extinguishing liquid fires such as petrol and
reach a fire extinguisher. diesel. They should not be used on free-
flowing liquid fires unless the operator has
Consider the implications of the Manual been specially trained, as these have the
Handling Operations Regulations 199217 when potential to rapidly spread the fire to adjacent
selecting and siting firefighting equipment. material. This type of extinguisher is not
suitable for deep-fat fryers or chip pans.
In self-contained small premises multi-purpose
extinguishers which can cover a range of risks Powder extinguishers (blue)
may be appropriate. Depending on the outcome This type of extinguisher can be used on most
of your fire risk assessment, it may be possible classes of fire and achieve a good ‘knock down’
to reduce this to one extinguisher in very small of the fire. They can be used on fires involving
premises with a floor space of less than 90m2. electrical equipment but will almost certainly
render that equipment useless. Because they
Extinguishers manufactured to current do not cool the fire appreciably it can re-ignite.
standards (BS EN 3-7)89 are predominately Powder extinguishers can create a loss of visibility
red but may have a colour-coded area, sited and may affect people who have breathing
above or within the instructions, denoting the problems and are not generally suitable for
type of extinguisher. Most older extinguishers confined spaces.
manufactured to previous standards have
bodies painted entirely in a single colour Carbon dioxide extinguishers (black)
which denotes the type of extinguisher. These This type of extinguisher is particularly suitable
older extinguishers remain acceptable until for fires involving electrical equipment as they
they are no longer serviceable. However, it is will extinguish a fire without causing any
good practice to ensure that old and new style further damage (except in the case of some
extinguishers are not mixed on the same floor electronic equipment e.g. computers). As with
of a building. all fires involving electrical equipment, the
power should be disconnected if possible.

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 Class ‘F’ extinguishers should be carried out regularly. A competent
This type of extinguisher is particularly suitable person should carry out more formal
for commercial catering establishments with maintenance checks at least annually.
deep-fat fryers.
Figure 19: Hose reel
Selection, installation and maintenance
of portable fire extinguishers
All portable fire extinguishers will require
periodic inspection, maintenance and testing.
Depending on local conditions such as the
likelihood of vandalism or the environment
where extinguishers are located, carry out brief
checks to ensure that they remain serviceable.
In normal conditions a monthly check should
be enough. Maintenance by a competent
person should be carried out annually.

New fire extinguishers should comply with

BS EN 3-789. Guidance on the selection and
installation of fire extinguishers is given in BS
5306-8,18 for maintenance in BS 5306-319 and
for colour coding in BS 7863.20

Fire blankets
Fire blankets should be located in the vicinity
of the fire hazard where they are needed, but
in a position that can be safely accessed in the
event of a fire. They are classified as either
light duty or heavy duty. Light duty fire blankets
are suitable for dealing with small fires in
containers of cooking oils or fats and fires
involving clothing.
Sprinkler systems
3.2 Fixed firefighting installations Sprinkler systems can be very effective in
controlling fires. They can be designed to
These are firefighting systems which are normally protect life and/or property and may be
installed within the structure of the building. regarded as a cost-effective solution for
They may already be provided in your premises reducing the risks created by fire. Where
or you may be considering them as a means of installed, a sprinkler system is usually part of
protecting some particularly dangerous or risk- a package of fire precautions in a building and
critical area as part of your risk-reduction strategy. may form an integral part of the fire strategy
for the building.
Hose reels
Permanent hose reels (see Figure 19) installed Sprinkler protection could give additional
in accordance with the relevant British benefits, such as a reduction in the amount
Standard (BS EN 671-3: 200021) provide an of portable firefighting equipment necessary,
effective firefighting facility. They may offer and the relaxation of restrictions in the design
an alternative, or be in addition to, portable of buildings.
firefighting equipment. A concern is that
untrained people will stay and fight a fire Guidance on the design and installation of new
when escape is the safest option. Where sprinkler systems and the maintenance of all
hose reels are installed, and your fire risk systems is given in BS EN 12845,22 or the Loss
assessment expects relevant staff to use them Prevention Council (LPC) Rules,84 BS 5306-263
in the initial stages of a fire, they should and BS 925183 and should only be carried out
receive appropriate training. by competent person.

Maintenance of hose reels includes visual Routine maintenance by on-site personnel may
checks for leaks and obvious damage and include checking of pressure gauges, alarm
systems, water supplies, any anti-freezing
devices and automatic booster pump(s).
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 A competent maintenance contractor should 3.3 Other facilities (including

Part 2 •
provide guidance on what records need to be
those for firefighters)
completed.
Building Regulations and other Acts, including
If a sprinkler system forms an integral part of

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

local Acts, may have required firefighting
your fire strategy it is imperative that adequate
equipment and other facilities to be provided
management procedures are in place to cater
for the safety of people in the building and to
for those periods when the sprinkler system is
help firefighters. Fire safety law places a duty
not functional. This should form part of your
on you to maintain such facilities in good
emergency plan. Although the actual
working order and at all times.
procedures will vary, such measures may
include the following:
These may include:
• 
Restore the system to full working order as
• 
access for fire engines and firefighters;
soon as possible.
• 
firefighting shafts and lifts;
• 
Limit any planned shutdown to low-risk
periods when numbers of people are at a • fire suppression systems, e.g. sprinklers,
minimum or when the building is not in water mist and gaseous;
use. This is particularly important when
• 
smoke-control systems;
sprinklers are installed to a life safety
standard or form part of the fire safety • 
dry or wet rising mains and firefighting inlets;
engineering requirements.
• 
information and communication
• 
You may need to isolate the area without arrangements, e.g. fire telephones and
the benefit of working sprinklers from the wireless systems and information to brief
rest of the premises by fire-resisting material. the fire and rescue service when they
arrive; and
• 
Avoid higher-risk processes such as ‘hot-work’.
• 
firefighters’ switches.
• 
Extra staff should be trained and dedicated
to conducting fire patrols.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare)
• 
Any phased or staged evacuation strategy Regulations 199223 also require that systems
may need to be suspended. Evacuation provided for safety within a workplace are
should be immediate and complete. maintained.
(Exercise caution as the stairway widths
may have been designed for phased Access for fire engines and firefighters
evacuation only.) Buildings that have been constructed to modern
building regulations or in accordance with
• 
Maintenance should be carried out on a
certain local Acts will have been provided with
zoned basis, to prevent leaving the whole
facilities that allow fire engines to approach
system ineffective.
and park within a reasonable distance so that
• 
Inform the local fire and rescue service. firefighters can use their equipment without
too much difficulty.
If, having considered all possible measures,
the risk is still unacceptable then it will be These facilities may include, hard standing
necessary to close all or part of the building. areas for fire engines and access into the
If in doubt you should seek advice from a building for firefighters. Hard standing areas for
competent person. fire engines should not be used as car parking.
It is essential that where such facilities are
Other fixed installations provided they are properly maintained and
There are a number of other fixed installations available for use at all relevant times.
including water mist, gaseous, deluge and fixed
powder systems. If your premises have a fixed Where a building is used by a number of
firefighting system that you are unfamiliar with, different occupants you will need to ensure
then seek advice. Where a fixed firefighting co-operation between the various ‘responsible
system forms an integral part of your fire safety people’ to maintain fire and rescue service
strategy, it should be maintained in accordance access. In exceptional cases, where access is
with the relevant British Standard by a persistently obstructed, you may need to make
competent person. additional arrangements.

See Approved Document B to the Building

Regulations for more information.24 61

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 Firefighting shafts and lifts Alterations that might affect the shaft should
Firefighting shafts (see Figure 20) are provided not be made without first liaising with other
in larger buildings to help firefighters reach responsible persons, any owners or managing
floors farther away from the building’s access agents and the enforcing authority. Any
point. They enable firefighting operations to proposed changes will require Building
start quickly and in comparative safety by Regulation approval from a Building Control Body.
providing a safe route from the point of entry
to the floor where the fire has occurred. Where a firefighting shaft is provided, it should
be maintained by a competent person.
Figure 20: Fire fighting shaft
Fire suppression systems
Fire suppression systems can include sprinklers
and other types of fixed installations designed
Dry rising main
to automatically operate and suppress a fire.
Such systems should be maintained by a
competent person.
Firefighting stairs
Self-closing
fire doors
Smoke control systems
These are complex systems that are provided
for life safety of occupants, assistance to
firefighters and property protection by clearing
Firefighting
lift in hot smoke and gases from the building. If you
lift shaft
have one of these systems provided in your
premises you should ensure you understand
how it operates and that it is maintained in full
working order. If your system is part of a
larger system then you should liaise with other
occupiers and building managers.

The smoke control system should be

maintained by a competent person who is
familiar with the fire engineering performance
specifications of that specific system.
Entry points from a stairway in a firefighting
shaft to a floor will be via a lobby, through Where these systems are installed in addition
two sets of fire and smoke-resisting doors and to a sprinkler system then the design and
walls. Many people will use the stairway for installation of each system should not act
normal movement through the building and it detrimentally on one another. A competent
is important that the safety features are not person should be employed to confirm this.
compromised by doors being wedged open.
Dry and wet rising fire mains
Most firefighting shafts will also incorporate a The rising fire main (see Figure 21) is an
firefighting lift that opens into the lobby. The important facility for the fire and rescue service
lift will have a back-up electrical supply and in taller buildings. It consists of an inlet box
car control overrides. The primary function of where firefighters can connect their hoses, a
the lift is to transport firefighting personnel and pipe running up or through the building, outlet
their equipment to the scene of a fire with the valves on each floor level and an air vent at
minimum amount of time and effort. It may the top.
also be used to help evacuate less mobile people.

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 Figure 21: Rising main

Part 2 •
Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions
Height of
building >18m

Maximum distance 18m

It is important that fire mains remain in good Maintenance of rising mains and foam inlets
working order. Issues to be considered can All types of rising mains together with
include the following: associated valves should be maintained and
tested on a regular basis by a competent
• 
The physical approach to the inlet box
person.* Although there are no recommended
should be such that a fire engine can park
periods between maintenance checks for foam
within 18m with the inlet box in view.
inlets it would be prudent to carry out an
• 
Prohibit car parking in front of the inlet box. annual service.
• 
Secure the inlet box in such a way that
Firefighters’ switches
firefighters can open the door without too
Luminous discharge lighting, e.g. neon signs,
much difficulty.
is frequently used in many of the premises for
• 
It is advisable to lock the landing valves in which this guide is intended. Safety switches
the closed position, usually with a leather are normally provided to isolate high-voltage
strap and padlock. luminous signs or to cut off electrical power.
In the case of existing installations, if they have
Foam inlets been provided in accordance with previous
These special inlets are usually fitted to provide legislation (e.g. the Local Government
an efficient way of extinguishing a fire in a (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 198225), then it
basement or other area of high risk such as a is likely that they will comply with the Order.
plant room. In many respects they look the If this is not the case, then you may need to
same, as rising main inlet boxes but the door consult the enforcing authority regarding the
should be clearly marked ‘foam inlet’. The risk suitability of its location and marking. Testing
area should be kept clear of obstructions to should be carried out in accordance with the
allow the foam to spread into the compartment. manufacturer’s instructions. If you have no
such instructions then an initial test should
be carried out by a competent electrician.

* Guidance on inspection and testing of dry and wet rising mains

is given in BS 5306-1.

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 Other firefighting facilities
As well as those already mentioned, other
facilities to assist firefighters may have been
installed in your premises and should be
properly maintained by a competent person.
Your maintenance audit (see Appendix A for
an example checklist) should include these.
Such facilities can include:
• 
information signs for firefighters;
• 
static water supplies, private hydrants,
meter bypass valves and underground tanks;
• 
standby fire pumps, electrical generators,
air pumps and hydraulic motors; and
• 
manual/self closing devices for roller
shutter doors in fire compartment walls.

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 Section 4 Further guidance on

Part 2 •
escape routes

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Introduction include those where significant quantities
This section provides further guidance on the of flammable materials are used or stored;
general principles that apply to escape routes ready sources of ignition are present e.g.
and provides examples of typical escape route portable heaters and cooking processes;
solutions for a range of building layouts. The premises where significant numbers of the
guidance is based on premises of normal risk people present are likely to move slowly or
so, if your premises (or parts of your premises) be unable to move without assistance; and
are higher (or lower) risk you should adapt the premises where the construction provides
solution accordingly. hidden voids or flues through which a fire
could quickly spread.
You are not obliged to adopt any particular
solution for escape routes in this section if you In premises where there is a low occupancy
prefer to meet the relevant requirement in level and all the occupants are able bodied and
some other way. If you decide to adopt some capable of using the means of escape without
alternative arrangement it will need to achieve assistance; very little chance of a fire; few if
at least an equivalent level of fire safety. any highly combustible or flammable materials
or other fuels for a fire; fire cannot spread
Refer to the glossary (Appendix D) for the quickly; and will be quickly detected so people
definitions of any terms you may not be will quickly know that a fire has occurred and
familiar with. can make their escape, then the risk can
usually be regarded as ‘lower’.
Levels of risk
In order to apply the guidance in this section, In most cases however, the risk will usually
you need to understand that in any fire be ‘normal’.
situation, the time that people have to escape
before they could become affected by the fire The travel distances suggested are not hard and
is limited. Providing them with sufficient time fast rules and should be applied with a degree
usually means that as well as having an of flexibility according to the circumstances.
appropriate way of detecting and giving For example, in premises where the risk might
warning in case of fire, the distance that people otherwise be considered “normal” but where
have to travel to make their escape to a place there are a significant number of people who
of reasonable or total safety must be restricted. move slowly or may need assistance to
evacuate, it would usually be appropriate to
The travel distances which are usually consider this a ‘higher’ risk. However, where
appropriate for this purpose (and are suggested other measures are in place to mitigate this,
later in this section) vary according to the level such as the availability of extra assistance and
of risk in the premises (or part of them). To this has been planned for in your emergency
check your escape routes you will need to plan, it may be that the risk level can be
form a judgement about the level of risk that regarded as ‘normal to higher’.
people may be at after you have taken other
risk reduction (preventative and protective) Equally, in premises where the risk category
measures. would otherwise be ‘lower’ but for the fact that
a small number of occupants may move slowly
In premises where there is a likelihood of a or need assistance, it may be appropriate to
fire starting and spreading quickly (or a fire categorise the risk as ‘normal’ in these
could start and grow without being quickly circumstances.
detected and a warning given) and affect the
escape routes before people are able to use If you are not sure about the level of risk that
them then the risk should normally be remains in your premises, you should seek
regarded at “higher”. Such premises could advice from a competent person.

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 4.1 General principles Any mirrors situated in escape routes should
be sited so that persons escaping from a fire
Suitability of escape routes will not be thrown into confusion by any
You should ensure that your escape routes are: reflected image of the route they are using, or
be misled as to the direction they should take
• 
suitable; to reach fire exits.
• 
easily, safely and immediately usable at
all times; While not normally acceptable, the use of
ladders, floor hatches, wall hatches or window
• 
adequate for the number of people likely exits may be suitable for small numbers of
to use them; able-bodied, trained staff, in exceptional
• 
usable without passing through doors circumstances.
requiring a key or code to unlock;
Fire-resisting construction
• 
free from any obstructions, slip or trip The type and age of construction are crucial
hazards; factors to consider when assessing the
• 
well lit by normal or emergency escape adequacy of the existing escape routes. To
lighting; and ensure the safety of people it may be necessary
to protect escape routes from the effects of a
• 
available for access by the emergency fire. In older premises (see Appendix C for
services. more information on historical properties) it is
possible that the type of construction and
In multi-occupied premises, escape routes materials used may not perform to current fire
should normally be independent of other standards. Also changes of occupancy and
occupiers, i.e. people should not have to go refurbishment may have led to:
through another occupier’s premises as the
route may be secured or obstructed. Where • 
cavities and voids being created, allowing
this is not possible, then robust legal agreements the potential for a fire to spread unseen;
should be in place to ensure their availability • 
doors and hardware worn by age and
at all times. movement being less likely to limit the
spread of smoke;
All doors on escape routes should open in the
direction of escape, and ideally be fitted with a • 
damaged or lack of cavity barriers in
safety vision panel. This is particularly important modular construction; and
if more than 60 people use them or they • 
breaches in fire compartment walls, floors
provide an exit from an area of high fire risk. and ceilings created by the installation of
new services, e.g. computer cabling.
At least two exits should be provided if a
room/area is to be occupied by more than 60 Reasonable standards of structural fire
persons. This number of 60 can be varied in resistance for normal risk buildings used for
proportion to the risk, for a lower risk there sleeping accommodation can be found in
can be a slight increase, for a higher risk, Approved Document B.24 Essentially, all upper
lower numbers of persons should be allowed. floors in sleeping premises should be of
30minutes fire resistance. However the floor
Movement of persons up or down a group of between basement and ground floor should
not less than three steps will be so obvious to be of 60 minutes except for simple premises,
those following that they will be prepared for e.g. small bed and breakfast where it may be
the change in level, but movement up or down 30 minutes.
one step is not so readily observed and may
easily lead to a fall. Wherever practicable, All corridors serving sleeping areas should be
differences of level in corridors, passages and protected routes with 30 minutes fire resistance.
lobbies should be overcome by the provision
of inclines or ramps of gradients not exceeding Where an escape route needs to be separated
I in 12 or steps not having less than three risers from the rest of the premises by fire-resisting
in any flight. Corridors and passages should be construction, e.g. a dead end corridor or
level for a distance of 1.5 metres in each protected stairway (refer to Figures 30 and 34),
direction from any steps. then you should ensure the following:

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 • 
Doors (including access hatches to Your assessment must anticipate any particular

Part 2 •
cupboards, ducts and vertical shafts linking difficulties that people may encounter when
floors) walls, floors and ceilings protecting escaping. For example, if your premises are
escape routes should be capable of used by large numbers of children, parents
resisting the passage of smoke and fire for with pushchairs, elderly people or people with

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

long enough so that people can escape some form of disability, then you need to take
from the building. this into consideration when assessing whether
your escape routes are safe.
• 
Where suspended or false ceilings are
provided, the fire resistance should extend
Parts of hotels may be used as dance halls,
up to the floor slab level above. For means
discotheques or conference centres. In such
of escape purposes a 30 minutes fire-
circumstances, it may be more appropriate to
resisting rating is usually enough.
apply the fire precautionary standards set out
• Cavity barriers, fire stopping and dampers in the Guides to Fire Safety in Places of Assembly.
in ductgs are appropriately installed. (See other guides in the series listed on the
back cover.)
If there is any doubt about the nature of the
construction of your premises, ask for advice A function room could be used during the day
from a competent person. for a seminar with a closely seated audience, in
the evening a disco with tables and chairs and
Number and type of people using the an antiques fair at the weekend. The assessment
premises for the number and distribution of fire exits
As your escape routes need to be adequate for should consider the reasonable worst case for
the people likely to use them you will need to the number or type of people expected to use
consider how many people, including guests, the facility.
residents, employees and the public, may be
present at any one time. Where premises have Mobility impairment
been subject to building regulations approval Effective management arrangements need to be
for its use the number and width of escape put in place for those who need help to escape.
routes and exits will normally be enough for
the anticipated number of people using the Consider the following points:
building. In such buildings where the risk has
• 
A refuge is a place of reasonable safety in
changed or buildings were constructed before
which disabled people can wait either for
national building regulations it is necessary to
an evacuation lift or for assistance up or
confirm the provision.
down stairs (see Figure 22). Disabled people
should not be left alone in a refuge area
If you propose to make changes to the use or
whilst waiting for assistance to evacuate
layout of the building which may increase the
the building. Depending on the design and
number of people, you should check the design
fire resistance of other elements, a refuge
capacity by referring to guidance given in the
could be a lobby, corridor, part of a public
Building Regulations Approved Document B.24
area or stairway, or an open space such
as a balcony or similar place which is
You should also consider the type of people
sufficiently protected (or remote) from any
who will use your premises. In a hotel or
fire risk and provided with its own means
boarding house, this will consist of a mixture
of escape and a means of communication.
of employees, guests and short-term residents.
The guests are unlikely to be familiar with the • 
Where refuges are provided, they should
premises or have any detailed knowledge of be enclosed in a fire-resisting structure
the alternative escape routes. which creates a protected escape route
which leads directly to a place of total
If the premises are being used as hostel type safety and should only be used in
accommodation, or as a house in multiple conjunction with effective management
occupation then the residents may be more rescue arrangements. Your fire safety
familiar with the layout of the escape routes, strategy should not rely on the fire and
even so they still remain vulnerable and at a rescue service rescuing people waiting in
higher risk when sleeping. these refuges.

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 • 
If firefighting lifts (provided in high Further guidance is available in BS 5588-866 and
buildings as firefighting access) are to be BS 5588-1248 and, for school buildings used for
used for evacuation, this should be accommodation, in Building Bulletin 91, Access
co-ordinated with the fire and rescue for Disabled People to School Buildings.91
service as part of the pre-planned
evacuation procedures. Childcare facilities/crèches
The location of childcare facilities/crèches in
• 
Normal lifts may be considered suitable
your premises is important since parents or
for fire evacuation purposes, subject
guardians will often seek to return to the facility
to an adequate fire risk assessment and
when the alarm sounds. It is therefore important
development of a suitable fire safety
that the facility is located so to avoid parents
strategy by a competent person (see later).
from travelling against the normal direction of
• 
Since evacuation lifts can fail, a disabled escape. The childcare facility should be sited at
person should, having reached a refuge the same level as the parents or guardians or
also be able to gain access to a stairway on the route to the final exit.
(should conditions in the refuge become
untenable). An evacuation lift with its Widths and capacity of escape routes
associated refuge should therefore be and stairways
located adjacent to a protected stairway. Once you have established the maximum
number of people likely to be in any part of
• 
Enough escape routes should always be
the premises, the next step is to establish that
available for use by disabled people. This
the capacity of the escape routes is adequate
does not mean that every exit will need to
for people to escape safely in sufficient time
be adapted. Staff should be aware of routes
to ensure their safety in case of fire.
suitable for disabled people so that they
can direct and help people accordingly.
The capacity of a route is determined by a
• 
Stairways used for the emergency number of factors including the width of the
evacuation of disabled people should route, the time available for escape and the
comply with the requirements for internal ability of the persons using them.
stairs in the building regulations. Specialist
evacuation chairs or other equipment may The effective usable width of an escape route
be necessary to negotiate stairs. is the narrowest point, normally a door or other
restriction such as narrowing of a corridor due
• 
Plans should allow for the careful carrying
to fixtures and fittings. The capacity of an escape
of disabled people down stairs without
route is measured by the number of persons
their wheelchairs, should the wheelchair
per minute that can pass through it so, to
be too large or heavy. You will need to
establish the capacity of the route, it is first
take into account health and safety manual
necessary to measure the width of the route
handling procedures in addition to the dignity
at the narrowest point. The effective width of a
and confidence of the disabled person.
doorway is the clear unobstructed width through
• 
Stairlifts should not be used for emergency the doorway when the door is open at right
evacuation. Where installed in a stairway angles to the frame. The effective width at any
used for emergency evacuation, no parts other point is the narrowest clear unobstructed
of the lift, such as its carriage rail, should width through which people can pass.
be allowed to reduce the effective width
of the stairway or any other part of an The time available for escape depends on
emergency evacuation route. several factors. Studies of human behaviourin
an emergency situation have shown that about
• 
Where ramps are necessary for the
two thirds of the time available to escape is
emergency evacuation of people in
taken up by the initial reaction to the
wheelchairs they should be as gentle as
developing situation. For example, people will
possible. Ramps should be constructed in
decide whether the situation is real or false, often
accordance with Approved Document M.65
waiting to see the reaction of people around
• 
Some premises may have a high proportion them, and generally gathering information to
of people who will be highly dependent decide whether to act or not. The final third is
on others to ensure their safe escape. You taken up by the actual movement away from
will need to consider special arrangements the area of the fire. Throughout this time the
for these types of premises (e.g. appropriate fire may be growing and spreading. Therefore,
staffing levels, layout of the premises). to account for the limited time available for
people to travel to a place of reasonable safety
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 Figure 22: An example of a refuge

Part 2 •
Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions
SC
Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing SC

Refuge
SC

the length of escape routes need to be limited. The aggregate width of all the escape routes
The suggested travel distances in this section should be not less than that required to
(Table 3, page 70) take this limitation into account. accommodate the maximum numbers of
people likely to use them.
The following guide can used to determine the
general capacities of escape routes: When calculating the overall available escape
route capacity for premises that have more
A width of at least 750mm can accommodate
than one way out, you should normally assume
up to:
that the widest is not available because it has
• 
80 people in higher risk premises; been compromised by fire. If doors or other
exits leading to escape routes are too close to
• 
100 people in normal risk premises; or
one another you should consider whether the
• 
120 people in lower risk premises. fire could affect both at the same time. If that
is the case, it may be necessary to discount
A width of at least 1050mm can accommodate them both from your calculation.
up to:
As a general rule stairways should be at least
• 
160 people in higher risk premises;
1050mm wide and in any case not less than
• 
200 people in normal risk premises; or the width of the escape routes that lead to
them. In all cases the aggregate capacity of the
• 
240 people in lower risk premises.
stairways should be sufficient for the number
of people likely to have to use them in case
An additional 75mm should be allowed for
of fire.
each additional 15 persons (or part of 15).
Stairways wider than 2100mm should normally
The minimum width of an escape route should
be divided into sections, each separated from
not be less than 750mm (unless it is for use by
the adjacent section by a handrail, so that each
less than five people in part of your premises)
section measured between the handrails is not
and, where wheelchair users are likely to use
less than 1050mm wide.
it, 900mm.

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 Travel distance When assessing travel distances you need to
Having established the number and location of consider the distance to be travelled by people
people and the exit capacity required to when escaping allowing for walking around
evacuate them safely, you now need to confirm equipment, plant storage units etc. The
that the number and location of existing exits is distance should be measured from all parts of
adequate. This is normally determined by the the premises to the nearest place of reasonable
distance people have to travel to reach them. safety which is:

Table 3 gives guidance on travel distances. • 

a protected stairway enclosure (storey exit);
It should be understood, however, that these
• 
a separate fire compartment from which
distances are flexible and may be increased
there is a final exit to a place of total
or decreased depending upon the level of risk
safety; or
after you have put in place the appropriate fire
prevention measures (Part 1, Step 3.3). • 
the nearest available final exit.

In new buildings which have been designed The suggested travel distances may be
and constructed in accordance with modern increased by the addition of further fire
building standards the travel distances will protection measures, e.g. automatic fire
already have been calculated. Once you have detection or sprinklers.
completed your fire risk assessment you need
to confirm that those distances are still relevant.

Table 3: Suggested travel distances

Escape routes Suggested range of travel distance

Note 3, Note 4

Where more than one route is 18m in a bedroomNote 1 and higher fire risk areaNote 2
provided 35m in normal fire risk area
45m in lower fire risk areaNote 3

Where only a single escape route 9m in a bedroom Note 1 and higher fire risk areaNote 2
is provided 18m in normal fire risk area
25m in a lower fire risk areaNote 3

Note 1:
Bedroom includes all sleeping rooms e.g. dormitories. The travel distance within a bedroom should be restricted, however, this distance can
be included as part of the overall travel distance to a protected stair or final exit. For example, if the travel distance within a bedroom (a single
escape route) is 9m and the corridor has two escape routes in a normal fire risk area, the travel distance from the bedroom to the nearest
protected stair or final exit is (35m minus 9m) 26m.
Note 2:
Where there are small higher risk areas this travel distance should apply. Where the risk assessment indicates that the whole building is higher
risk, seek advice from a competent person.
Note 3:
The travel distance for lower risk premises should only be applied in exceptional cases in the very lowest risk premises where densities are
low, occupants are familiar with the premises, have excellent visual awareness, and very limited combustibles.
Note 4:
In areas of assembly such as function rooms, bars or restaurants which are completely separated from the sleeping accommodation then the
travel distances in the assembly guide can be used for those areas, e.g. for a normal fire risk area, 45m where more than one route is
provided and 18m where only a single escape route is provided.
Note 5:
Travel distances for normal fire risk flats and maisonettes are illustrated in Figures 52, 53 and 54.
Note 6:
An individual dwelling in a house of multiple occupation or flat and maisonette is a private dwelling and outside the scope of the Order1 (except
for the requirement to maintain common fire precautions, e.g. fire alarms or sprinkler installed throughout the building). Notwithstanding this,
you might wish to consider the benchmarks in Table 3 if you are assessing the escape routes within the dwelling unit. Ideally the layout of
individual dwelling units in houses of multiple occupation, flats and maisonettes, should be such that sleeping areas should be closer to the
exit from the dwelling than kitchen areas or cooking facilities.

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 The travel distances given in Table 3 are Measuring travel distance

Part 2 •
based on those recommended in Approved The figures that follow are schematic only and
Document B of the Building Regulations24 are intended to represent part of a larger building.
and are intended to complement the other
fire safety recommendations in Approved The route taken through the room or space

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Document B. Your current escape route travel will be determined by the layout of the
distances may be different from these since contents (Figure 23). It is good practice to
they may be based on recommendations ensure the routes to the room exits are kept
made in alternative guidance. as direct and as short as possible, especially
in accommodation where sleeping will occur,
Where your route leads to more than one final thus reducing the time taken to exit the room.
exit, but only allows initial travel in a single In a small room, e.g. a bedroom, there will
direction (e.g from a room or dead end, see usually only be one exit, but in a larger room,
also Figures 27 and 28), then this initial travel e.g. a ballroom, there may be many exits.
distance should be limited to that for a ‘single
escape route’ in Table 3. However, your total In some cases where furniture is often moved
travel distance should not exceed that for around or the use is liable to frequent change,
‘more than one escape route’. such as ballrooms or conference halls, you
should ensure that exits from the room do not
For marquees, the travel distance from any part become inadvertently blocked or the escape
of the structure having more than one exit route from the room is significantly extended.
should be 24m – after the first 6.5m the
remainder of the route should lead in different
directions to alternative exits. Similarly, where
there is only one exit, the travel distance
should not exceed 6.5m.

Figure 23: Measuring travel distance

Exit

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 Alternative exits unless the routes to them are separated by fire-
Where alternative exits from a space or room resisting construction (see Figure 25). If in
are necessary they should wherever possible doubt consult a competent person.
be located at least 45° apart (see Figure 24)

Figure 24: Alternative exits

45º+

Final Exit

Final Exit

45º+

Figure 25: Alternative exits (separated by

fire-resisting construction)

less than
45º Final Exit

less than 45° Final Exit

Fire-resisting wall

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 Figure 26: Inner rooms

Part 2 •
Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions
Automatic fire
detection
Outer room

At least 500mm
gap between partition
wall and ceiling
Vision panel

Inner room

Inner rooms In addition, the following points should also be

Where the only way out of a room is through considered:
another room, an unnoticed fire in the outer
• 
Restrict the number of people using an
room could trap people in the inner room.
inner room to 60.
This means of exit should be avoided where
possible. If, however, this cannot be achieved • 
Access rooms should be under the control
then adequate warning of a fire should be of the same person as the inner room.
provided by any one of the following means:
• 
The travel distance from any point in the
• 
a vision panel between the two rooms inner room to the exit from the access
providing adequate vision to give an room should be restricted to escape in one
indication of the conditions in the outer direction only (see Table 3), unless there
room and the means of escape; are alternative exits from the access room.
• 
a large enough gap between the dividing • 
No one should have to pass through more
wall and the ceiling, e.g. 500mm, so that than one access room while making their
smoke will be seen; or escape.
• an automatic smoke detector in the outer • 
The outer room should not be an area of
room that will sound a warning in the high fire risk.
inner room.
• The inner room should only be used as
sleeping accommodation if smoke
detection is provided in the access room.

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 Figure 27: Measuring travel distance from initial
dead end (open plan)

C Exit

C Exit
45º+
B

C Exit C Exit
45º+
B

A–B Travel in single direction only

A–C Total travel distance (to nearest exit)

Measuring travel distances for initial dead

end travel
Where the initial direction of travel in an open
area (see Figure 27) or within an inner room
(see Figure 28) is in one direction only the
travel distance should be limited to that for a
‘single escape route’ in Table 3 on page 70.
Any alternative exits should be positioned to
ensure a fire will not compromise both exits.
The maximum total travel distance recommended
in Table 3 should apply to the nearest exit
(Figures 27 and 28, distance A–C), your total
travel distance should not exceed that for ‘more
than one escape route’ in Table 3 on page 70.

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 Figure 28: Measuring travel distance from initial

Part 2 •
dead end (inner room)

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

C Exit

45º+
C Exit

C Exit C Exit
45º+

A–B Travel in single direction only

A–C Total travel distance (to nearest exit)
Note: Additional measures are necessary to give warning of fire for inner rooms (see Figure 26).

Escape routes with dead end conditions • 

Fit an automatic fire detection and warning
If your premises has escape routes from which system in those areas where a fire could
escape can be made in one direction only present a risk to the escape route, if not
(a dead end), then an undetected fire in that already in place (see Figure 29).
area could affect people trying to escape.
To overcome this problem, limit the travel
• 
Construct the exit route of fire-resisting
partitions and self-closing fire doors to
distance (see Table 3 on page 70) and use one
allow people to escape safely past a room
of the following solutions.
in which there is a fire (see Figure 30).
In non-sleeping areas (separate buildings or • 
Provide an alternative exit (see Figure 31).
self-contained parts of buildings only):
Alternative approaches may be acceptable,
(e.g. an automatic fire suppression system),
in which case you should seek advice from
a competent person.
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 Figure 29: Dead end condition with automatic
fire detection (non sleeping areas)

C Exit

A
C Exit

C Exit

B
A–B Travel in single direction only
A–C Total travel distance
Automatic fire detection

C Exit

Figure 30: Dead end condition with fire-resisting

construction (non sleeping areas)

SC

C Exit SC
SC

SC
SC SC

B
SC

SC

A
C Exit

SC SC SC SC
C Exit

B
A–B Travel in single direction only
A–C Total travel distance
SC Self-closing SC SC SC SC

Fire-resisting wall
Fire door
C Exit

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 Figure 31: Dead end condition provided with an

Part 2 •
alternative exit (non sleeping areas)

C Exit

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

C Exit
B

C Exit

C Exit

C Exit

A–B Travel in single direction only B

A–C Total travel distance

C Exit A

In sleeping areas, the layout shown in Figure

32 will generally be acceptable. However an
alternative approach may be possible if other
fire protection measures are in place (e.g.
an automatic fire suppression system), in
which case you should seek advice from a
competent person.

Note: an alternative exit (see Figure 31)

provided in addition to the arrangement in
Figure 32 would also be acceptable, in which
case, the travel distance for escape in more
than one direction (Table 3 on page 70)
should be used.

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 Figure 32: Dead end with fire resising construction
and automatic fire detection (in sleeping areas)

SC

SC
C Exit
SC
SC

SC
SC

SC SC

B
SC

A–B Travel in single direction only

SC
A–C Total travel distance
SC Self-closing
Fire-resisting wall
Fire door
Automatic fire detection
C Exit

C Exit A
SC SC SC SC SC

SC SC SC SC SC

C Exit

Subdivision of corridors Doors that are provided solely for the purpose
If your premises have corridors more than 30m of restricting the travel of smoke need not be
long, then generally these corridors should be fire doors, but will be suitable as long as they
sub-divided near the centre of the corridor are of substantial construction, are capable of
with fire doors and, where necessary, fire- resisting the passage of smoke, and are self-
resisting construction to limit the spread of fire closing. Smoke should not be able to bypass
and smoke and to protect escape routes if these doors, e.g. above a false ceiling, or via
there is a fire. alternative doors from a room, or adjoining
rooms, opening on either side of the
Where a corridor serves two exits from a floor, subdivision.
generally these corridors should be subdivided
with fire doors to separate the two exits (see Generally, false ceilings should be provided
Figure 33). with barriers or smoke stopping over any fire
doors. Where the false ceiling forms part of the
fire-resisting construction this may not be
necessary.

If you have doubts about subdivision of

corridors, seek advice from a competent person.

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 Figure 33: Subdivision of corridor between

Part 2 •
two stairways

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

SC

SC

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

SC
SC

SC SC SC

Upper storey

Stairway enclosures If you have a protected stairway(s) then it is

Stairways, if unprotected from fire, can rapidly essential that you maintain that level of fire
become affected by heat and smoke, cutting protection.
off the escape route and allowing fire spread
to other floors. However, if adequately It is possible that you may have some stairways
protected, escape stairways can be regarded as which have no fire protection to them. In this
places of reasonable safety to enable people to case they are not designed for escape and are
escape to a place of total safety. normally known as accommodation stairways
(see accommodation stairways on page 83).
In most premises designed and built to
Building Regulations and served by more than If you do not have a protected stairway and,
one stairway, it is probable that these stairways depending on the outcome of your fire risk
will be protected by fire-resisting construction assessment, it may be that you can achieve
and will lead to a final exit. If any floor has an an equivalent level of safety by other means.
occupancy of over 60 each storey should have However, before doing so you should seek
at least two exits i.e. protected routes. The advice from a competent person.
figure of 60 can be varied in proportion to the
risk, with lower risk the figure may be slightly If the building you occupy has floors which
increased, and with higher risk lower numbers are occupied by different organisations to your
of persons may be appropriate. own you need to consider, as part of your fire
risk assessment, the possibility that a fire may
The benefit of protecting stairways from the occur in another part of the building over
effects of fire is that it allows you to measure which you may have no control and which
your travel distance from the farthest point on may affect the protected stairway if allowed to
the relevant floor to the nearest storey exit develop unchecked. If your fire risk assessment
rather than the final exit of the building. shows that this may be the case and people

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 using any floor would be unaware of a at each floor level, except the top floor (see
developing fire, then additional fire protection Figure 34). Although these are not generally
measures may be required, e.g. an enhanced necessary for means of escape in multi-stairway
automatic fire detection and warning system. buildings of less than 18m high, they may have
If this is required you will need to consult and been provided for other reasons (e.g. firefighting
co-operate with other occupiers and building access). In all cases protected corridors, lobbies
managers. and stairways must be kept clear of combustibles
and obstructions.
You may find that stairways in your building
are provided with protected lobbies or corridors

Figure 34: Examples of a stairway with protected

lobby/corridor approach

SC

SC

SC
SC

SC

SC

SC
SC

SC
SC Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Protected corridor

SC
SC

SC

SC
Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Protected lobby
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 Final Exit
Ideally stairway enclosures should lead directly •  provide a protected route from the foot of the

Part 2 •
to a final exit.SCIf your premises
SC has Final
onlyExitone stairway enclosure leading to a final exit
stairway from the upper floor(s) which does Fire door (see Figure 35); or
not lead directly to a final exit, adopt one of Fire-resisting wall
the following arrangements:
•  provide two exits from the stairway, each

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

SC Self-closing
giving access to a final exit via routes
which are separated from each other by
fire-resisting construction (see Figure 36).

Figure 35: Examples of a protected route from a

stairway to a final exit

SC

SC
SC

SC

SC

SC
SC
Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Final Exit

Figure 36: Examples of two escape routes from a

stairway to final exits

SC

SC

Final Exit

SC SC Final Exit

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

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 Separation of protected stairways
Where there are two or more protected
stairways, the routes to final exits should be
separated by fire-resisting construction so that
fire cannot affect more than one escape route
at the same time as illustrated in Figure 37.

Figure 37: Separation of protected stairway

SC

SC

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

SC
SC

SC SC SC

Final exit

Creating a stairway bypass route

No one should have to pass through a
protected stairway to reach another stairway.
Options to avoid this include:
• 
using intercommunicating doors between
rooms adjacent to the stairway, such doors
must be available at all times when the
building is occupied (see Figure 38);
• 
using balconies and other features to
bypass the stairway; and
• 
as long as there is enough space, create a
bypass corridor around the stairway
enclosure.

Note: Bypass routes should not be provided

through bedrooms.

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 Figure 38: A stairway bypass route

Part 2 •
Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions
SC

SC

SC SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Reception areas many people will continue to use these as an

Reception or enquiry areas should only be escape route.
located in protected stairways where the
stairway is not the only protected one serving Accommodation stairways need not be
the upper floors, the reception area is small enclosed at ground floor level but they should
(less than 10m2) and is of low fire risk. be enclosed at all other levels, and separated
from each other at ground floor level by a
Accommodation stairways minimum of 30 minutes fire-resisting
If you have stairways that are used for general construction.
communication and movement of people in
the premises, and they are not designated as Accommodation stairways and escalators
fire escape stairs then these are called should not normally form an integral part of
‘accommodation stairways’. They may not the calculated escape routes, however, where
require fire separation from the remainder of your fire risk assessment indicates that it is safe
the floor as long as they do not pass through a to do so, then you may consider them for that
compartment floor, or people have to pass the purpose. In these circumstances you may need
head of such a stairway to reach an escape to seek advice from a competent person.
stairway. However, experience shows that
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 External stairways Consider protecting the external stairway from
To be considered a viable escape route, an the weather as the treads may become
external stairway should normally be protected slippery, e.g. due to algae, moss or ice. If this
from the effects of a fire along its full length. is not possible, you must ensure that the
This means that any door, window (other than stairway is regularly maintained. Consider
toilet windows) and walls within 1.8m fixing non-slip material to the treads.
horizontally and 9m vertically below any part
of the stairway should be fire-resisting,
windows should be fixed shut and doors self-
closing (see Figure 39).

Figure 39: Protection to an external stairway

1.8 m

1.8 m

Defined zone for fire-resisting

walls, doors and windows on an
external stairway

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 Spiral and helical stairways total safety, should have at least two protected

Part 2 •
Spiral and helical stairways are usually escape stairways.
acceptable only in exceptional situations, e.g.
for a maximum of 50 people who are not In high risk premises these should be an
members of the public. The stairway should alternative stairway from the basement to ground

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

not be more than 9m in total height and not level, unless there is a suitable alternative route
less than 1.5m in diameter with adequate to the final exit from the basement.
headroom. A handrail should be continuous
throughout the full length of the stairway. Wherever possible all stairways to basements
should be entered at ground level from the
However, spiral and helical stairways may be open air, and should be positioned so that
used as means of escape by more than 50 staff smoke from any fire in the basement would
and may be used by the public if the stairways not obstruct any exit serving the other floors
have been designed for the purpose. Further of the building.
guidance is given in BS: 5395-2.26 However,
they are not usually suitable for young children. Where any stairway links a basement with the
ground floor, the basement should be
Basements, escape and protection separated from the ground floor, preferably by
In all buildings with basements (other than small two 30-minute fire doors, one at basement and
basements), stairways serving upper floors one at ground floor level (see Figure 40).
should preferably not extend to the basement
and in any case should not do so where they Floors over a basement should provide 60 minutes
are the only stairway serving the upper floors. fire resistance. For smaller premises 30 minutes
Any stairway that extends from the basement may be acceptable. Where this is impractical,
to the upper floors should be separated at and as long as no smoke can get through the
basement level by a fire resisting lobby, or floor, automatic fire detection linked to a fire
corridor, between the basement and the stairway. warning system which is audible throughout
All basements used by more than 60 people or the premises could, as an alternative, be
where there are no exits directly to a place of provided in the basement. If in doubt consult
a competent person for more detailed advice.

Figure 40: Basement protection

SC

r
f loo
nd
ou
Gr

nt
me
se
Ba

SC

Fire door
Fire resisting wall
SC Self-closing

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 Lifts Fixed vertical or raking ladders
Due to the danger of the power supplies to a These are normally only suitable for use of a
lift being affected by a fire, lifts not specifically limited number of able-bodied staff where they
designed as ‘firefighting’ or ‘evacuation’ lifts are form the only means of access to plant spaces,
not normally considered acceptable as a means provided they are suitably guarded and the
of escape. However, where a lift and stairway total descent does not exceed 9m without an
for a means of escape are incorporated in a intermediate landing. Where they are external
fire-resisting shaft which has a final exit from it they should be protected from the elements in
at the access level and the lift has a separate the same way as external stairways.
electrical supply to that of the remainder of the
building, than that lift subject to an agreed fire Lowering lines and other self-rescue devices
risk assessment, may be acceptable as a means These are not acceptable as a means of escape.
of escape in case of fire.
Roof exits
Lifts are housed in vertical shafts that interconnect It may be reasonable for an escape route to
floors and compartments, therefore precautions cross a roof. Where this is the case, additional
have to be taken to protect people from the precautions will usually be necessary:
risk of fire and smoke spreading from floor
• 
The roof should be flat and the route
to floor via the lift shaft. Such precautions
across it should be adequately defined and
may include:
well-illuminated where necessary with
• 
separating the lift from the remainder of normal electric and emergency escape
the storey using fire-resisting construction lighting. The route should be non-slip and
and access via a fire door; guarded with a protective barrier.
• 
ensuring the lift shaft is situated in a • 
The escape route across the roof and its
protected enclosure which may also be a supporting structure should be constructed
stairway enclosure; and as a fire-resisting floor.
• 
providing ventilation of at least 0.1m2 at the • 
Where there are no alternatives other than
top of each lift well to exhaust any smoke. to use a roof exit, any doors, windows,
roof lights and ducting within 3m of the
Escalators and travelators escape route should be fire-resisting.
Escalators and travelators should not be used
• 
The exit from the roof should be in, or
as part of the escape route unless they become
lead to, a place of reasonable safety where
stationary immediately on actuation of the alarm;
people can quickly move to a place of
they should then only be used as a means
total safety.
of escape if they satisfy the recommendations
given for accommodation stairways. • 
Where an escape route passes through or
across another persons property you will
Escalators not within stairway enclosures may need you will need to have a robust legal
need to be separated from the remainder of agreement in place to allow its use at all
the building by fire-resisting construction and times where people are on your premises.
by fire doors.
• 
These should not normally be used by
members of the public and young children.
To avoid a situation where persons are carried
towards a fire it is important that arrangements • 
If your risk assessment deems that the roof
should be made to stop escalators at the outset exit is acceptable for residents/guests to
of an emergency. use for means of escape then the route
should be clearly defined and residents/
guests are informed of this alternative
Portable ladders and throw-out ladders
route.
Throw-out ladders are not acceptable as a
means of escape. Portable ladders are only A typical roof escape route is illustrated in
acceptable in exceptional circumstances where Figure 41.
it will be reasonable for ladders of this kind to
provide escape for one or two able-bodied External escape routes should receive routine
staff (e.g. from a high level plant room). inspection and maintenance to ensure they
remain fit for use. You will need to ensure that
any legal agreements in place cover access for
maintenance of the escape route.

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 Figure 41: An escape route across a roof

Part 2 •
Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions
3m

3m

Revolving doors, wicket doors, sliding Loading and goods delivery doors, shutters
doors and roller shutters (roller, folding or sliding), up-and-over doors
Revolving doors should not normally be and similar openings are not normally suitable
considered as escape doors unless the leaves for use as a final exit. However, they may be
fold outward to form a clear opening upon suitable for escape from areas of normal risk
pressure from within or standard doors of the by small numbers of staff as long as they are
required exit width are provided next to the not likely to be obstructed and can be easily
revolving door. and immediately opened manually, even if
normally power-operated. These are normally
Ideally wicket doors or gates should have a only acceptable for people familiar with the
minimum opening height of 1.5m. The bottom escape routes and operation of the doors.
of the door should not be more than 250mm
above the floor and the width should be
preferably more than 500mm but not less than
450mm. Normally wicket doors will only be
suitable for up to 15 members of staff however,
in areas of a higher fire risk, this should be
reduced to a maximum of three.

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 Sliding doors are not normally suitable on 4.2 Escape route layout
escape routes unless they are for the sole use
of members of staff. Where provided, a notice The examples listed in Table 4 show typical
with the words ‘slide to open’ with an arrow escape route solutions for a range of common
pointing in the direction of opening, should be building layouts. In each case the solution is for a
permanently displayed at about eye level on normal risk building unless illustrated otherwise.
the face of door.
These are not intended to be prescriptive or
Final exit doors and escape away from the exhaustive but merely to help you understand
premises how the principles of means of escape may be
Good escape routes to a final exit will be of applied in practice.
little benefit if the occupants are not able to
get out of the building and quickly disperse They are illustrative of the key features of
from the area to a place of total safety. It is escape route layouts and are not intended to
also important to consider where people will be real building layouts or to scale.
go once they have evacuated from the
premises. You do not need to read all of this section,
you only need to consider those figures
The matters that you should consider include and the accompanying text which most
the following: closely resemble your premises. If your
• 
Final exit doors should be quickly and premises do not resemble these then you
easily openable without a key or code in should seek advice from a competent
the event of a fire. Where possible, there person. These examples are intended to
should be only one fastening. See represent your existing layout; they are
Appendix B3 for more information on not to be used as design guidance.
security fastenings.
In all of these examples the following basic
• 
Final exit doors should not lead people principles apply:
into an enclosed area from which there is
no further escape. • 
The farthest point on any floor to the final
exit or storey exit to a protected stairway is
• 
Where a final exit discharges into an within the overall suggested travel distance
enclosed area, further access to a place of (see Table 3 on page 70).
total safety should be available by means
of further doors or gates that can be easily • 
The route to and the area near the exit is
opened in a manner similar to the final exit. kept clear of combustibles and
obstructions.
• 
The route away from the premises needs to
be clearly defined, illuminated, signposted, • 
The protected fire-resisting stairway is kept
and if necessary protected by guardrails. clear of combustibles and obstructions.
Consider the proximity of other building • 
The escape route leads to a final exit.
outlets, such as ventilation and refuse
shafts, which may emit smoke and heat • 
High risk rooms do not generally open
from the fire. directly into a protected stairway.

• 
Dangers once away from the building e.g. • 
If your fire risk assessment shows that
busy roads and people traffic passing the people using any floor would be unaware
building, that may affect people on their of a fire you may require additional fire
way out. protection measures, e.g. an enhanced
automatic fire detection and warning system.
Your fire risk assessment must take into • 
There should be more than one escape
account factors such as the mobility of the route from all parts of the premises (rooms
people who may be expected to use the doors or storeys) except for areas or storeys with
and the accessibility of door opening devices. an occupancy of less than 60. The figure of
60 can be varied in proportion to the risk,
for a lower risk there can be a slight
increase, for a higher risk, lower numbers
of persons should be allowed.

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 Table 4: Typical examples of escape route layouts

Part 2 •
Single storey buildings (or the ground floor of a larger building)

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Ground floor with a single exit (may include mezzanine) See Figure 42

Ground floor with more than one exit (cellular) See Figure 43

Ground floor with more than one exit (open plan) See Figure 44

Multi-storey buildings with more than one stairway

Two storey (ground and one upper floor) See Figure 45

Three storey (basement, ground and first floor) See Figure 46

Three and four storey (ground and up to three upper floors) See Figure 47

Tall building with a firefighting shaft See Figure 48

Multi-storey buildings with a single stairway

Two storey (ground and first floor – small) See Figure 49

Three storey (ground and up to two upper floors) See Figure 50

Four storey (ground and three upper floors) See Figure 51

Multi-storey flats and maisonettes

More than one stairway See Figure 52

Single stairway (ground and up to three upper floors) See Figure 53

Single stairway and automatic ventilation See Figure 54

If you do not have any of the stairway

configurations given, and depending on the
outcome of your fire risk assessment it may be
that you can achieve an equivalent level of
safety by other means.

The green arrows on the Figures 42-47

and 49-51 represent the travel distances
given in Table 3 on page 70 which should
be applied.

If your building has more than ground and

three upper storeys, seek advice from a
competent person.

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 Single storey buildings • 
If your fire risk assessment shows that
(or the ground floor of a larger building) people using a mezzanine area or cellular
room would be unaware of fire elsewhere
Ground floor with a single exit
in the building, you may require additional
(may include a mezzanine)
fire protection measures, e.g. an automatic
Part of your premises may have only a single
fire detection and warning system in non-
exit. That part of the premises served only by a
sleeping areas.
single exit (i.e. ground floor and mezzanine in
total) should accommodate no more than 60 • 
If the non-sleeping area is part of the same
building in which other areas are used for
people. The layout shown in Figure 42 will be sleeping then any shared escape routes
generally acceptable subject to the following: should be protected by automatic fire
detection – see Table 1.
• 
If the area is a sleeping area you will
require automatic fire detection, as
• 
A mezzanine covering more than half of the
floor area may need to be treated as a
suggested in Table 1.
separate floor (see two storey buildings,
Figures 45 and 49).

Figure 42: Ground floor, with a single exit

(including a mezzanine)

Ground floor

Final Exit

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 Ground floor with more than one exit Note: If any room or area within a non-

Part 2 •
Figure 43 shows a ground floor cellular layout sleeping area opens onto any part of the
with more than one exit. In sleeping areas the escape route from a sleeping area then
corridor should be a protected route with fire- automatic fire detection will be necessary
resisting construction and self-closing fire in these areas.

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

doors. In non-sleeping areas the fire resisting
construction is omitted.

Figure 43: Ground floor with more than one exit.

(cellular)

Non sleeping areas Sleeping area

Final Exit Final Exit

SC SC SC

Cellular Cellular
Layout SC Layout
SC SC

Final Exit Final Exit

Fire-resisting door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Automatic fire detection

91
45°+

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 Figure 44 shows a ground
Non sleeping areas floor open plan Sleeping area
Final Exit Final Exit
layout. In this example, the exits provide
alternative escape routes (see Figure 24), SC SC SC
direct to open air therefore the room or area
is suitable for use by more than 60 people.
Fire-resisting construction is not necessary Cellular
in Cellular
Layout SC Layout
these circumstances. SC SC

Note: If the room or

Final Exit is used for sleeping
area Final Exit

accommodation, automatic fire-detection

should be in accordance with Table 1. Fire-resisting door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Figure 44: Ground floor (open plan) with more
than one exit Automatic fire detection

45°+

Final Exit Fire-resisting door

Fire-resisting wall

Final Exit
45°+

Multi-storey buildings with more than one The layout shown in Figure 45 will be
stairway generally acceptable as long as the farthest
point on each of your floors to the storey exit
Two storey (ground and one upper floor)
is within the overall suggested travel distance
If your premises has a ground floor and one
(see Table 3 on page 70).
upper storey, it is important to understand that
you may not be able to meet the suggested
Note: In the example, the escape routes from
travel distance to a final exit (see Table 3 on
the sleeping areas (situated on the first floor
page 70). In this case stairways may therefore
only) are protected by automatic fire detection
need to be protected by a fire-resisting
(see Table 1 on page 55)
enclosure as shown. If the stairway serves
bedrooms in a sleeping area, the corridor
and stairways should be protected by a fire-
resisting enclosure.

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 Figure 45: Two storey (ground and one upper floor)

Part 2 •
Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions
A–B Travel in single direction only
A–C Total travel distance
SC Self-closing
Fire-resisting wall
Fire door
Automatic fire detection

Fire SC
Fire SC
exit
exit

SC SC
SC
SC

SC SC
SC
SC
SC
SC SC

SC SC SC
SC

SC
SC

Fire exit Fire exit

Non-sleeping area Sleeping area

Ground floor First floor

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 Three storey (basement, ground and lobby or corridor between the basement
first floor) and the protected stairway.
In premises with a basement, ground and first
• 
The floor between the ground floor and
floor, where only the first floor is used for
basement is fire-resisting, e.g. 60 minutes.
sleeping accommodation, served by more than
one stairway the layout shown in Figure 46
Note: If either the ground floor or basement
will be generally acceptable as long as the
are used for sleeping accommodation the fire
following apply:
resisting enclosure and automatic fire detection
• 
The farthest point in the basement to the should be the same as indicated on the
door to the stairway is within the overall first floor.
suggested travel distance (see Table 3 on
page 70). The figure shows distances to nearest stairway
(or final exit).
• 
The stairways from the basement to ground
floor level are separated by a fire-resisting

Figure 46: Three storey (basement, ground and first floor)

Bedrooms on this floor

SC First
SC
floor
SC

SC
SC
SC

SC
SC

SC
SC

Final exit

SC Ground floor

SC

SC

Final exit
SC

SC Basement

SC

SC

SC
Fire door
Fire-resisting wall

SC SC Self-closing
Automatic fire detection

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 Three and four storey (ground and up to the route are self-closing fire doors.

Part 2 •
three upper floors).
• 
Access to the stairway from any room is
In premises, with a ground floor and up to three
through at least one fire door,
upper floors, served by more than one stairway,
the layout shown in Figure 47 will be generally • 
The automatic fire detection is as suggested

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

acceptable as long as the following apply: in Table 1.
• 
The farthest point on all of the floors to the
The principles apply to taller buildings (up to
storey exit is within the overall suggested
18m). However, where the building has more
travel distance (see Table 3 on page 70).
than ground and three upper storeys, seek
• 
The stairways and corridors that serve advice from a competent person.
sleeping areas are protected routes.
The figure shows distances to nearest stairway
• 
Protected routes have 30-minute fire-
(or final exit).
resisting construction and all doors onto

Figure 47: Three and four storey (ground and up to

three upper floors)

SC SC
3rd floor
SC
SC

SC
SC

SC
SC
SC
SC
SC
Bedrooms on
SC upper floors

SC
1st/2nd floor
SC

SC

SC
SC

SC
SC
W.C.
W.C.
SC

SC

Final
exit
Ground floor
SC

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
SC Final Automatic fire detection
exit

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 Tall building with a firefighting shaft
Figure 48 shows a multi-storey building more
than 18m high fitted with a firefighting shaft
which is required for specific types of buildings.
If the premises you occupy are situated in a
building like this, you should ask the advice of
a competent person. Further information may
be found in BS 5588-564 and Approved
Document B.24

Figure 48: Tall building with a firefighting shaft

Firefighting lift

SC

SC
Floors
higher
than
18m

SC

Upper floor

SC

Maximum distance 18m

SC

SC

Firefighting lift

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Firefighting stairs

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 Multi-storey buildings with a single stairway will be generally acceptable as long as the

Part 2 •
In the majority of multi-storey premises, two following apply:
or more stairways will be provided for escape
• 
The farthest point on all of your floors to the
purposes. Parts of premises that are provided
storey exit is within the overall suggested
with only a single stairway from upper floors

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

travel distance (see Table 3 on page 70).
or basements storeys are not usually suitable
for more than 60 people. Similarly, if the • 
The upper floor should accommodate no
ground floor of part of your premises has only more than 60 people.
a single final exit it should be limited to no
• 
The stairway is a protected route,
more than 60 people.
completely enclosed in 30-minute fire-
resisting construction and all doors onto
Two storey (ground and first floor – small)
the corridor and stairway are self-closing
If your premises have one upper storey, served
fire doors.
by a single stairway and no floor exceeds
200m2 in area, the example in Figure 49 • 
Access to the stairway from any room is
through one fire door.
• 
The automatic fire detection is as suggested
in Table 1 on page 70, e.g. Grade D LD2
or 3 system in a small bed and breakfast.

Figure 49: Two storey (ground and first floor – small)

SC

SC

SC
SC

SC
SC SC

SC

1st floor

SC

SC
SC

SC

Ground floor

Fire-resisting door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Automatic fire detection

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 Three storey (ground and up to two • 
The corridors serving bedrooms in sleeping
upper floors) areas and stairway are protected routes,
If your premises have a ground and up to two completely enclosed in 30-minute fire-
upper floors with any floor more than 200m2 in resisting construction and all doors onto
area, served by a single stairway, the layout in the corridor and stairway are self-closing
Figure 50 will be generally acceptable as long fire doors.
as the following apply:
• 
Access to the stairway from any room is
• 
The farthest point on all of the floors to the through one fire door.
storey exit is within the overall suggested
travel distance (see Table 3 on page 70).
• 
The automatic fire detection is as suggested
in Table 1 on page 55, e.g. an L2 system in
• 
The upper floor is less than 11m above boarding house type accommodation.
ground level.
• 
The upper floors should each accommodate
no more than 60 people.

Figure 50: Three storey (ground and up to two

upper floors)

2nd floor

SC
SC

1st floor

W.C. SC
W.C.

SC

SC

Ground floor

SC SC SC

Final exit SC

SC

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Automatic fire detection

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 Four storey (ground and three upper floors) • 
The corridors serving bedrooms in sleeping

Part 2 •
Because of the higher risk posed by a four- areas and stairway are protected routes,
storey premises with a single stairway, to completely enclosed in 30-minute fire-
protect the escape route by preventing smoke resisting construction and all doors onto
from entering the stairway, a protected lobby the corridor and stairway are self-closing

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

or corridor approach between the stairway and fire doors.
all floors should be provided.
• 
The farthest point on all of the floors to the
corridor/lobby exit is within the overall
The layout in Figure 51 will be generally
suggested travel distance (see Table 3 on
acceptable as long as the following apply:
page 70).
• 
The upper floors should each
accommodate no more than 60 people.
• 
When a protected lobby or corridor
approach to the stairway is employed the
• 
Access to the stairway from any room is travel distance is measured to the storey
through two fire doors (other than the top exit and not the door to the lobby or
floor). This can be achieved by using corridor.
protected corridors or by the use of lobbies.
• 
The automatic fire detection is as suggested
in Table 1 on page 55.

Figure 51: Four-storey (ground and three

upper floors

Top floors

SC
SC

1st/2nd floor

W.C.
SC
W.C.

SC
SC
SC
SC

SC

Ground floor

SC SC

SC

Final exit
SC

SC
SC

Fire door
Fire resisting wall
SC Self-closing
Automatic fire detection

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 Multi-storey flats and maisonettes • 
The stairway is a protected escape route
leading to a final exit.
More than one stairway
In flats and maisonettes served by more than one • 
The travel distance from the dwelling
stairway, the layout in Figure 52 will be generally entrance door to the common stair is
acceptable as long as the following apply: limited 30m.
• 
Access to the stairway from a dwelling is • 
Ventilation to the corridors and stairways
through two fire doors, e.g. by using a is provided.
protected corridor.

Figure 52: Flats and maisonettes, with more than

one stairway

SC

SC
SC
SC
SC
SC

SC
SC
SC
SC

SC
SC

SC
SC

SC
SC

OV OV
D D D D D D D
SC SC SC SC SC SC SC SC
SC Maximum travel
OV SC OV Intermediate floor
distance 30m

SC SC SC SC SC SC SC
D D D D D D D

Fire door
Fire-resisting construction
SC Self-closing fire door
OV Openable vent at high level for fire service use (1.0m2 minimum free area)
D Dwelling

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 Note: automatic fire detection is not shown • 
The stairway is a protected escape route

Part 2 •
but see Note 4 to Table 1 on page 55. leading to a final exit.

Single stairway (ground and up to three

• 
The travel distance from the dwelling
entrance door to the common stair is
upper floors)

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

limited to 4.5m.
If your premises have a ground and up to
three upper floors, served by a single stairway, • 
If an automatic opening vent is provided in
the layout in Figure 53 will be generally the lobby, (see Figure 54) the travel distance
acceptable as long as the following apply: can be increased from 4.5m to 7.5m.
• 
The upper floor is less than 11m above
Note: Automatic fire detection is not shown
ground.
but see Note 4 to Table 1 on page 55.
• 
Access to the stairway from a dwelling is
through two fire doors, e.g. by using a
protected lobby.

Figure 53: Single stairway (ground and up to three

upper floors

SC
SC

SC
SC
SC

SC SC

D
D
D
SC
SC SC
SC OV Intermediate floor
SC
SC
D SC D
D

Maximum travel distance 4.5m

Fire door
Fire-resisting construction
SC Self-closing fire door
OV Openable vent at high level for fire service use (1.0m2 minimum free area)
D Dwelling

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 Single stairway and automatic ventilation • 
The travel distance from the dwelling
In flats and maisonettes served by a single entrance door to the common stair is
stairway, the layout in Figure 54 will be generally limited to 7.5m.
acceptable as long as the following apply:
• 
Access to the stairway from a dwelling is
This principle applies to tall buildings.
However, where your building has more than
through two fire doors, this is achieved by
a ground and three upper storeys, seek advice
using a protected corridor.
from a competent person.
• 
The stairway is a protected escape route
Note: Automatic fire detection (other than that
leading to a final exit.
for the automatic ventilation) is not shown but
see Note 4 to Table 1 on page 55.

Figure 54: Single stairway and automatic ventilation

SC

SC
SC

SC
SC

SC

SC

SC

SC

OV
D D D D
SC SC SC SC
SC

AOV Intermediate floor

SC SC SC SC
D D D D

Maximum travel distance 7.5m

Fire door
Fire-resisting construction
SC Self-closing fire door
AOV Automatic opening ventilation at high level (1.5m2 minimum free area)
(triggered by automatic smoke detection)
OV Openable vent at high level for fire service use (1.0m2 minimum free area)
D Dwelling
Automatic smoke detection (to trigger automatic opening ventilation)

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 Section 5 Further guidance on

Part 2 •
emergency escape lighting

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

The primary purpose of emergency escape • 
firefighting equipment;
lighting is to illuminate escape routes but it
also illuminates other safety equipment.
• 
fire alarm call points;
• 
equipment that would need to be shut
The size and type of your premises and down in an emergency;
the risk to the occupants will determine the
complexity of escape lighting required.
• 
lifts; and
• 
halls or other areas greater than 60m2.
In simple premises where borrowed lighting or
torches are not appropriate, single ‘stand-alone’ It is not necessary to provide individual lights
emergency escape lighting units may be (luminaires) for each item above, but there
sufficient. These can sometimes be combined should be a sufficient overall level of light
with exit or directional signs. The level of to allow them to be visible and usable.
general illumination should not be significantly
reduced by the sign. Emergency escape lighting can be both
‘maintained’, i.e. on all the time, or ‘non-
A more comprehensive system of fixed automatic maintained’ which only operates when the normal
escape lighting is likely to be needed in larger, lighting fails. Maintained lighting should be
more complex premises, particularly in those used in areas where people may be unfamiliar
with extensive basements or where there are with the premises e.g. function rooms, bars
significant numbers of members of the public, etc. as well as hotel corridors where residents
other occupants or staff. of such premises will be unfamiliar with the
layout. Systems or individual luminaires are
You will have identified the escape routes designed to operate for durations of between
when carrying out your fire risk assessment one and three hours. In practice, the three-
and need to ensure that they are all adequately hour design is the most popular and can help
lit. If there are escape routes that are not with maintaining limited continued use of your
permanently illuminated by normal lighting, premises during a power failure (other than in
such as external stairs, then a switch, clearly an emergency situation).
marked ‘Escape lighting’, or some other means
of switching on the lighting should be
Figure 55: Luminaires
provided at the entry to that area/stairs.

An emergency escape lighting system would

usually cover the following:
• 
each exit door;
• 
escape routes;
• 
intersections of corridors;
• 
outside each final exit and on external
escape routes;
• 
emergency escape signs;
• 
stairways so that each flight receives
adequate light;
• 
changes in floor level;
• 
windowless rooms and toilet
accommodation exceeding 8m2;

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 Emergency escape lighting luminaires can be Maintenance and testing of emergency
stand-alone dedicated units or incorporated escape lighting
into normal light fittings. There are highly All emergency escape lighting systems should
decorative versions of these for those areas that be regularly tested and properly maintained to
demand aesthetically pleasing fixtures. Power an appropriate standard. Most existing systems
supplies can be rechargeable batteries integral will need to be manually tested. However,
to each unit, a central battery bank or an some modern systems have self-testing facilities
automatic start generator. that reduce routine checks to a minimum.

To complement emergency escape lighting, Depending on your type of installation you

people, especially those unfamiliar with the should be able to carry out most of the routine
premises, can be helped to identify exit routes tests yourself. The test method will vary. If you
by the use of way-guidance equipment. Way- are not sure how to carry out these tests you
guidance systems usually comprise photo- should contact your supplier or other
luminescent material, lines of LEDs, or strips competent person.
of miniature incandescent lamps, forming a
continuous marked escape route at lower
Figure 56: A test key
level (Figure 56). These systems have proved
particularly effective when people have to
escape through smoke, and for partially sighted
people. They can be particularly useful in
premises where they can provide marked
routes on floors and in multi-storey premises
they can direct people to escape routes which
are seldom used.

If you decide that you need to install

emergency escape lighting or to modify your
existing system, any work should be carried
out by a competent person in accordance with
the appropriate standards. Further guidance is
given in BS 5266-127A and BS 5266-8.27

Figure 56: A way-guidance system

Test facilities often take the form of a ‘fishtail’
key inserted in a special switch either near the
main fuse board or adjacent to relevant light
switches.

Typically, testing would include:

• 
a daily visual check of any central controls;
• 
a monthly function test by operating the
test facility for a period sufficient to ensure
that each emergency lamp illuminates; and
• 
an annual full discharge test.

Particular care needs to be taken following a

full discharge test. Batteries typically take 24
hours to recharge and the premises should not
be re-occupied until the emergency lighting
system is fully functioning unless alternative
arrangements have been made. This will be of
particular importance in premises providing
sleeping accommodation seven days a week.
It is good practice to keep a record of tests.
Further guidance is given in BS 5266-8.27

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 Section 6 Further guidance on signs

Part 2 •
and notices

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Escape signs • 
Every escape route sign should, where
In simple premises, a few signs indicating the necessary, incorporate, or be accompanied
alternative exit(s) might be all that is needed. by, a directional arrow. Arrows should not
In larger and more complex premises, a series be used on their own.
of signs directing people along the escape
routes towards the final exit might be needed.
• 
If the escape route to the nearest exit is not
obvious then it should be indicated by a
sign(s).
A fire risk assessment (in other than very small
premises) that determines no escape signs are • 
They should be positioned so that a person
required, as trained staff will always be escaping will always have the next escape
available to help members of the public to route sign in sight.
escape routes, is unlikely to be acceptable to
an enforcing authority.
• 
They should be fixed above the door in
the direction of escape and not be fixed
to doors, as they will not be visible if the
Many people with poor vision retain some
door is open.
sight and are able to recognise changing or
contrasting colour to provide them with visual • 
Signs mounted above doors should be at a
clues when moving around a building.* 105It height of between 2.0m and 2.5m above
may be sufficient to paint any columns and the floor.
walls in a contrasting colour (see BS 830014 )
and to highlight changes in level by, for
• 
Signs on walls should be mounted between
1.7m and 2.0m above the floor.
example, making the nosing to step and stair
treads a contrasting colour. • 
Mounting heights greater than 2.5m may be
used for hanging signs, e.g. in large open
For people with no sight, a well-managed ‘buddy spaces or for operational reasons, but care
system’, continuous handrails or a sound should be taken to ensure that such signs
localisation system (which helps people to move are both conspicuous and legible. In such
towards an alert sound) or the installation of case larger signs may be necessary.
more tactile aids may be appropriate.
• 
Signs should be sited at the same height
throughout the escape route, as far as is
Exit signs should be clearly visible whenever
reasonably practicable.
the public, staff and contractors are present.
Escape sign design
Positioning of escape signs
For a sign to comply with signs and signals
The presence of other signs in premises (such
regulations it must be pictographic (see Figures
as advertising and customer information), can
58 and 59) The pictogram can be supplemented
distract attention from, or obscure the visibility
by text if this is considered necessary to make
of escape signs. This could affect people’s
the sign easily understood (BS-type sign) but
ability to see and understand escape signs,
you must not have a fire safety sign that uses
particularly if there is a fire evacuation. Always
only text. Either type of sign can be used but
ensure that escape signs are not overwhelmed.
different types should not be mixed.
Appropriate signs should take into account the
Escape signs should meet the following criteria:
needs of those who may need to use them.
• 
They should provide clear, unambiguous
information to enable people to safely
leave a building in an emergency.

* The Royal National Institute of the Blind estimates that only

about 4% of visually impaired people are totally blind.

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 The legibility of escape signs is determined by Figure 60: Fire door ‘keep shut’ notice
the size of the sign, its level of illumination
and the distance over which it is viewed. The
use of signs within the same premises should
follow a consistent design pattern or scheme.
You should not rely on a few outsized signs
which may encourage people to travel to a
particular escape route when other more
appropriate routes should be used.

In multi-occupied premises, co-operation

between the respective ‘responsible persons’
including, if necessary, the managing agent or
landlord should be sought to ensure that, as far
as possible, all signs in the building conform to
a single pattern or scheme.
Signs should indicate non-automatic fire safety
Figure 58: BS-type sign
equipment if there is any doubt about its
location, e.g. fire extinguishers that are kept
in cabinets or in recesses.

A notice with the words ‘Push bar to open’

should be permanently displayed immediately
above the push-bar on all doors fitted with a
panic bolt or panic latch.

A notice with the words ‘Fire escape – keep clear’

should be permanently displayed at about eye
Figure 59: Euro sign level on the external face of all doors which
are provided as a means of escape in case of
fire and which, because they are not normally
used, may become obstructed.

Guest and resident notices

You will need to provide information to guests
and residents. This can be done by providing
notices about what to do in case of fire (fire
action notices). In small premises this may be
an action list; in larger more complex premises
this should be an action notice with plan
indicating the escape routes, see Figure 61.

Other safety signs and notices

A number of other mandatory signs such as
‘Fire action’ notices may also be necessary.

Fire doors that have been fitted with self-

closing devices should be labelled ‘Fire door –
keep shut’ on both sides (Figure 60). Fire
resisting doors to cupboards, stores and service
ducts that are not self-closing because they are
routinely kept locked should be labelled ‘Fire
door – keep locked’ on the outside.

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 Figure 61: A typical bedroom fire action notice Figure 62: Typical staff fire action notice

Part 2 •
Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions
If your premises are routinely expected to
accommodate numbers of people whose first
language is not English you may need to
consider providing instruction in more than
one language. The interpretation should always
convey an identical message.

Staff notices Illumination

In simple premises where there are a limited All signs and notices will need illumination to
number of escape routes, it may be reasonable ensure they are conspicuous and legible. There
to issue only verbal reminders of what staff are a number of options available to achieve
need to do if there is a fire. In some premises, this, such as:
you could consider providing a short written
statement that could, for example, be delivered • 
external illumination; and
with staff pay slips every six months. • 
internal illumination.
In multi-occupied, larger and more complex The supplier or other competent person can
premises or where there is a high turnover of give you further advice.
staff, a more considered approach for staff
notices and instructions will be necessary. As Signs or notices of the photo-luminescent type,
well as positioning the fire instructions notice i.e. where the active material making up the
on escape routes adjacent to fire break-glass luminous parts of such signs or notices needs a
call points, put them where staff frequently period of exposure to light before they become
assemble in the premises, e.g. the canteen and visible in darkness (but get fainter with time),
locker rooms (Figure 62). are not a substitute for appropriate emergency
lighting and should only be used where other
forms of illumination are present.

Further guidance
Detailed guidance on fire safety signs can be
found in BS 5499-429 and BS 5499-5.47 Published
guidance5,6 on compliance with health and
safety legislation on signs is also available.
Guidance about photo-luminescent fire safety
signs and notices can be found in BS 5266-6.76

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 Section 7 Further guidance on
recording, planning, informing, instructing
and training
7.1 Fire safety records • 
recording and training of relevant people
and fire evacuation drills;
Keeping up-to-date records of your fire risk • 
planning, organising, policy and
assessment can help you effectively manage the implementation, monitoring, audit and
fire strategy for your premises and demonstrate review;
how you are complying with fire safety law.
• 
maintenance and audit of any systems that
Even if you do not have to record the fire risk are provided to help the fire and rescue
assessment, it can be helpful to keep a record service;
of any co-operation and exchange of • 
the arrangements in a large multi-occupied
information made between employers and building for a co-ordinated emergency plan
other responsible people for future reference. or overall control of the actions you or
your staff should take if there is a fire; and
In larger and more complex premises, it is best
to keep a dedicated record of all maintenance • 
all alterations, tests, repairs and
of fire protection equipment and training. maintenance of fire safety systems, including
There is no one ‘correct’ format specified for passive systems such as fire doors.
this. Suitable record books are available from
trade associations and may also be available Other issues that you may wish to record
from your local enforcing authority. include:
• 
the competence, qualifications and status
In all cases the quality of records may also be of the persons responsible for carrying out
regarded as a good indicator of the overall inspections and tests;
quality of the safety management structure.
• 
the results of periodic safety audits,
Your records should be kept in a specified reviews, inspections and tests, and any
place on the premises (for example, in the remedial action taken;
management’s office), and should include: • 
all incidents and circumstances which
• 
details of any significant findings from the had the potential to cause accidents and
fire risk assessment and any action taken monitor subsequent remedial actions; and
(see Part 1, Section 4.1); • 
a record of the building use, the fire
• 
testing and checking of escape routes, prevention and protection measures in
including final exit locking mechanisms, place and high-risk areas.
such as panic devices, emergency exit
devices and any electromagnetic devices; You should ensure that no other management
decisions or policies compromise safety.
• 
testing of fire warning systems, including
weekly alarm tests and periodic Your documentation should be available for
maintenance by a competent person; inspection by representatives of the enforcing
• 
recording of false alarms; authority.
• 
testing and maintenance of emergency More detailed advice is given in BS5588-12.48
lighting systems;
• 
testing and maintenance of fire extinguishers, Figure 63 is an example of how to record
hose reels and fire blankets etc.; some individual stages of the process in more
detail. A blank version of this form is provided
• 
if appropriate, testing and maintenance in Appendix A2.
of other fire safety equipment such as
fire-suppression systems and smoke
control systems;
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 Figure 63: Example record of significant findings

Part 2 •
Risk Assessment – Record of significant findings
Risk assessment for Assessment undertaken by

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Company Warwick Towers Hotel Date 20/02/2006
Address  8 High Street
3 Completed by A Smith
Any Town
Signature A Smith
AA11 6ZZ

Sheet number Floor/area Use

1 First floor Restaurant and accommodation

Step 1 – Identify fire hazards

Sources of ignition Sources of fuel Sources of oxygen

• Heat from cooking • Oil in deep fat fryer •N

 ormal air circulating by kitchen
• Smoking materials • Furniture and bedding extract and air handling equipment
• Laundry and cleaning material

Step 2 – People at risk

• Customers and staff in restaurant, guests in accommodation on upper floors

• Guests in accommodation on upper floors, cleaning staff and especially mobility impaired occupant of room 122

Step 3 – Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk

(3.1) E
 valuate the risk •H
 igh risk of ignition of over heating cooking oil residue in extract
of the fire occuring equipment
•M
 oderate risk of carelessly discarded smoking material by staff
or guests

(3.2) E
 valuate the risk to •F
 ire in kitchen could spread to restaurant and upper floor via poorly
people from a fire starting maintained extract equipment, or via wedged open fire doors
in the premises •F
 ire in bedroom or cleaning store could spread to escape routes due to
poorly fitting fire doors and poorly maintained door hold open devices

(3.3) R
 emove and reduce •U
 nable to remove. Introduce programme of regular cleaning of fryer
the hazards that may surround and extract equipment and ensure staff are familiar with the
cause a fire temperature controls
•I
 ntroduce a safe smoking policies. Ensure all staff are aware of risks and
check with regular patrols

(3.4) R
 emove and reduce •E nsure all staff are properly trained to use extinguishers. Ensure all doors
the risks to people protecting escape routes are closed
from a fire • R epair all fire doors so that they close effectively, arrange for all door
open devices to be regularly serviced

Assessment review

Assessment review date Completed by Signature

Review outcome (where substantial changes have occurred a new record sheet should be used)

Notes:
(1) The risk assessment record significant findings should refer to other plans, records or other documents as necessary.
(2) T
 he information in this record should assist you to develop an emergency plan; coordinate measures with other ‘responsible persons’
in the building; and to inform and train staff and inform other relevant persons.

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 Fire safety audit This information should be passed on to any
A fire safety audit can be used alongside your later users or owners of the premises.
fire risk assessment to identify what fire safety
provisions exist in your premises.
7.2 Emergency plans
When carrying out a review of your fire safety
risk assessment, a pre-planned audit can Emergency plan and contingency plans
quickly identify if there have been any Your emergency plan should be appropriate to
significant changes which may affect the fire your premises and could include:
safety systems and highlight whether a full fire
risk assessment is necessary. • how people will be warned if there is a fire;
• what staff/wardens should do if they
Plans and specifications discover a fire;
Plans and specifications can be required to
assist understanding of a fire risk assessment or • what guests/residents should do if they
emergency plan. Even where not needed for discover a fire;
this purpose they can help you and your staff • how the evacuation of the premises should
keep your fire risk assessment and emergency be carried out;
plan under review and help the fire and rescue
service in the event of fire. Any symbols used • where people should assemble after they
should be shown on a key. Plans and have left the premises and procedures for
specifications could include the following: checking whether the premises have been
evacuated;
• 
essential structural features such as the
layout of function rooms, escape doors, • procedure where there are no staff
wall partitions, corridors, stairways etc. e.g. HMO, sheltered accommodation;
(including any fire-resisting structure and • identification of key escape routes, how
self-closing fire doors provided to protect people can gain access to them and escape
the escape routes); from them to a place of total safety;
• 
location of refuges and lifts that have been • arrangements for fighting fire;
designated suitable for use by disabled people
and others who may need assistance to • the duties and identity of staff who have
escape in case of a fire; specific responsibilities if there is a fire;

• 
methods for fighting fire (details of the • arrangements for the safe evacuation of
number, type and location of the people identified as being especially at
firefighting equipment); risk, such as those with disabilities,
children, and lone workers;
• 
location of manually operated fire alarm call
points and control equipment for fire alarms; • any machines/appliances/power supplies
that need to be stopped or isolated if there
• 
location of any control rooms and any fire is a fire;
staff posts;
• specific arrangements, if necessary, for
• 
location of any emergency lighting high-fire-risk areas;
equipment and exit route signs;
• contingency plans (e.g. restrictions on the
• 
location of any high-risk areas, equipment use of the building) for when life safety
or process that must be immediately shut systems such as evacuation lifts, fire-
down by staff on hearing the fire alarm; detection and warning systems, sprinklers
• 
location of any automatic firefighting or smoke control systems are out of order;
systems, risers and sprinkler control valves; • how the fire and rescue service and any
• 
location of the main electrical supply other necessary services will be called and
switch, the main water shut-off valve and, who will be responsible for doing this;
where appropriate, the main gas or oil • procedures for meeting the fire and rescue
shut-off valves; and service on their arrival and notifying them
• 
plans and specifications relating to all of any special risks, e.g. the location of
recent constructions. highly flammable materials; and

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 • liaison between building owners, employers, Even if you do not have to record the fire

Part 2 •
managing agents, other occupiers, residents risk assessment, it would be helpful to keep
and the fire and rescue service. a record of any cooperation and exchange
of information made between employers and
As part of your emergency plan it is good other responsible people for future reference.

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

practice to prepare post-incident plans for
dealing with situations that might arise such You need to ensure that all staff and, where
as those involving: necessary, other relevant persons in the building,
receive appropriate information in a way that
• unaccompanied children;
can be easily understood. This might include
• people with personal belongings any special instructions to particular people
(especially valuables) still in the building; who have been allocated a specific task, such
as shutting down equipment or guiding people
• people in a state of undress (e.g. swimmers);
to the nearest exit. This may also include
• people wishing to rejoin friends; residents and guests.
• getting people away from the building
Duties of employees to give information
(e.g. to transport); and
Employees also have a duty to take reasonable
• inclement weather. care for their own safety and that of other
people who may be affected by their activities.
You should also prepare contingency plans to This includes the need for them to inform their
determine specific actions and/or the employer of any activity that they consider
mobilisation of specialist resources. would present a serious and immediate danger
to their own safety and that of others.
Guidance on developing health and safety
management policy has been published by Dangerous substances
the HSE.31 HSE publishes guidance8 about specific
substances where appropriate information may
need to be provided. If any of these, or any
7.3 Information, instruction, other substance that is not included but
nevertheless presents more than a slight risk,
co-operation and co-ordination is present in your premises, then you must
provide such information to staff and others,
Supplying information
specifically you must:
You must provide easily understandable
information to employees, the parents of • name the substance and the risks associated
children you may employ, and to employers of with it, e.g. how to safely use or store the
other persons working in your premises about product to avoid creating highly flammable
the measures in place to ensure a safe escape vapours or explosive atmospheres;
from the building and how they will operate,
• i dentify any legislative provisions that may
for example:
be associated with the substance;
• 
any significant risks to staff and other
• 
allow employees access to the hazardous
relevant persons that have been identified
substances safety data sheet; and
in your fire risk assessment or any similar
assessment carried out by another user and • 
inform the local fire and rescue service
responsible person in the building; where dangerous substances are present
on the premises.
• 
the fire prevention and protection measures
and procedures in your premises and where
Information to the fire and rescue services
they impact on staff and other relevant
In addition to providing information to the fire
persons in the building;
and rescue service when dangerous substances
• 
the procedures for fighting a fire in the are present in sufficient quantities to pose an
premises; and enhanced risk, it will also be helpful to inform
them of any short term changes that might
• 
the identity of people who have been
have an impact on their firefighting activities;
nominated with specific responsibilities in
e.g. in the event of temporary loss of a
the building.
firefighting facility and temporary alterations.

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 Procedures should also include meeting • 
the safe storage of hazardous substances at
and briefing the fire and rescue service when the end of the working day; and
they arrive.
• 
ensuring everyone in large organisations
with many buildings within a curtilage and
a security zone knows how to use internal
Case study emergency telephones.

If the firefighting lift in a multi-storey premises

Specific instructions may be needed about:
becomes defective, this should be brought • 
how staff will help members of the public/
to the attention of the fire and rescue service. visitors to leave the building;
Being unable to use this facility to tackle a
fire on the upper floors might have a serious • 
‘sweeping’ of the premises floor by staff to
effect on the ability of firefighters to begin guide people to the nearest exit when the
operations as quickly as planned. The fire alarm sounds;
information supplied will enable the
emergency services to make adjustments to • 
calling the emergency services;
the level of the emergency response. • 
carrying out evacuation roll calls;
• 
taking charge at the assembly area;
• 
meeting and directing fire engines; and
Instruction
You will need to carefully consider the type of • 
cover arrangements when nominated
instructions to staff and other people working people are on leave.
in your premises. Written instructions must be
concise, clear and relevant and therefore must Co-operation and co-ordination
be reviewed and updated as new working Where you share premises with others (this
practices and hazardous substances are includes people who are self-employed or in
introduced. partnership), each responsible person, i.e. each
employer, owner or other person who has
Inclusive access and employment policies mean control over any part of the premises, will
that people with learning difficulties may now be need to co-operate and co-ordinate the
present in a range of premises and your fire risk findings of their separate fire risk assessments
assessment should consider whether further to ensure the fire precautions and protection
instruction or guidance is necessary to ensure measures are effective throughout the building.
that your evacuation strategy is appropriate and This could include:
understood by everyone. • 
co-ordinating an emergency plan (see Step
4.2 for features of an emergency plan);
Instructions will need to be given to people
delegated to carry out particular tasks, for • 
identifying the nature of any risks and
example: how they may affect others in or about
the premises;
• 
ensuring that escape routes are accessible;
• 
identifying any fire-prevention and
• 
daily, weekly, quarterly and yearly checks protection measures;
on the range of fire safety measures (in
larger premises some of the work may be • 
identifying any measures to mitigate the
contracted out to a specialist company); effects of a fire; and

• 
safety considerations when closing down • 
arranging any contacts with external
the premises at the end of the day, e.g. emergency services and calling the fire
removing rubbish, ensuring enough exits and rescue service.
are available for people that remain and
closing fire doors; 7.4 Fire safety training
• 
leaving hazardous substances in a safe
condition when evacuating the building; Staff training
The actions of staff if there is a fire are likely
to be crucial to their safety and that of other
people in the premises. All staff should receive

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 basic fire safety induction training and attend Training should be repeated as often as

Part 2 •
refresher sessions at pre-determined intervals. necessary and should take place during
working hours.
You should ensure that all staff and contractors
are told about the emergency plan and are Whatever training you decide is necessary to

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

shown the escape routes. support your fire safety strategy and emergency
plan, it should be verifiable.
The training should take account of the
findings of the fire risk assessment and be Enforcing authorities may want to examine
easily understood by all those attending. It records as evidence that adequate training has
should include the role that those members been given.
of staff will be expected to carry out if a fire
occurs. This may vary in large premises, with Fire marshals and firefighting teams
some staff being appointed as fire marshals Staff expected to undertake the role of fire
or being given some other particular role for marshals (often called fire wardens) or form
which additional training will be required. members of a firefighting team (if you have
one), would require more comprehensive
In addition to the guidance given in Part 1, training. Their role may include:
Step 4.4, as a minimum all staff should receive
• 
helping those on the premises to leave;
training about:
• 
checking the premises to ensure everyone
• 
the items listed in your emergency plan;
has left;
• 
the importance of fire doors and other
• 
using firefighting equipment if safe to do so;
basic fire-prevention measures;
• 
liaising with the fire and rescue service on
• 
where relevant, the appropriate use of
arrival;
firefighting equipment;
• 
shutting down vital or dangerous
• 
the importance of reporting to the
equipment; and
assembly area;
• 
performing a supervisory/managing role in
• 
exit routes and the operation of exit devices,
any fire situation.
including physically walking these routes;
• 
general matters such as permitted smoking Training for this role may include:
areas or restrictions on cooking other than
• 
detailed knowledge of the fire safety
in designated areas; and
strategy of the premises;
• 
assisting disabled persons where necessary.
• 
awareness of human behaviour in fires;
Training is necessary: • 
how to encourage others to use the most
appropriate escape route;
• 
when staff start employment or are
transferred into the premises; • 
how to search safely and recognise areas
that are unsafe to enter;
• 
when changes have been made to the
emergency plan and the preventive and • 
the difficulties that some people, particularly
protective measures; if disabled, may have in escaping and any
special evacuation arrangements that have
• 
where working practices and processes
been pre-planned;
or people’s responsibilities change;
• 
additional training in the use of firefighting
• 
to take account of any changed risks to the
equipment;
safety of staff or other relevant persons;
• 
an understanding of the purpose of any
• 
to ensure that staff know what they have to
fixed firefighting equipment such as
do to safeguard themselves and others on
sprinklers or gas flooding systems; and
the premises;
• 
reporting of faults, incidents and near misses.
• 
where staff are expected to assist disabled
persons; and
• 
if the member of staff may take on the
role of ‘duty manager’.

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 Fire drills In larger premises, that have more than one
Once the emergency plan has been developed escape route, the escape plan should be designed
and training given, you will need to evaluate to evacuate all staff people on the assumption
its effectiveness. The best way to do this is to that one exit or stairway is unavailable because
perform a fire drill. This should be carried out of the fire. This could be simulated by a
at least annually or as determined by your fire designated person being located at a suitable
risk assessment. If you have a high staff point on an exit route. Applying this scenario
turnover, you may need to carry them out to different escape routes at each fire drill will
more often. encourage individuals to use alternative escape
routes which they may not normally use.
A well-planned and executed fire drill will
confirm understanding of the training and When carrying out the drill you might find it
provide helpful information for future training, helpful to:
such as time required to waken people. The
• 
circulate details concerning the drill and
responsible person should determine the
inform all staff of their duty to participate.
possible objectives of the drill such as to:
It may not be beneficial to have ‘surprise
• 
identify any weaknesses in the evacuation drills’ as the health and safety risks
strategy; introduced may outweigh the benefits;
• 
test the procedure following any recent • 
ensure that equipment can be safely left;
alteration or changes to working practices;
• 
nominate observers;
• 
familiarise new members of staff with
• 
inform the alarm receiving centre if the
procedures; and
fire-warning system is monitored (if the
• 
test the arrangements for disabled people. fire and rescue service is normally called
directly from your premises, ensure that
Who should take part? this does not happen,)
Within each building the evacuation should
• 
inform members of the public if they are
be for all occupants except those who may
present; and
need to ensure the security of the premises,
or people who, on a risk-assessed basis, are • 
ask a member of staff at random to set off
required to remain with particular equipment the alarm by operating the nearest alarm
or processes that cannot be closed down. call point using the test key. This will
indicate the level of knowledge regarding
Premises that consist of several buildings the location of the nearest call point.
on the same site should be dealt with one
building at a time over an appropriate period More detailed information on fire drills and test
unless the emergency procedure dictates evacuations are given in BS5588-12.48
otherwise.
The roll call/checking the premises have
You may find it helpful to include members been evacuated
of the public in your fire drill – ensuring that Where possible carry out a roll call of your
all necessary health and safety issues are staff as soon as possible at the designated
addressed before you do so. assembly point(s), and/or receive reports
from wardens designated to ‘sweep’ the
Carrying out the drill premises. You should note any people who
In simple premises, e.g. small bed and breakfasts are unaccounted for. In a real evacuation this
and small hostels, it may be sufficient to sound information will need to be passed to the fire
the fire alarm at weekly intervals at a time and rescue service on arrival.
when most guests/residents are on the
premises so that they know what it sounds Check that people have assembled at the
like. This should be followed by information evacuation point.
about the fire evacuation procedures to be
followed and where instruction can be found
e.g. on notices in rooms.

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 Once the roll call is complete or all reports

Part 2 •
have been received, allow people to return to
the building. If the fire-warning system is
monitored inform the alarm receiving centre
that the drill has now been completed and

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

record the outcomes of the drill.

Monitoring and debrief

Throughout the drill the responsible person
and nominated observers should pay particular
attention to:
• 
communication difficulties with regard to
the roll call and establishing that everyone
is accounted for;
• 
the use of the nearest available escape
routes as opposed to common circulation
routes;
• 
difficulties with the opening of final exit
doors;
• 
difficulties experienced by people with
disabilities;
• 
the roles of specified people, e.g. fire
wardens;
• 
inappropriate actions, e.g. stopping to
collect personal items, attempting to use
lifts etc.; and
• 
windows and doors not being closed as
people leave.

On-the-spot debriefs are useful to discuss the

fire drill, encouraging feedback from
everybody. Later, reports from fire wardens
and observations from people should be
collated and reviewed. Any conclusions and
remedial actions should be recorded and
implemented.

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 Section 8 Quality assurance of fire
protection equipment and installation

Fire protection products and related services

should be fit for their purpose and properly
installed and maintained in accordance with
the manufacturer’s instructions or a relevant
standard.

Third-party certification schemes for fire protection

products and related services are an effective
means of providing the fullest possible assurances,
offering a level of quality, reliability and safety
that non-certificated products may lack. This
does not mean goods and services that are not
third-party approved are less reliable, but there
is no obvious way in which this can be
demonstrated.

Third-party quality assurance can offer comfort,

both as a means of satisfying you that goods and
services you have purchased are fit for purpose,
and as a means of demonstrating that you have
complied with the law.

However, to ensure the level of assurance

offered by third party schemes, you should
always check whether the company you
employ sub-contracts work to others. If they
do, you will want to check that the sub-
contractors are subject to the same level of
checks of quality and competence as the
company you are employing.

Your local fire and rescue service, fire trade

associations or your own trade association may
be able to provide further details about third-
party quality assurance schemes and the
various organisations that administer them.

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 Appendix A

Part 2 •
A.1 Example fire safety maintenance

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

checklist
A fire safety maintenance checklist can be used the recommendations of manufacturers and
as a means of supporting your fire safety policy. installers of the fire safety equipment/systems
This example list is not intended to be that you may have installed in your premises.
comprehensive and should not be used as a
substitute for carrying out a fire risk Any ticks in the grey boxes should result in
assessment. further investigation and appropriate action as
necessary. In larger and more complex premises
You can modify the example where necessary you may need to seek the assistance of a
to fit your premises and may need to incorporate competent person to carry out some of the checks.

Yes No N/A Comments

Daily checks (not normally recorded)
Escape routes

Can all fire exits be opened immediately and easily? n n n

Are fire doors clear of obstructions? n n n
Are escape routes clear? n n n
Fire warning systems
Is the indicator panel showing ‘normal’? n n n
Are whistles, gongs or air horns in place? n n n
Escape lighting
Are luminaires and exit signs in good condition and undamaged? n n n
Is emergency lighting and sign lighting working correctly? n n n
Firefighting equipment
Are all fire extinguishers in place? n n n
Are fire extinguishers clearly visible? n n n
Are vehicles blocking fire hydrants or access to them? n n n
Weekly checks

Escape routes
Do all emergency fastening devices to fire exits (push bars and n n n
pads, etc.) work correctly?
Are external routes clear and safe? n n n
Fire warning systems
Does testing a manual call point send a signal to the indicator n n n
panel? (Disconnect the link to the receiving centre or tell them
you are doing a test.)
Did the alarm system work correctly when tested? n n n
Did staff and other people hear the fire alarm? n n n
Did any linked fire protection systems operate correctly? n n n
(e.g. magnetic door holder released, smoke curtains drop)

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 Yes No N/A Comments

Weekly checks continued

Do all visual alarms and/or vibrating alarms and pagers n n n
(as applicable) work?
Do voice alarm systems work correctly? n n n
Was the message understood?
Escape lighting

Are charging indicators (if fitted) visible? n n n

Firefighting equipment
Is all equipment in good condition? n n n
Additional items from manufacturer’s recommendations. n n n
Monthly checks
Escape routes
Do all electronic release mechanisms on escape doors work n n n
correctly? Do they ‘fail safe’ in the open position?
Do all automatic opening doors on escape routes ‘fail safe’ in n n n
the open position?
Are fire door seals and self-closing devices in good condition? n n n
Do all roller shutters provided for fire compartmentation work correctly? n n n
Are external escape stairs safe? n n n
Do all internal self-closing fire doors work correctly? n n n
Escape lighting
Do all luminaires and exit signs function correctly when tested? n n n
Have all emergency generators been tested? (Normally run for one hour.) n n n
Firefighting equipment
Is the pressure in ‘stored pressure’ fire extinguishers correct? n n n
Additional items from manufacturer’s recommendations. n n n
Three-monthly checks
General
Are any emergency water tanks/ponds at their normal capacity? n n n
Are vehicles blocking fire hydrants or access to them? n n n
Additional items from manufacturer’s recommendations. n n n
Six-monthly checks
General
Has any firefighting or emergency evacuation lift been tested by n n n
a competent person?
Has any sprinkler system been tested by a competent person? n n n
Have the release and closing mechanisms of any fire-resisting n n n
compartment doors and shutters been tested by a competent person?
Fire warning system
Has the system been checked by a competent person? n n n

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 Part 2 •
Yes No N/A Comments
Six-monthly checks continued

Escape lighting

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

Do all luminaires operate on test for one third of their rated value? n n n
Additional items from manufacturer’s recommendations. n n n
Annual checks
Escape routes

Do all self-closing fire doors fit correctly? n n n

Is escape route compartmentation in good repair? n n n
Escape lighting
Do all luminaires operate on test for their full rated duration? n n n
Has the system been checked by a competent person? n n n
Firefighting equipment
Has all firefighting equipment been checked by a competent person? n n n
Miscellaneous
Has any dry/wet rising fire main been tested by a competent person? n n n
Has the smoke and heat ventilation system been tested by a n n n
competent person?
Has external access for the fire service been checked for n n n
ongoing availability?
Have any firefighters’ switches been tested? n n n
Has the fire hydrant bypass flow valve control been tested by a n n n
competent person?
Are any necessary fire engine direction signs in place? n n n

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 A2 Example form for recording
significant findings

Risk Assessment – Record of significant findings

Risk assessment for Assessment undertaken by

Company Date
Completed by 
Address
Signature 

Sheet number Floor/area Use

Step 1 – Identify fire hazards

Sources of ignition Sources of fuel Sources of oxygen

Step 2 – People at risk

Step 3 – Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk

(3.1) E
 valuate the risk
of the fire occuring

(3.2) E
 valuate the risk to
people from a fire starting
in the premises

(3.3) R
 emove and reduce
the hazards that may
cause a fire

(3.4) R
 emove and reduce
the risks to people
from a fire

Assessment review

Assessment review date Completed by Signature

Review outcome (where substantial changes have occurred a new record sheet should be used)

Notes:
(1) The risk assessment record significant findings should refer to other plans, records or other documents as necessary.
(2) The information in this record should assist you to develop an emergency plan; coordinate measures with other ‘responsible persons’
in the building; and to inform and train staff and inform other relevant persons.
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 Appendix B

Part 2 •
Technical information on fire-resisting

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

separation, fire doors and door fastenings
B1 Fire-resisting separation Fire-resisting construction
The fire resistance of a wall or floor is
General dependent on the quality of construction and
The materials from which your premises are materials used. Common examples of types of
constructed may determine the speed with construction that provide 30-minute fire
which a fire may spread, affecting the escape resistance to escape routes if constructed to the
routes that people will use. A fire starting in a above standards are:
building constructed mainly from readily • 
internal framed construction wall, non-load
combustible material will spread faster than bearing, consisting of 72mm x 37mm
one where modern fire-resisting construction timber studs at 600mm centres and faced
materials have been used. Where non- with 12.5mm of plasterboard with all joints
combustible materials are used and the internal taped and filled (see Figure 64);
partitions are made from fire-resisting materials,
the fire will be contained for a longer period, • 
internal framed construction, non-load
allowing more time for the occupants to escape. bearing, consisting of channel section steel
studs at 600mm centres faced with 12.5mm
Because of the requirements of the Building of plasterboard with all joints taped and
Regulations you will probably already have filled; and
some walls and floors that are fire-resisting and • 
masonry cavity wall consisting of solid
limitations on the surface finishes to certain bricks of clay, brick earth, shale, concrete
walls and ceilings. or calcium silicate, with a minimum
thickness of 90mm on each leaf.
You will need to consider whether the
standard of fire resistance and surface finishing
in the escape routes is satisfactory, has been
affected by wear and tear or alterations and
whether any improvements are necessary.

The following paragraphs give basic information

on how fire-resisting construction can provide
up to 30 minutes protection to escape routes.
This is the standard recommended for most
situations. If you are still unsure of the level of
fire resistance which is necessary after reading
this information, you should consult a fire
safety expert.

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 Figure 64: Fire-resisting construction

1st floor

Fire-resisting floor construction to protect route above

Cavity fire barrier

Efficient smoke seal

False ceiling

Fire-resisting partition constructed

up to underside of floor overhead

Protected route

Fire-resisting floor construction

Basement

There are other methods and products available Fire-resisting glazing

which will achieve the required standard of The most common type of fire-resisting glazing
fire resistance and may be more appropriate is 6mm Georgian wired glazing, which is easily
for the existing construction in your premises. identifiable. Clear fire-resisting glazing is
If there is any doubt about how your building available and can quickly be identified by a
is constructed, then ask for further advice from mark etched into the glass, usually in the corner
a competent person. of the glazed panel, to confirm its fire-resisting
standard. Although this is not compulsory, the
Fire-resisting floors marking of glass is supported by the Glass and
The fire resistance of floors will depend on Glazing Federation, you should check whether
the existing floor construction as well as the the glazing will be marked accordingly before
type of ceiling finish beneath. If you need to purchase. The glazing should have been
upgrade the fire resistance of your floor it installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s
may not be desirable to apply additional fire instructions and to the appropriate standard,69
resistance to the underside of an existing to ensure that its fire-resisting properties are
ornate ceiling. In older buildings there may maintained.
be a requirement to provide fire resistance
between beams and joists. The performance of glazed systems in terms
of fire resistance and external fire exposure
A typical example of a 30-minute fire-resisting should, wherever possible, be confirmed by
timber floor is tongue and groove softwood of test evidence. Alternatively, where there is a
not less than 15mm finished thickness on lack of test information, ask for an assessment
37mm timber joists, with a ceiling below of of the proposed construction from suitably
one layer of plasterboard to a thickness of qualified people.
12.5mm with joints taped and filled and backed
by supporting timber. Fire separation of voids
A common problem encountered with fire
There are other, equally valid, methods and separation is fire-resisting partitions which do
products available for upgrading floors. If you not extend above false ceilings to true ceiling
are in any doubt you should seek the advice of height. This may result in unseen fire spread
a competent person and ensure that the and a loss of vital protection to the escape
product is installed in accordance with routes. It is important therefore to carefully
instructions from the manufacturer or supplier. check all such partitions have been installed
correctly.

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 Breaching fire separation The equivalent European classification standard

Part 2 •
To ensure effective protection against fire, will also be acceptable. Further details about
walls and floors providing fire separation must internal linings and classifications are available
form a complete barrier, with an equivalent in Approved Document B.24 Appropriate testing
level of fire resistance provided to any procedures are detailed in BS 476-732 and

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

openings such as doors, ventilation ducts, pipe where appropriate BS EN 13501-1.33
passages or refuse chutes.
Further guidance on types of fire-resisting
The passing of services such as heating pipes construction has been published by the
or electrical cables through fire-resisting Building Research Establishment.34
partitions leaves gaps through which fire and
smoke may spread. This should be rectified by
suitable fire stopping and there are many B2 Fire-resisting doors
proprietary products available to suit particular
types of construction. Such products should be Requirements of a fire-resisting door
installed by competent contractors. Effective fire-resisting doors (see Figure 65) are
vital to ensure that the occupants can evacuate
Decor and surface finishes of walls, to a place of safety. Correctly specified and
ceilings and escape routes well-fitted doors will hold back fire and smoke
The materials used to line walls and ceilings preventing escape routes becoming unusable,
can contribute significantly to the spread of as well as preventing the fire spreading from
flame across their surface. Most materials that one area to another.
are used as surface linings will fall into one of
three classes of surface spread of flame. The Fire-resisting doors are necessary in any
following are common examples of acceptable doorway located in a fire-resisting structure.
materials for various situations: Most internal doors are constructed of timber.
These will give some limited protection against
Class 0: Materials suitable for circulation fire spread, but only a purpose-built fire-
spaces and escape routes resisting door that has been tested to an
• 
Such materials include brickwork, approved standard will provide the necessary
blockwork, concrete, ceramic tiles, plaster protection. Metal fire-resisting doors are also
finishes (including rendering on wood or available and specific guidance for these follows.
metal lathes), wood-wool cement slabs and
mineral fibre tiles or sheets with cement or All fire-resisting doors are rated by their
resin binding. performance when tested to an appropriate
standard. The level of protection provided by
Note: Additional finishes to these surfaces may the door is measured, primarily by determining
be detrimental to the fire performance of the the time taken for a fire to breach the integrity
surface and if there is any doubt about this (E), of the door assembly, together with its
then consult the manufacturer of the finish. resistance to the passage of hot gases and flame.

Class 1: Materials suitable for use in all It may be possible to upgrade the fire resistance
rooms but not on escape routes of existing doors. Further information is available
from the Building Research Establishment70 or the
• 
Such materials include all the Class 0 Timber Research and Development Association.71
materials referred to above. Additionally,
timber, hardboard, blockboard, particle Timber fire-resisting doors require a gap of
board, heavy flock wallpapers and 2-4mm between the door leaf and the frame.
thermosetting plastics will be suitable if However larger gaps may be necessary to
flame-retardant treated to achieve a Class 1 ensure that the door closes flush into its frame
standard. when smoke seals are fitted (see BS 4787-172
for further information). For fire-resisting
Class 3: Materials suitable for use in rooms purposes the gap is normally protected by
of less than 4m2 installing an intumescent seal in either the door
• 
Such materials include all those referred to or, preferably, the frame. The intumescent seal
in Class 1, including those that have not expands in the early stages of a fire and
been flame-retardant treated and certain enhances the protection given by the door.
dense timber or plywood and standard Additional smoke seals, either incorporated in
glass-reinforced polyesters. the intumescent seal or fitted separately, will
restrict the spread of smoke at ambient
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 temperatures. Doors fitted with smoke seals instructions should be closely followed.
have their classification code suffixed with an ‘S’. BS EN 193537 including Annex B, is the
appropriate standard.
The principal fire-resisting door categories are:
Alternative door mountings
• 
E20 fire-resisting door providing 20 minutes
Although the most common method of hanging
fire resistance (or equivalent FD 20S).
a door is to use single axis hinges, alternative
(Note: Many suppliers no longer provide
methods are employed where the door is
an E 20 type fire-resisting door.)
required to be double swing or mounted on
• 
E30 fire-resisting door providing 30 minutes pivots for other reasons.
fire resistance (or equivalent FD 30S).
Floor mounted controlled door closing devices
• 
E60 fire-resisting door providing 60 minutes
are the most common method regularly found
fire resistance (or equivalent FD 60S).
with timber, glass and steel doors while transom
mounted devices are commonly used with
Timber fire-resisting doors are available that
aluminium sections. In each case reference
will provide up to 120 minutes fire resistance
should be made to the fire test report for
but their use is limited to more specialised
details as to compliance with the composition
conditions which are beyond the scope of this
of the door assembly including the door
guidance.
mounting conditions.
Metal fire-resisting doors
Self-closing devices
Although the majority of fire-resisting doors are
All fire-resisting doors, other than those to
made from timber, metal fire-resisting doors,
locked cupboards and service ducts should
which meet the appropriate standard, can often
be fitted with an appropriately controlled self-
be used for the same purpose. The majority
closing device that will effectively close the
of metal fire-resisting door manufacturers will
door from any angle. In certain circumstances,
require the use of bespoke frames and
concealed, jamb-mounted closing devices may
hardware for their door sets.
be specified and in these cases should be
capable of closing the door from any angle
See BS EN 1634-135 and BS 476-2236 for more
and against any latch fitted to the door; spring
information.
hinges are unlikely to be suitable. Further
information is given in BS EN 1154.38
For detailed guidance refer to Approved
Document B.24
Rising butt hinges are not suitable for use as
a self closing device due to their inability to
Glazing in fire-resisting doors
close and latch the door from any angle
Although glazing provides additional safety in
everyday use and can enhance the appearance
Automatic door hold-open/release devices
of fire-resisting doors, it should never reduce
for self-closing fire doors
the fire resistance of the door. The opening
These devices are designed to hold open
provided in the door for the fire-resisting
self-closing fire doors or allow them to swing
glazing unit(s), fitted in a proven intumescent
free during normal use. In the event of a fire
glazing system and the fitting of the beading
alarm the device will then release the door
are critical, and should only be entrusted to a
automatically, allowing the self-closing
competent person. In all cases the door and
mechanism to close the door.
glazing should be purchased from a reputable
supplier who can provide documentary
Such devices are particularly useful in situations
evidence that the door continues to achieve the
where self-closing doors on escape routes are
required rating.
used regularly by significant numbers of
people, or by people with impaired mobility
Fire-resisting door furniture
who may have difficulty in opening the doors.
Hinges
To ensure compliance with their rated fire Typical examples of such devices include:
performance, fire-resisting doors must be hung
• electro-magnetic devices fitted to the fire-
with the correct number, size and quality of
resisting door which release when the fire
hinges. Normally a minimum of three hinges
detection and warning system operates,
is required, however the manufacturer’s

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 allowing a separate self-closer to close In all cases where a door hold open device is

Part 2 •
the door; used it should be possible to close the door
manually.
• electro-magnetic devices within the
controlled door closing device which
A site specific risk assessment should be

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

function on the operation of the fire
undertaken before any type of automatic door
detection and warning system ; and
hold open/release device is installed. If you are
• ‘free swing’ controlled door closing unsure about the suitability of such devices in
devices, which operate by allowing the your premises, you should seek the advice of a
door leaf to work independently of the competent person.
closing device in normal conditions. An
electro-magnetic device within the spring Further guidance about automatic door hold
mechanism linked to the fire detection open/release devices is given in BSEN 115573
and warning system ensures that the door or BS5839-3.40
closes on the operation of the system.
Door co-ordinators
Note: Free swing devices may not be suitable Where pairs of doors with rebated meeting
in some situations, such as corridors, where stiles are installed it is critical that the correct
draughts are a problem and the doors are closing order is maintained. Door co-ordinators
likely to swing uncontrolled, causing possible to BS EN 115874 should be fitted and fully
difficulty or injury to certain people e.g. those operational in all cases where the doors are
with certain disabilities, the elderly and frail, self-closing.
or young children.
Installation and workmanship
Automatic door hold open/release devices The reliability and performance of correctly
fitted to doors protecting escape routes should specified fire-resisting doors can be
only be installed in conjunction with an undermined by inadequate installation. It is
automatic fire detection and warning system important that installers with the necessary
incorporating smoke detectors, that is designed level of skill and knowledge are used.
to protect the escape routes in the building Accreditation schemes for installers of fire-
(see Part 2, Section 2). resisting doors are available.

In all cases the automatic device should release

the fire-resisting door allowing it to close
effectively within its frame when any of the
following conditions occur:
• the detection of smoke by an automatic
detector;
• the actuation of the fire detection and
alarm system by manual means e.g.
operation of break glass call point;
• any failure of the fire detection and alarm
system; or
• any electrical power failure.

Other devices, including self-contained devices

which perform a similar function, that are not
connected directly to a fire alarm system and
are not therefore able to meet the above
criteria are available and may be acceptable
where a site specific risk assessment can show
that they are appropriate. Such devices are
unlikely to be suitable for use on doors
protecting single stairways or other critical
means of escape.

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 Figure 65: A fire-resisting and smoke stopping door

Ideally the frame should be to the

same standard as the door,
purchased together as a door set.

Door closer, see BS EN 1154.38

Hinges – see BS EN 193537 Annex B.

Hinges should be tested as part
of the door set – see BS EN 1634-2.39
Securing device –
lock, emergency Vision panel should be fire-resisting glazing.
exit device
or panic
exit device Door handles and locks – see BS EN
to be EN 12209,91 190692 Annex C and BS EN 1220991
BS EN 17943 Annex A respectively for further information.
or BS EN 112542 Door handles and locks should be tested
respectively for as part of door set – see BS EN 1634-1.35
further information.
Intumescent strip and cold smoke seal to
resist the passage of smoke and fire.

Fire-resisting doors and shutters will require has often proved problematical. Careful
routine maintenance, particularly to power planning and the use of quality materials
operation and release and closing mechanisms. remain the most effective means of satisfying
both of these objectives.
Further information is available on fire-resisting
doors in BS 8214.41 If you are unsure about the Any device that impedes people making good
quality, the effectiveness or the fitting of your their escape, either by being unnecessarily
fire-resisting doors consult a fire safety expert. complicated to manipulate or not being readily
openable, will not be acceptable.
For further guidance on the selection and
maintenance of door furniture for timber fire Guidance on fire exits starts from the position
doors refer to the Building Hardware Industry that doors on escape routes should not be
Federation (BHIF) code of practice.75 fitted with any locking devices (electrically
operated or otherwise). However, it is accepted
that in many cases the need for security will
B3 Door-fastening devices require some form of device that prevents
unlimited access but still enables the occupants
The relationship between the securing of doors of a building or area to open the door easily
against unwanted entry and the ability to if there is a fire. These devices can take many
escape through them easily in an emergency forms but, in the majority of cases, premises

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 where there are members of the public present parts and are therefore generally

Part 2 •
or others who are not familiar with the considered to be more reliable due to their
building should use panic exit bar devices (i.e. inherent ‘fail-safe unlocked’ operation.
push bars or touch bars). See BS EN 112542 for Electromagnetic locking devices go some
further information. way to addressing the particular concerns

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

surrounding electromechanical locking
Premises that have limited numbers of staff or systems. The release of this type of device is
others who are familiar with the building and controlled by the interruption of electrical
where panic is not likely may use alternative current to an electromagnet, either manually
devices (i.e. push pads or lever handles). See via a switch or other means, break-glass
BS EN 17943 for further information. point (typically coloured green), or by
linking to the fire-warning and/or detection
In some larger premises, when only certain staff system of the premises.
are on the premises and there is a security issue,
it may be acceptable to restrict the number of Time-delay devices on escape routes
emergency exits immediately available, e.g. when A further development is the fitting of a time-
only security staff are present at night, or prior delay system to the electronic door-locking
to opening a premises in the morning. Staff device. This delays the actual opening of an
should be made fully aware of any restrictions exit door for a variable period following
and the number of exits not immediately operation of the panic bar or other exit device.
available should be limited. Periods of between five and 60 seconds can
be pre-set at the manufacturing stage or can
Electrical locking devices be adjusted when fitted. These are not usually
Electrically operated entry control devices have acceptable for use by members of the public.
been developed for use as locking devices on However, they maybe acceptable for use by
fire exits. They fall into two main categories, staff that are familiar with their operation and
electromechanical and electromagnetic. are suitably trained in their use.

• 
Electromechanical devices Management of electronic door-control
devices including time delays
Electromechnical devices comprise
The use of such devices may be accepted by
electromechanical lock keeps and draw
enforcing authorities if the responsible person
bolts, which can be controlled by people
can demonstrate, through a suitable risk
inside the premises by entering a code or
assessment for each individual door, both the
by using ‘smart cards’, which have been
need and the adequate management controls
adapted to control the exit from certain
to ensure that people can escape safely from
areas. These devices have been fitted in
the premises. In particular:
many premises and may be linked to the
fire-detection and/or warning system. • 
Access control should not be confused with
Experience has shown that these devices exit control. Many devices are available
can fail to open in a number of ways. They which control the access to the premises
are dependent on a spring mechanism to but retains the immediate escape facility
return the lock keep or draw bolt(s) and from the premises.
are liable to jam when pressure is applied
• 
In public areas, when push bars are
to the door. It is also relatively easy to fit
operated on escape doors, they should
them incorrectly. Electromechanical locking
release the electromagnetic locks
devices are normally unacceptable on
immediately and allow the exit doors
escape doors, unless they are fitted with a
to open.
manual means of overriding the locking
mechanism such as a push bar, push pad • 
The requirement for exit control should be
or lever handle or that they do not rely on carefully assessed and should not be seen
a spring mechanism, fail-safe open and are as a substitute for good management of the
not affected by pressure, in which case the employees and occupants.
criteria for electromagnetic devices should
• 
All other alternatives should have been
be applied.
explored/evaluated prior to using these
devices to ensure they do not affect the
• 
Electromagnetic devices
safety of occupants.
These devices comprise a magnet and a
simple fixed retaining plate with no moving

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 • 
The device should be connected to the fire In premises where there may be large numbers
warning and/or detection system. of people, the devices should only be considered
when linked to a comprehensive automatic fire-
• 
The device should incorporate a bypass
detection and warning system in accordance
circuit for immediate release on activation
with BS 5839-1.16 There should be an additional
of the fire warning and/or detection system.
means of manually overriding the locking
• 
Each door should be fitted with a single device at each such exit (typically a green
securing device. break-glass point).
• 
The emergency exit doors should be
The use of time-delay systems that prevent the
clearly labelled about how to operate them.
opening of emergency exits for a pre-set time
• 
Adequate control measures should be put in are primarily used to improve security. These
place to ensure the safety of the occupants. add a further layer of complexity to the fire
strategy and should not be considered in
The use of electronic door-locking devices public areas. They should only be used in non-
should be considered with particular care in public areas when all other options such as
premises with a number of different relocating valuable stock or exterior boundary
occupancies. The management of a management have been addressed. Their value
complicated system of evacuation for many in preventing theft is likely to be transient as
different groups is unlikely to be practicable. the use of the manual override becomes more
widely known.
The technical standards in respect of sourcing,
maintaining and testing must be extremely high. British Standard 822044 gives further advice on
security in buildings and while this standard
When part of the management control system does refer to electronic locking devices, it also
involves trained personnel helping others at acknowledges that the balance must remain on
these doors, it is vital to ensure these people the side of emergency escape rather than security.
are available.

The use of exit control devices should not

be considered where the number of trained
staff is low and members of the public would
be expected to operate the devices without help.

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 Appendix C

Part 2 •
Historic buildings

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

General considerations • 
limits the number of occupants, either staff
or members of the public, inside the
This appendix offers additional information building;
about listed and historical buildings. • 
limits activities in the building; and
Fire risk assessments conducted for sleeping • 
provides adequate supervision within the
accommodation which is within a listed or building.
historic building will need to ensure that a
balance is struck between ensuring sufficient In buildings that are open to the public you
fire safety measures are in place for the safety may wish to designate parts as ‘off limits’ to
of people, yet avoid extensive alterations and the general public. The locking of internal
helping to maintain the character of the building. doors or the use of fixed or movable barriers
should not restrict alternative escape routes
As well as the fire risk assessment it is being made available.
recommended that a general fire policy
statement and manual is compiled. A person Liaison with the fire and rescue service
must be nominated to take responsibility for The responsible person will need to ensure
all aspects of fire safety. Usually the person effective liaison with the fire and rescue service
charged with the management and control of to enable them to carry out firefighting
the premises will be the ‘responsible person’ operations. These may include information on:
under the Order.1 • 
the provision of water supplies, seasonal
ponds, lakes and underground tanks, and
The advice and/or consent of a building any associated pumps;
control body or any other relevant bodies (e.g.
English Heritage) should form part of any fire • 
difficult access for fire engines;
risk assessment that impacts on the character of • 
particular hazards in the construction
the building (e.g. replacement of doors, fittings, features of the building (including
wooden panelling and decor) or material asbestos);
changes to existing escape routes. An ideal
solution is one that is reversible, enabling the • 
the use of combustible under floor
historic elements to be reinstated. insulation;
• 
underground vaults ducts and voids where
A fire safety adviser will be able to suggest fire may spread unchecked;
alternatives to conventional fire precautions,
such as: • 
worn stone slabs in stairway construction; and
• 
a fire engineering solution; • 
the presence of cast iron columns and
wrought iron beams.
• 
upgrading existing doors and partitions in a
sympathetic manner to improve their fire Emergency planning
resistance; and An important consideration for the owners and
• 
considering the installation of specialist trustees is the protection of valuable artefacts
fire-detection or suppression systems. and paintings from the effects of fire. However,
the efficient evacuation of all occupants must
Should the design and nature of the historic take precedence over procedures for limiting
building preclude the introduction of damage to property and contents. Salvage
conventional fire safety features, it will be work should be limited to those parts of the
necessary to manage the building in such a building not directly affected by the fire.
way that:

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 Fire wardens and others tasked with carrying
out salvage work should have received formal
training, adequate protection and be fully
briefed about the health and safety risk
assessment carried out to identify the dangers
associated with this activity. Further detailed
advice on fire safety in historic buildings can
be found in the following publications:
• BS 7913: Guide to the principles of the
conservation of historic buildings, British
Standards Institution
• Heritage under fire: A guide to the
protection of historic buildings, Fire
Protection Association (for the UK Working
Party on Fire Safety in Historic Buildings)
1991, ISBN 0902167944
• The Installation of Sprinkler Systems in
Historic Buildings (Historic Scotland
Technical Advice Note S.), Fire Protection
Association (TCRE Division/Scottish
Conservation Bureau, Hist.) 1998,
ISBN 1 900168 63 4
• Fire Protection Measures in Scottish Historic
Buildings: Advice on Measures Required to
Minimise the Likelihood of Fire Starting and
to Alleviate the Destructive Consequences
of Fire in Historic Buildings (Technical
Advice Note), TCRE Division/Scottish
Conservation Bureau, Hist. 1997,
ISBN 1 900168 41 3
• Fire Risk Management in Heritage Buildings
(Technical Advice Note), TCRE Division/
Scottish Conservation Bureau, Hist. 2001,
ISBN 1 900168 71 5
• 
Summary and conclusions of the report
into fire protection measures for the Royal
Palaces by Sir Alan Bailey following the
Windsor Castle fire, 1992.
• 
The fire at Upton Park. Published by the
National Trust.
• 
Timber panelled doors and fire. Published
by English Heritage.
• 
Fire safety in historic town centres.
Published by English Heritage and
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

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 Appendix D

Part 2 •
Glossary

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

These definitions are provided to assist the
responsible person in understanding some of
the technical terms used in this guide. They are
not exhaustive and more precise definitions
may be available in other guidance.

Term Definition

Access room A room through which the only escape route from an inner room passes.

Accommodation stairway A stair, additional to that required for means of escape purposes,
provided for the convenience of occupants.

Alterations notice If your premises are considered by the enforcing authority to be

high risk, they may issue an alterations notice that requires you to
inform them before making any material alterations to your premises.

Alternative escape route Escape routes sufficiently separated by either direction and
space, or by fire-resisting construction to ensure that one is still
available irrespective of the location of a fire.

Approved Document B (ADB)24 Guidance issued by Government in support of the fire safety
aspects of the building regulations.

As low as reasonably practicable Is a concept where risks should continue to be reduced until you
reach a point where the cost and effort to reduce the risk further
would be grossly disproportionate to the benefit achieved.

Automatic fire-detection system A means of automatically detecting the products of a fire and
sending a signal to a fire warning system. See ‘Fire warning’.

Basement A storey with a floor which at some point is more than 1,200mm
below the highest level of ground adjacent to the outside walls,
unless, and for escape purposes only, such area has adequate,
independent and s eparate means of escape.

Child Anyone who is not over compulsory school age, i.e. before or just
after their 16th birthday.

Class 0, 1 or 3 surface spread Classes of surface spread of flame for materials needed to line
of flame the walls and ceilings of escape routes. See Appendix B for
further information.

Combustible material A substance that can be burned.

Compartment wall and/or floor A fire-resisting wall or floor that separates one fire compartment
from another.

Competent person A person with enough training and experience or knowledge and
other qualities to enable them properly to assist in undertaking the
preventive and protective measures.

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 Term Definition

Dangerous substance 1. A substance which because of its physico-chemical or

chemical properties and the way it is used or is present at the
workplace creates a risk. 

2. A substance subject to the Dangerous Substance and

Explosive Atmosphere Regulations 2002 (DSEAR).

Dead end Area from which escape is possible in one direction only.

Direct distance The shortest distance from any point within the floor area to the
nearest storey exit, or fire-resisting route, ignoring walls, partitions
and fixings.

Domestic premises Premises occupied as a private dwelling, excluding those areas

used in common by the occupants of more than one such
dwelling.

Emergency escape lighting Lighting provided to illuminate escape routes that will function if
the normal lighting fails.

Enforcing authority The fire and rescue authority or any other authority specified in
Article 25 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.1

Escape route Route forming that part of the means of escape from any point in
a building to a final exit.

Evacuation lift A lift that may be used for the evacuation of people with
disabilities, or others, in a fire.

External escape stair Stair providing an escape route, external to the building.

Fail-safe Locking an output device with the application of power and

having the device unlock when the power is removed. Also known
as fail unlock, reverse action or power locked.

False alarm A fire signal, usually from a fire warning system, resulting from a
cause other than fire.

Final exit An exit from a building where people can continue to disperse
in safety and where they are no longer at danger from fire
and/or smoke.

Fire compartment A building, or part of a building, constructed to prevent the

spread of fire to or from another part of the same building or an
adjoining building.

Fire door A door or shutter, together with its frame and furniture, provided
for the passage of people, air or goods which, when closed is
intended to restrict the passage of fire and/or smoke to a
predictable level of performance.

Firefighting lift A lift, designed to have additional protection, with controls that
enable it to be used under the direct control of the fire and rescue
service when fighting a fire.

Firefighting shaft A fire-resisting enclosure containing a firefighting stair, fire mains,

firefighting lobbies and if provided, a firefighting lift.

Firefighting stairway See firefighting shaft.

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 Part 2 •
Term Definition

Fire resistance The ability of a component or construction of a building to satisfy,

for a stated period of time, some or all of the appropriate criteria

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

of relevant standards. (Generally described as 30 minutes fire-
resisting or 60 minutes fire-resisting.) See BS EN 1363-1,45 BS
476-732 and associated standards for further information.

Fire safety manager A nominated person with responsibility for carrying out day-to-day
management of fire safety. (This may or may not be the same as
the ‘responsible person’.)

Fire safety strategy A number of planned and co-ordinated arrangements designed

to reduce the risk of fire and to ensure the safety of people if there
is a fire.

Fire stopping A seal provided to close an imperfection of fit or design tolerance

between elements or components, to restrict the passage of fire
and smoke.

Fire-warning system A means of alerting people to the existence of a fire.

(See automatic fire detection system.)

Flammable material Easily ignited and capable of burning rapidly.

Highly flammable Generally liquids with a flashpoint of below 21°C.

(The Chemicals Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply

Regulations 200246 (CHIP) give more detailed guidance.)

Hazardous substance 1. See Dangerous substance. 

2. A substance subject to the Control of Substances Hazardous to

Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH).

House in multiple occupation A building or part of a building (flat) which is occupied by more
(HMO) than one household (see Household) and where at least one of
the households share or lacks access to basic amenities (cooking,
toilet etc.) and occupation by the households is as their main
residence and it is the sole residential use of the accommodation.

HMOs include bedsits, hostels, accommodation above shops,

shared houses and flats, houses partly converted into self-
contained flats and buildings fully converted into self contained
flats where the conversion work does not comply with the 1991
Building Regulations and where less than 2/3 of the flats are
occupied by long leaseholders.

See sections 254-259 of the Housing Act 200479 for a full definition.

Household Occupiers of the same family including spouses, co-habitees,

same-sex couples and any blood relative.

Inner room A room from which escape is possible only by passing through
another room (the access room).

Licensed premises Any premises that require a licence under any statute to
undertake trade or conduct business activities.

Material change An alteration to the premises, process or service which significantly

affects the level of risk to people from fire in those premises.

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 Term Definition

Means of escape Route(s) provided to ensure safe egress from the premises or
other locations to a place of total safety.

Phased evacuation A system of evacuation in which different parts of the premises

are evacuated in a controlled sequence of phases, those parts of
the premises expected to be at greatest risk being evacuated first.

Place of reasonable safety A place within a building or structure where, for a limited period of
time, people will have some protection from the effects of fire and
smoke. This place, usually a corridor or stairway, will normally
have a minimum of 30 minutes fire resistance and allow people to
continue their escape to a place of total safety.

Place of total safety A place, away from the building, in which people are at no
immediate danger from the effects of a fire.

Premises Any place, such as a building and the immediate land bounded by
any enclosure of it, any tent, moveable or temporary structure or
any installation or workplace.

Protected lobby A fire-resisting enclosure providing access to an escape stairway

via two sets of fire doors and into which no room opens other
than toilets and lifts.

Protected stairway A stairway which is adequately protected from the rest of the
building by fire-resisting construction.

Protected route An escape route which is adequately protected from the rest of
the building by fire-resisting construction.

Refuge A place of reasonable safety in which a disabled person or others

who may need assistance may rest or wait for assistance before
reaching a place of total safety. It should lead directly to a fire-
resisting escape route.

Responsible person The person ultimately responsible for fire safety as defined in the
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.1

Relevant persons Any person lawfully on the premises and any person in the
immediate vicinity, but does not include firefighters carrying out
firefighting duties.

Self-closing device A device that is capable of closing the door from any angle and
against any latch fitted to the door.

Significant finding A feature of the premises, from which the fire hazards and
persons at risk are identified.

The actions you have taken or will take to remove or reduce the
chance of a fire occuring or the spread of fire and smoke.

The actions people need to take in case of fire.

The necessary information, instruction and training needed and

how it will be given.

Smoke alarm Device containing within one housing all the components, except
possibly the energy source, for detecting smoke and giving an
audible alarm.

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 Part 2 •
Term Definition

Staged fire alarm A fire warning which can be given in two or more stages for
different purposes within a given area (e.g. notifying staff, stand

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

by to evacuate, full evacuation).

Storey exit A final exit or a doorway giving direct access into a protected
stairway, firefighting lobby or external escape route.

Travel distance The actual distance to be travelled by a person from any point
within the floor area to the nearest storey exit or final exit, having
regard to the layout of walls, partitions and fixings.

Vision panel A transparent panel in a wall or door of an inner room enabling the
occupant to become aware of a fire in the access area during the
early stages.

Way guidance Low mounted luminous tracks positioned on escape routes in

combination with exit indicators, exit marking and intermediate
direction indicators along the route, provided for use when the
supply to the normal lighting fails, which do not rely on an
electrical supply for their luminous output.

Where necessary The Order requires that fire precautions (such as firefighting
equipment, fire detection and warning, and emergency routes and
exits) should be provided (and maintained) ‘where necessary’.

What this means is that the fire precautions you must provide
(and maintain) are those which are needed to reasonably protect
relevant persons from risks to them in case of fire. This will be
determined by the findings of your risk assessment including the
preventative measures you have or will have taken. In practice, it
is very unlikely, that a properly conducted fire risk assessment,
which takes into account all the matters relevant for the safety of
persons in case of fire, will conclude that no fire precautions
(including maintenance) are necessary.

Young person (a) A person aged 16 years, from the date on which he attains that
age until and including the 31st August which next follows that date.

(b) A person aged 16 years and over who is undertaking a course

of full-time education at a school or college which is not advanced
education.

(c) A person aged 16 years and over who is undertaking approved

training that is not provided through a contract of employment.

For the purposes of paragraphs (b) and (c) the person:

(a) shall have commenced the course of full-time education or

approved training before attaining the age of 19 years; and

(b) shall not have attained the age of 20 years.

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 References
The following documents are referenced in this guide. Where dated only this version applies.
Where undated, the latest version of the document applies.
1 Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, SI 2005/1541. The Stationery Office, 2005.
ISBN 0 11 072945 5.
2 Fire Precautions Act 1971 (c 40), The Stationery Office, 1971. ISBN 0 10 544071 X.
3 Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, SI 1997/1840. The Stationery Office, 1997.
ISBN 0 11 064738 6
4 Fire Precautions (Workplace) (Amendment) Regulations 1999, SI 1999/1877. The Stationery
Office, 1999. ISBN 0 11 082882 8.
5 Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996, SI 1996/341. The Stationery
Office, 1996. ISBN 0 11 054093 X.
6 Safety signs and signals. The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996.
Guidance on regulations, L64. HSE Books, 1996. ISBN 0 7176 0870 0.
7 Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, SI 2002/2776. The
Stationery Office, 2002. ISBN 0 11 042957 5.
8 Dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres. Dangerous Substances and Explosive
Atmospheres Regulations 2002. Approved code of practice and guidance, L138. HSE Books, 2003.
ISBN 0 7176 2203 7.
9 Storage of full and empty LPG cylinders and cartridges. Code of Practice 7. LP Gas Association,
2000. Available from LP Gas Association, Pavilion 16, Headlands Business Park, Salisbury Road,
Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 3PB.
10 Maintaining portable electrical equipment in offices and other low-risk environments, INDG236.
HSE Books, 1996. (ISBN 0 7176 1272 4 single copy free or priced packs of 10.)
11 Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996, SI 1996/1592. The Stationery Office,
1996. ISBN 0 11 035904 6.
12 A guide to the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996, INDG220.
HSE Books, 1996. (ISBN 0 7176 1161 2 single copy free or priced packs of 10.)
Health and safety in construction, HSG150 (second edition). HSE Books, 2001.
ISBN 0 7176 2106 5.
13 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c 50). The Stationery Office, 1995. ISBN 0 10 545095 2.
14 BS 8300: The design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people.
Code of practice. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 38438 1.
15 ODPM/CACFOA/BFPSA guidance on reducing false alarms.
16 BS 5839-1: Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for system design,
installation, commissioning and maintenance. British Standards Institution.
ISBN 0 580 40376 9.
17 Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, SI 1992/2793. The Stationery Office, 1992.
ISBN 0 11 025920 3.
18 BS 5306-8: Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Selection and installation
of portable fire extinguishers. Code of practice. British Standards Institution.
ISBN 0 580 33203 9.
19 BS 5306-3: Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Code of practice
for the inspection and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. British Standards Institution.
ISBN 0 580 42865 6.
20 BS 7863: Recommendations for colour coding to indicate the extinguishing media contained in
portable fire extinguishers. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 25845 9.
21 BS EN 671-3: Fixed firefighting systems. Hose systems. Maintenance of hose reels with semi-rigid
hose and hose systems with lay-flat hose. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 34112 7.
22 BS EN 12845: Fixed firefighting systems. Automatic sprinkler systems. Design, installation and
maintenance. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 44770 7.
136 23 Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, SI 1992/3004. The Stationery Office,
1992. ISBN 0 11 025804 5.

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 24 The Building Regulations 2000: Approved Document B fire safety. The Stationery Office.

Part 2 •
ISBN 0 11 753911 2.
25 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 (c 30). The Stationery Office, 1982.
ISBN 0 10 543082 X.

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

26 BS 5395-2: Stairs, ladders and walkways. Code of practice for the design of industrial type stairs,
permanent ladders and walkways. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 14706 1.
27 BS 5266-8: Emergency lighting. Code of practice for Emergency Escape lighting systems.
British Standards Institution.
27A BS 5266-1: Emergency lighting. Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises.
British Standards Institution.
28 BS EN 1838: Lighting applications. Emergency lighting. British Standards Institution.
ISBN 0 580 32992 5.
29 BS 5499-4: Safety signs, including fire safety signs. Code of practice for escape route signing.
British Standards Institution.
30 BS 7974: Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design of buildings. Code of
practice. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 38447 0.
31 Successful health and safety management, HSG65 (second edition). HSE Books, 1997.
ISBN 0 7176 1276 7.
32 BS 476-7: Fire tests on building materials and structures. Method of test to determine the
classification of the surface spread of flame of products. British Standards Institution.
33 BS EN 13501-1: Fire classification of construction products and building elements. Classification
using test data from reaction to fire tests. British Standards Institution.
34 Guidelines for the construction of fire resisting structural elements, BR128. Building Research
Establishment, 1988.
35 BS EN 1634-1: Fire resistance tests for door and shutter assemblies. Fire doors and shutters. British
Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 32429 X.
36 BS 476-22: Fire tests on building materials and structures. Methods for determination
of the fire resistance of non-loadbearing elements of construction. British Standards Institution.
ISBN 0 580 15872 1.
37 BS EN 1935: Building hardware. Single-axis hinges. Requirements and test methods. British
Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 39272 4.
38 BS EN 1154: Building hardware. Controlled door closing devices. Requirements and test methods.
British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 27476 4.
39 BS EN 1634-2: Fire resistance tests for door and shutter assemblies. Part 2. Fire door hardware.
Building hardware for fire resisting doorsets and openable windows. British Standards Institution.
40 BS 5839-3: Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings. Specification for automatic release
mechanisms for certain fire protection equipment. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 15787 3.
41 BS 8214: Code of practice for fire door assemblies with non-metallic leaves. British Standards
Institution. ISBN 0 580 18871 6.
42 BS EN 1125: Building hardware. Panic exit devices operated by a horizontal bar. Requirements
and test methods. British Standards Institution.
43 BS EN 179: Building hardware. Emergency exit devices operated by a lever handle or push pad.
Requirements and test methods. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 28863 3.
44 BS 8220-1: Guide for security of buildings against crime. Dwellings. British Standards Institution.
ISBN 0 580 33145 8.
45 BS EN 1363-1: Fire resistance tests. General requirements. British Standards Institution.
46 Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002, SI 2002/1689).
The Stationery Office, 2002. ISBN 0 11 042419 0.
47 BS 5499-5: Graphical symbols and signs. Safety signs, including fire safety signs. Signs with
specific safety meanings. British Standards Institution.
48 BS 5588-12: Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Part 12: Managing
fire safety. British Standards Institution.

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 49 The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, SI 1989/635.
50 The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, SI 1994/3260.
51 The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994, (CONDAM/CDM Regs). HMSO, 1994.
52 Construction Information Sheet No. 51 Construction fire safety. Health and Safety Executive.
53 Fire safety in construction work, HSG168. Health and Safety Executive. ISBN 0 7176 1332 1.
54 Fire prevention on construction sites. The joint code of practice on the protection from fire of
construction sites and buildings undergoing renovation (fifth edition). Fire Protection
Association and Construction Federation, 2000. ISBN 0 902167 39 1.
55 BS 7157: Method of test for ignitability of fabrics used in the construction of large tented
structures. British Standards Institution.
56 BS 6661: Guide for the design, construction and maintenance of single-skin air supported
structures. British Standards Institution.
57 Design, construction, specification and fire management of insulated envelopes for temperature
controlled environments. International Association of Cold Storage Contractors.
58 BS 7176: Specification for resistance to ignition of upholstered furniture for non-domestic seating
by testing composites. British Standards Institution.
59 BS 7177: Specification for resistance to ignition of mattresses, divans and bed bases.
British Standards Institution.
60 BS 5867-2: Specification for fabrics for curtains and drapes. Flammability requirements. British
Standards Institution.
61 BS 1892: Gymnasium equipment. Particular requirements. Specification for boxing rings. British
Standards Institution.
62 BS 5588-6: Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Code of practice for
places of assembly. British Standards Institution.
63 BS 5306-2: Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Specification for sprinkler
systems. British Standards Institution.
64 BS 5588-5: Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Access and facilities
for firefighting. British Standards Institution.
65 The Building Regulations 1991: Approved Document M Access to and use of buildings, (2004 edition).
The Stationery Office.
66 BS 5588-8: Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Code of practice for
means of escape for disabled people. British Standards Institution.
67 CIBSE Guide Volume E: Fire engineering. Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, 1997.
68 Design methodologies for smoke and heat exhaust ventilation, Report 368. Building Research
Establishment, 1999.
69 A guide to best practice in the specification and use of fire-resistant glazed systems. Glass and
Glazing Federation, 2005.
70 Increasing the Fire Resistance of Existing Timber Doors, Information Paper 8/82. BRE
71 Fire resisting doorsets by upgrading. Wood Information Sheet 1-32. Timber Research and
Development Association.
72 BS 4787-1: Internal and external wood doorsets, door leaves and frames. Specification for
dimensional requirements. British Standards Institution.
73 BS EN 1155: Building hardware. Electrically powered hold-open devices for swing doors.
Requirements and test methods. British Standards Institution.
74 BS EN 1158: Building hardware. Door coordinator devices. Requirements and test methods.
British Standards Institution.
75 Hardware for Timber Fire and Escape Doors. BHIF, 2000.
76 BS 5266-6: Emergency lighting. Code of practice for non-electrical low mounted way guidance
systems for emergency use. Photoluminescent systems. British Standards Institution.
77 Toys (Safety) Regulations 1995, SI 1995/204.

138

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 78 Access for disabled people to school buildings, management and design guide, Building Bulletin

Part 2 •
91. The Stationery Office. ISBN 0 902167 42 1.
79 Housing Act 2004. The Stationery Office. ISBN 0 10 543404 3.
80 BS 5576: Specification for fire safety features of camping tents, awnings, trailer tents and

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

caravan awnings. British Standards Institution.
81 Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960. Model Standards, Circular 14/89.
82 Fire spread between caravans, Information Paper 15/91. BRE.
83 BS 9251: Sprinkler systems for residential and domestic occupancies. Code of practice.
British Standards Institution.
84 LPC rules for automatic sprinkler installations, incorporating BS EN 12845.
The Fire Protection Association.
85 The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
86 BS 5852: Methods of test for the assessment of the ignitability of upholstered seating by
smouldering and flaming ignition. British Standards Institution.
87 BS EN 1101: Textiles and textile products. Burning behaviour. Curtains and drapes.
Detailed procedure to determine the ignitability of vertically orientated specimens (small flame).
British Standards Institution.
88 BS EN 1102: Textiles and textile products. Burning behaviour. Curtains and drapes.
Detailed procedure to determine the flame spread of vertically orientated specimens.
British Standards Institution.
89 BS EN 3-7: Portable fire extinguishers. Characteristics, performance requirements and
test methods. British Standards Institution.
90 BS 5839-6: Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for the design,
installation and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in dwellings.
British Standards Institution.
91 BS EN 12209: Building hardware. Locks and latches. Mechanically operated locks, latches and
locking plates. British Standards Institution.
92 BS 1906: Building hardware. Lever handles and knob furniture. Requirements and test methods.
British Standards Institution.

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 Further reading
The latest versions of all documents listed in
this section should be used, including any
amendments.

Any views expressed in these documents are

not necessarily those of the DCLG.

BS 4422 Fire. Vocabulary. British Standards Institution.

BS PD 6512-3 Use of elements of structural fire protection with particular

reference to the recommendations given in BS 5588 Fire
precautions in the design and construction of buildings. Guide
to the fire performance of glass. British Standards Institution.

BS EN 81 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts.

British Standards Institution.

BS EN 81-70 Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. Particular
applications for passenger and goods passenger lifts. Accessibility
to lifts for persons including persons with disability. British
Standards Institution.

BS 5041-1 Fire hydrant systems equipment. Specification for landing valves

for wet risers. British Standards Institution.

BS 5041-2 Fire hydrant systems equipment. Specification for landing valves

for dry risers. British Standards Institution.

BS 5041-3 Fire hydrant systems equipment. Specification for inlet breechings

for dry riser inlets. British Standards Institution.

BS 5041-4 Fire hydrant systems equipment. Specification for boxes for

landing valves for dry risers. British Standards Institution.

BS 5041-5 Fire hydrant systems equipment. Specification for boxes for foam
inlets and dry riser inlets. British Standards Institution.

BS 9990 Code of practice for non-automatic fire-fighting systems in buildings.

British Standards Institution.

BS 7944 Type 1 heavy duty fire blankets and type 2 heavy duty heat
protective blankets. British Standards Institution.

BS EN 1869 Fire blankets. British Standards Institution.

BS ISO 14520-1 Gaseous fire-extinguishing systems. Physical properties and

system design. General requirements. British Standards Institution.

BS 5266-2 Emergency lighting. Code of practice for electrical low mounted

way guidance systems for emergency use.

BS 5266-6 Emergency lighting. Code of practice for non-electrical low

mounted way guidance systems for emergency use.
Photoluminescent systems. British Standards Institution.

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 BS EN 60598-1 Luminaires. General requirements and tests. British Standards

Part 2 •
Institution. British Standards Institution.

BS 5499-1 Graphic symbols and signs. Safety signs, including fire safety
signs. Specification for geometric shapes, colours and layout.

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

British Standards Institution.

BS EN 1634-1 Fire resistance tests for door and shutter assemblies. Fire doors
and shutters. British Standards Institution.

BS EN 1634-3 Fire resistance tests for door and shutter assemblies. Smoke
control doors and shutters. British Standards Institution.

BS 8214 Code of practice for fire door assemblies with non-metallic leaves.
British Standards Institution.

Draft BS EN 14637 Building hardware. Electrically controlled hold-open systems for

fire/smoke door assemblies. Requirements, test methods,
application and maintenance. (Consultation document.)
British Standards Institution.

BS EN 45020 Standardisation and related activities. General vocabulary.

British Standards Institution.

ISO 13784-2 Reaction to fire tests for sandwich panel building systems.
Part 2: test method for large rooms. British Standards Institution.

BS 6661 Guide for design, construction and maintenance of single-skin air

supported structures. British Standards Institution.

BS 5268-4.2 Structural use of timber. Fire resistance of timber structures.

Recommendations for calculating fire resistance of timber stud
walls and joisted floor constructions. British Standards Institution.

Houses in multiple occupation, Circular 12/92, Department of the Environment.

Fire precautions in housing providing NHS-supported living in the community. NHS Estates/The Stationery
Office. ISBN 0 11 322556 3.
Fire safety management in hotels and boarding houses. Home Office/The Scottish Office/Fire Prevention
Association/HMSO, 1991. ISBN 0 11 340980 X.
School boarding accommodation: A design guide, Building Bulletin 84. The Stationery Office, 1996.
ISBN 0 11 270977 X.
Fire safety in hotels. BRE, 2005. ISBN 0 9550094 0 5.
Greater Manchester houses in multiple occupation fire safety guide. Greater Manchester Chief Environmental
Health Officers (Housing) Sub-Group, 2004.
Design principles of fire safety. The Stationery Office, 1996. ISBN 0 11 753045 X.
Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002, SI 2002/1689. The Stationery
Office, 2002. ISBN 0 11 042419 0. Supporting guides: The idiot’s guide to CHIP 3: Chemicals (Hazard
Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002, INDG350. HSE Books, 2002. (ISBN 0 7176 2333 5
single copy free or priced packs of 5); CHIP for everyone, HSG228. HSE Books, 2002. ISBN 0 7176 2370 X.
Guidance on the acceptance of electronic locks to doors required for means of escape published by
The Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers Association
Ensuring Best Practice for Passive Fire Protection in Buildings. Building Research Establishment, 2003.
ISBN 1 870409 19 1.
Smoke shafts protecting fire shafts, their performance and design, BRE Project Report 79204.
Building Research Establishment, 2002.
Fire safety of PTFE-based material used in building, BRE Report 274. Building Research Establishment,
1994. ISBN 0 851256 53 8.
Fires and human behaviour. David Fulton Publishers, 2000. ISBN 1 853461 05 9.
Management of health and safety at work. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Approved code of practice and guidance, L21 (second edition). HSE Books, 2000. ISBN 0 7176 2488 9.

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 Index
Page numbers in italics refer to information in Figures or Tables.

A fire-resisting 51, 67, 75, 95, 123–8, 132

access for firefighters 23, 61–2, 63, 118, glazing 124
119, 129 maintenance 7, 117, 118, 119, 126, 128
aerosols 13, 18, 45 notices 106
alarms see fire detection and warning systems revolving 87
alterations 8, 26, 47–8, 51, 62, 133 roller shutter doors 64, 87
alterations notices 8, 39, 131 self-closing 75, 95, 106, 124–5, 134
arson 15, 18, 51–2 sliding 88
assembly points 24, 38, 112, 113, 114 vision panels 66, 126, 135
automatic fire detection systems 20–1, 54, 55, wicket 87
56, 70, 75, 88, 92, 131
E
B electrical safety 12, 18, 46–7
barracks and quarters 4, 25 emergency escape lighting 28–9, 86, 103–4, 132
basements 85, 94, 131 tests, checks and maintenance 30–2, 104,
bed and breakfast accommodation 4, 28, 55 108, 117, 118, 119
boarding houses 24, 42, 55, 67 emergency plans 33, 34–5, 37, 41, 108, 110–11,
building work 47–8, 51 114, 129
equipment and machinery 12, 18, 39, 46–7
C escalators and travelators 86
caravans 50–1, 52 escape routes 24, 132
cavity barriers 51, 66, 67 age and construction of the premises 25–6,
ceilings, fire-resisting 26, 67, 78 28, 48, 66–7
children 7, 50, 67, 131, 135 alternative exits 72, 75, 77, 92, 131
co-operation and co-ordination 7, 36, 37, 112 basements 85, 94, 131
competent persons 6, 10, 131 corridors 78, 79, 80, 94, 98, 99
conduction, fire spreading by 16 dead ends 66, 71, 74, 75, 76–8, 132
construction, fire-resisting 48, 51, 66–7, 75, 76, emergency lighting 28–9, 86, 103–4, 132
78, 121–3 escape time 25, 28, 68–9
contingency plans 110–11 final exits 81–2, 88, 108, 115, 132
contractors inner rooms 73, 74, 75, 133, 135
certifying 31, 125 layouts 88–102
fire safety training 7, 113 levels of risk 65, 67
managing 47–8 lifts 24, 27, 38, 67, 68, 86, 118, 132
permit to work 18, 48 lobbies 80, 94, 99, 134
risk to 14, 21, 24, 37 managing 27, 28, 67
source of ignition 12, 18, 35, 47 obstructions 42, 48, 80, 117
convection, fire spreading by 16 people with special needs 24, 27, 28, 67–8
reception areas 83
D roof exits 86, 87
dangerous substances 7, 111, 132 signs and notices 29–30, 35, 36, 88, 105–6
storage 19, 44–6, 48, 52, 112 suitability 66
dead ends tests and checks 30–2, 108, 117, 118, 119
escape routes 66, 71, 74, 75, 76–8, 132 training 38
fire alarms 54 travel distance 54, 65, 69, 70–1, 74–5, 89,
disability see people with special needs 94, 135
display materials 13, 49, 50 type and number of people using premises
doors 24–5, 28, 67
door-fastening devices 126–8 widths and capacity 68–9
door furniture 124–6  see also doors; stairways
final exit 88 extinguishers 22, 23, 30, 31, 58–60

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 F extinguishers 22, 23, 30, 31, 58–60

Part 2 •
false alarms 21, 54, 56, 57, 108, 132 fire suppression systems 23, 34, 43, 51, 60–1,
family accommodation centres 4, 25 62, 70, 75, 108
fire firefighters’ switches 61, 63, 119
classes of 58, 59–60 firefighting lifts and shafts 23, 27, 62, 68, 86,

Further guidance on fire risk assessment and fire precautions

spread of 16–17, 48, 49–51 96, 112, 118, 132
fire blankets 43, 60, 108 hose reels 23, 31, 60, 108
fire certificates 5–6, 51 kitchens 43
fire dampers 43, 67 maintenance 7, 30, 31, 60–1, 63, 64, 108
fire detection and warning systems 20–2 quality assurance 116
automatic fire detection systems 54, 55, 56, rising mains 23, 62–3, 119
70, 75, 88, 92, 131 signs 106
false alarms 21, 54, 56, 57, 108, 132 tests and checks 30–2, 60, 117, 118, 119
fire suppression systems 70 training 7, 23, 38, 58, 113
manual call points 53–4, 56, 57 flame-retardant materials 44, 49–50
monitoring 52, 56, 57 flammable liquids 13, 19, 44–5, 46, 52, 58,
quality assurance 116 59, 133
record-keeping 57, 108 flats and maisonettes 4, 21, 25, 55, 100, 133
smoke detectors 20, 21, 73, 134 floors, fire-resisting 51, 67, 86, 94, 121, 122
sound levels 53 foam inlets 63
staged alarms 56, 134 fuel, sources of 12, 13, 18–19, 42, 44–6, 50
tests and checks 7, 30–2, 56–7, 108, 117–18 function rooms 54, 67, 103, 110
voice alarms 21, 53, 118 furniture and furnishings 49–50
fire drills 37, 38, 108, 114–15
fire marshals 23, 38, 113, 129 G
fire-resisting separation 48, 51, 66–7, 121–3 glass, fire-resisting 122, 124
fire risk assessment guest houses 4, 24, 28
aims 9
co-operation and co-ordination 7, 36, 37, 112 H
emergency plans 33, 34–5, 37, 41, 108, hazard
110–11, 114, 129 definition 9
evaluating risk 15–17 identifying fire hazards 11, 12–14, 33, 120
Fire Safety Order and 6–8 removing or reducing 17–19, 33, 120
flexibility 20, 41 hazardous materials 38, 39, 46, 111, 112, 133
historic buildings 129 historic buildings 66, 129–30
identifying fire hazards 11, 12–14, 33, 120 hose reels 23, 31, 60, 108
identifying people at risk 11, 14–15, 33, 120 hostels 4, 133
information and instruction 35–6, 37, 111–12 automatic fire detection systems 55
method 10, 11 escape routes 25, 67
plan of action 41 furniture and furnishings 50
record-keeping 9, 11, 33–4, 108, 109, staff training 37
110, 120 hotels 4
removing or reducing fire hazards 17–19, automatic fire detection systems 55
33, 120 emergency escape lighting 28
removing or reducing risk to people 5, escape routes 24, 25, 67
19–32, 33, 120 fire detection and warning systems 21
reviewing 11, 38–9, 120 housekeeping 42
sources of fuel 12, 13, 18–19, 42 kitchen areas 43
sources of ignition 12, 15, 17–18 staff training 37
sources of oxygen 12, 13–14, 19 houses in multiple occupation (HMO) 4, 133
fire safety audit 108, 110 automatic fire detection systems 55
fire safety management 5, 41, 47–8 emergency plan 110
Fire Safety Order 5–8 escape routes 25, 67
fire stopping 67, 123, 133 fire detection and warning systems 21
fire suppression systems 23, 34, 43, 51, 60–1, furniture and furnishings 50
62, 70, 75, 108
firefighters’ switches 61, 63, 119 I
firefighting equipment and facilities 22–3 ignition, sources of 12, 15, 17–18, 46–7, 48
access for firefighters 23, 61–2, 63, 118, information and instruction 35–6, 37, 111–12
119, 129 insulated core panels 49
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 K risk
kitchen areas 43, 60 definition 9
evaluating 11, 15–17, 65
L people at risk 11, 14–15, 16–17
ladders 66, 86 reducing 5, 11, 19–32, 33
laundries 42, 43 roll calls 112, 114–15
lifts roller shutter doors 64, 87
escape routes 24, 27, 38, 67, 68, 86, 118, 132 roof exits 86, 87
firefighting 23, 27, 62, 68, 86, 112, 118, 132
LPG storage 45, 48 S
luminaires 103, 104, 117, 118, 119 security 52
self-catering accommodation 43
M shafts, firefighting see lifts
maintenance sheltered accommodation 4, 25, 110
checklist 117–19 signs and notices 29–30, 105–7
emergency escape lighting 30–2, 104, 108, information and instruction 35, 36, 43, 47, 88
117, 118, 119 smoke
fire detection and warning systems 7, 30–2, control of 51, 54, 101, 102, 108, 119
56–7, 108, 117–18 dangers of 16, 17
fire doors 7, 117, 118, 119, 126, 128 spread of 17, 48, 49–51
firefighting equipment and facilities 7, 30, Smoke and Heat Exhaust Ventilation Systems
31, 60–1, 63, 64, 108, 117, 118, 119 (SHEVS) 51, 54, 119
maisonettes see flats and maisonettes smoke detectors 20, 21, 73, 134
marquees 27, 71 smoking 12, 15, 17, 47
mezzanine floors 89, 90 sprinklers 23, 51, 60–1, 70
motels 4, 24, 55 staff
fire drills 37, 38, 114–15
O fire safety training 7, 23, 33, 37–8, 112–15
oxygen, sources of 12, 13–14, 19 information and instruction 7, 35–6, 37,
107, 111
P  see also contractors
partitions, fire-resisting 48, 51, 75, 122 stairways
 see also walls accommodation stairways 79, 83, 131
people at risk basements 85, 94
evaluating 16–17 bypass routes 82, 83
identifying 11, 14–15, 33 external 84, 87, 132
removing or reducing risk 5, 19–32, 33, 120 protected 79–82, 84, 95, 97, 102, 134
restricting the spread of fire and smoke spiral and helical 85
48, 49–51 width and capacity 69
type and number using premises 24–5, storage 19, 42, 43–6, 48, 52, 112
42, 67–8 student accommodation 4, 21, 25, 28, 55
people with special needs 15
evacuating 24, 27, 28, 50, 56, 67–8, 115 T
fire warning systems 53, 54 temporary structures 27
information and instruction 36, 50, 105 tents 27, 50–1
personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) training
24, 52 fire safety 33, 37–8, 112–15
plans and specifications 110 firefighting equipment 7, 23, 38, 58, 113
portable appliance testing (PAT) 46, 47
V
R ventilation systems 51, 54, 101, 102
radiation, fire spreading by 16 vision panels 66, 73, 126, 135
reception areas 83 voids 48, 50, 65, 66, 122, 129
record-keeping
emergency escape lighting 104 W
fire detection and warning systems 57 walls, fire-resisting 49, 67, 76, 78, 121–2
fire risk assessment 9, 11, 33–4, 108, 109, see also partitions
110, 120 way guidance systems 104, 135
refuge areas 67–8, 68, 69, 134 windows, fire-resisting 84, 86, 122, 124
rising mains 23, 62–3, 119 vision panels 66, 73, 126, 135
144

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 Fire Safety Risk Assessment – Sleeping accommodation
This guide is for employers, managers, occupiers and owners
of sleeping accommodation. It tells you what you have to do
to comply with fire safety law, helps you to carry out a fire risk
assessment and identify the general fire precautions you need
to have in place.
Other guides in the series:

Guide Main use

Offices and shops e.g. shopping centres).

ISBN: 978 1 85112 815 0
Offices and retail premises
(including individual units
within larger premises,

Factories and warehouses

ISBN: 978 1 85112 816 7
Factories and warehouse
storage premises.

Sleeping accommodation All premises where the main use is to provide sleeping accommodation, e.g. hotels,
guest houses, B&Bs, hostels, residential training centres, holiday accommodation
ISBN: 978 1 85112 817 4
and the common areas of flats, maisonettes, HMOs and sheltered housing (other
than those providing care – see Residential care premises), but excluding hospitals,
residential care premises, places of custody and single private dwellings.

Residential care premises (where care is provided) and similar premises, which are permanently staffed
and where the primary use is the provision of care rather than healthcare (see
ISBN: 978 1 85112 818 1
Healthcare premises).
Residential care and nursing
homes, common areas of
sheltered housing

Educational premises except the residential parts (see Sleeping accommodation).

ISBN: 978 1 85112 819 8
Teaching establishments
ranging from pre-school
through to universities,

Small and medium places Smaller public houses, clubs, restaurants and cafés, village halls, community
of assembly centres, libraries, marquees, churches and other places of worship or study
accommodating up to 300 people.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 820 4

Large places of assembly Larger premises where more than 300 people could gather, e.g. shopping centres
(not the individual shops), large nightclubs and pubs, exhibition and conference
ISBN: 978 1 85112 821 1

sleeping accommodation
centres, sports stadia, marquees, museums, libraries, churches, cathedrals and
other places of worship or study.

Theatres, cinemas and Theatres, cinemas, concert halls and similar premises used primarily for
similar premises this purpose.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 822 8

Open air events and venues Open air events, e.g. theme parks, zoos, music concerts, sporting events
(not stadia – see Large places of assembly), fairgrounds and county fairs.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 823 5

Healthcare premises Premises where the primary use is the provision of healthcare (including private),
e.g. hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dentists and other similar healthcare premises.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 824 2

Transport premises Transportation terminals and interchanges, e.g. airports, railway stations
and facilities (including sub-surface), transport tunnels, ports, bus and coach stations
and similar premises but excluding the means of transport (e.g. trains, buses,
ISBN: 978 1 85112 825 9
planes and ships).

Stables and agricultural Agricutural premises, stables, livery yards and stables within zoos, large animal
premises sanctuaries or farm parks.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 884 6

Supplementary Guide

Means of Escape for This guide is a supplement to be read alongside other guides in this series.
Disabled People It provides additional information on accessibility and means of escape.
ISBN: 978 1 85112 874 7

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