Fire Safety Risk

Assessment
Factories and
Warehouses
© Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, 2017

ISBN: 978 0 33709 7232

April 2017
 Contents

How to use this guide 1

Preface 2

Introduction 3

Part 1 Fire risk assessment 8

Step 1 Identify fire hazards 11

Step 2 Identify people at risk 15

Step 3 Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk 16

Step 4 Record, plan, inform, instruct and train 35

Step 5 Review 42

Part 2 Further guidance on fire risk assessment 44

and fire precautions

Section 1 Further guidance on fire risks and 45

preventative measures

Section 2 Further guidance on fire detection and 65

warning systems

Section 3 Further guidance on firefighting equipment 70

and facilities

Section 4 Further guidance on escape routes 79

Section 5 Further guidance on emergency escape lighting 122

Section 6 Further guidance on signs and notices 125

Section 7 Further guidance on recording, planning, 128
informing, instructing and training

Section 8 Quality assurance of fire protection 140

equipment and installation

Appendix A A1 Example fire safety maintenance checklist 141

A2 Example form for recording significant 145
findings

Appendix B Technical information on fire-resisting

separation, fire doors and door fastenings 146

Appendix C Historic buildings 156

Appendix D Glossary 158

References 164

Further reading 169

 How to use this guide
This guide is divided into two parts:

• Part 1 Explains what a 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 this book 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 Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order
20061 or The Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20102.

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 listed in either the Order1 or Regulations2 irrespective of
whether you have relied on a particular standard.

A full list of references 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. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service attends thousands of major fires
annually. Every year hundreds of people end up as casualties in incidents which occur in
domestic and non-domestic premises and tragically a small number are killed as a result
of fire.

• Fire costs money. The costs of a serious fire can be high and after a fire many businesses
do not re-open. Every year insurance companies in the UK pay out hundreds of millions
of pounds for damage caused by fire.

This guide applies to Northern Ireland only. It does not set prescriptive standards, but
provides recommendations and guidance for use when assessing the adequacy of fire
precautions in factories and warehouses. 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.

In addition, earlier legislation, including NI legislation may have imposed additional

requirements for fire precautions for large storage buildings where more than 7,000m3 is
used for storing or depositing goods or materials (e.g. access, compartmentation, monitored
automatic fire detection and/or smoke control and/or sprinklers to be maintained).

This guide should not be used to design fire safety in new buildings. Where alterations are
proposed to existing factories and warehouses, 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, occupiers and owners of factories and
warehouses. Details of other guides in the series are listed on the back cover. 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.

This guide is intended for premises where the main use of the building or part of the
building is a factory or warehouse. It may also be suitable where the premises adjoin other
complexes, although co-operation with other managers will be necessary as part of an
integrated risk assessment for the complex.

Also, where you handle and store flammable materials and substances, it will help you
take account of these in your risk assessment and help you determine the necessary
precautions to take to minimise the likelihood of them being involved in a fire.

This guide has been written to provide guidance for an appropriate person, to help them to
carry out a fire risk assessment in less complex factories and warehouses. 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; and

• all other people who have a role in ensuring fire safety in factories and warehouses.

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

Fire safety is just one of many safety issues 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 differing safety demands can sometimes
affect one another and management should consult other interested agencies, such as the

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Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), where necessary to confirm that
they are not contravening other legislation or guidance.

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

FIRE SAFETY LEGISLATION

Previous general fire safety legislation

The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 20061 and The Fire Safety
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20102 replace previous fire safety legislation. Any fire
certificate issued under The Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 19843 will cease to have
any effect. If a fire certificate has been issued in respect of your premises or if 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 Order1 and Regulations2. 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 (Northern Ireland) 20014, as amended 20035, and this assessment
has been regularly reviewed, then all you will need to do is revise that assessment taking
account of the wider scope of the Order1 and Regulations2 as described in this guide.

Your premises may also be subject to the provisions of a licence or registration (e.g. under
The Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 19966 or The Local Government (Miscellaneous
Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 19857) and Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service may
wish to review your risk assessment as part of the licensing approval process.

Background

The Order1 and Regulations2 apply in Northern Ireland. They cover 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 Order1 and Regulations2 require 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 and Regulations2 rests with the ‘appropriate
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 occupier or owner. In all other premises the person or
people in control of the premises will be responsible. If there is more than one appropriate
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.

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If you are the appropriate 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
young persons) 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 carry out any of the preventative and protective measures required by
the Order1 and Regulations2 (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.

• 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 appropriate
person of any risks to that child arising from their undertaking.

• You must inform non-employees, such as 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 appropriate 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 preventative and protective

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 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 and Regulations2 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 Order1 and Regulations2. The rest
of this guide will explain how you might meet these requirements.

Who enforces the Fire Safety Legislation?

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service will enforce the Order1 and Regulations2 in most
premises. The exceptions are:

• Crown-occupied/owned premises where the Health and Safety Executive for Northern
Ireland will enforce;

• Premises within armed forces establishments where the defence fire and rescue service
will enforce.

The enforcing authority will have the power to inspect your premises to check that you are
complying with your duties under the legislation. 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, as is likely, you are required to record the outcome of the assessment they
will expect to see a copy.

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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 and Regulations2 or any notice issued
by the enforcing authority is an offence. You have a right of appeal to a County 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 to be used
(e.g. what type of fire alarm system is needed), you may agree to refer this for independent
determination.

If, having read this guide, you are in any doubt about how fire safety law applies to you,
contact your local fire safety office through Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service
Headquarters. Contact details are available from www.nifrs.org.

If your premises were in use before 2010, then they may have been subject to The Fire
Services (Northern Ireland) Order 19843 and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations
(Northern Ireland) 20014 as amended 20035. 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, 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 (Northern Ireland) 20014 as
amended 20035.

New buildings or significant building alterations should be designed to satisfy current

building regulations8 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 Order1 and Regulations2.

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 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 44.

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 Order1 and Regulations2 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. process areas, offices, stores, as well as corridors, stairways
and external routes.

If your premises are in a multi-use complex then the information on hazard and risk reduction
will still be applicable to you. However, any alterations to the use or structure of your individual
unit 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 Health and Safety Executive for Northern
Ireland (HSENI) or the local council) 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 Order1 and
Regulations2 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 preventative and protective measures needed to comply with the Order1 and

9
Regulations2. 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 persons, including disabled people.

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

FIRE SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT

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

Identify people at risk

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

Evaluate, remove, reduce and protect from risk

3 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

Record, plan, inform, instruct and train

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

Review
5 Keep assessment under review
Revise where necessary
Remember to keep your fire risk assessment under review.
Figure 1: The five steps of a fire risk assessment

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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 oxygen
supplies which will help it burn. Figure 2: The fire triangle

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. gas or liquid-fuelled open-flame equipment;

• sparks from burning products, e.g. bonfires in yards;

• vehicle exhausts;

• electrical, gas or oil-fired heaters (fixed or portable), room heaters;

• hot processes/hot work, e.g. welding by contractors or shrink wrapping;

• cooking equipment, hot ducting, flues and filters;

• extract fans for dust and fume removal systems, e.g. by build-up of debris;

• failure of temperature control thermostats on hot work/cooking processes;

11
• heat sources, such as gas, electric,
microwaves, radio frequency, thermal
fluids;

• steam pipes;

• frictional generated heat from mechanical

equipment;

• static charge from mechanical equipment,

e.g. conveyor belts;

• poor electrical installations, e.g. overloads,

heating from bunched cables, damaged
cable;
Figure 3: Sources of ignition

• faulty or misused electrical equipment, e.g. refrigeration defrost systems, fork lift truck
charging units;

• light fittings and lighting equipment, e.g. halogen lamps or display lighting or overhead
lights too close to stored products;

• hot surfaces and obstruction of equipment ventilation;

• spontaneous ignition and self heating, e.g. oil soaked rags, paint scrapings, crumb and
batter residue; and

• deliberate fire setting.

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.

1.2 Identify sources of fuel

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 factories and warehouses are:

• flammable liquid-based products, such as paints, varnishes, thinners and adhesives;

• flammable liquids and solvents, such as petrol, white spirit, methylated spirit, cooking
oils and disposable cigarette lighters;

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• flammable chemicals, such as certain cleaning products, photocopier chemicals and dry
cleaning products that use hydrocarbon solvents;

• flammable gases such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), flammable refrigerants and
flammable gas propelled aerosols;

• stored goods and high piled or racked storage;

• foodstuffs containing sugar and oils, such as sugar-coated cereal and butter;

• plastics and rubber, such as video tapes, polyurethane foam-filled furniture and
polystyrene-based display materials;

• paper products, such as stationery, advertising material and decorations;

• packaging materials;

• plastic and timber storage aids both in use and idle, such as pallets, octobins, and
palletainers;

• combustible insulation, such as panels constructed with combustible cores;

• textiles and soft furnishings, such as hanging curtains and clothing displays; and

• waste products, particularly finely divided items such as shredded paper and wood
shavings, offcuts, dust and litter/rubbish.

You should also consider the materials used to line walls and ceilings, e.g. polystyrene or
carpet tiles, the fixtures and fittings, 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.

Figure 4: Label on oxidsing materials

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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 and piped systems, e.g. oxygen used in welding
processes; and

• 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?

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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 where you have people working, either at permanent locations
(such as workstations) or at occasional locations around the premises, and to consider who
else may be at risk, such as customers, 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:

• employees who work alone, e.g. cleaners, security staff;

• people who are in isolated areas, e.g. maintenance staff, staff on cranes, reach trucks
and cat walks;

• unaccompanied children and young persons;

• people who are unfamiliar with the premises, e.g. seasonal workers, contractors, visitors
and customers;

• people with disabilities* or those who may have some other reason for not being able to
leave the premises quickly;

• people with language difficulties; and

• other people in the immediate vicinity of the premises.

In evaluating the risk to people with disabilities you may need to discuss their individual
needs with them. In larger premises used extensively for 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?

* Visit the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland www.equalityni.org or the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission www.nihrc.org
for more information.

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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 occurring

The chances of a fire starting will be low if your premises have few ignition sources and if
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
lighting displays are knocked over;

• by act or omission, such as when electrical equipment is not properly maintained, or

when waste packaging is allowed to accumulate near to a heat source, or by storing LPG
next to an electric fire or other source of heat; or

• deliberate fire setting, such as an 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 a deliberate fire setter.

Further guidance is given in Part 2, Section 1 on evaluating the risk of a fire starting.

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.

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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.

Smoke produced by a fire also contains toxic gases

which are harmful to people. 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.

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.

Figure 5: Smoke moving through a building

17
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 starting in a service room and affecting hazardous materials (such as pyrotechnics or
gas cylinders);

• fire developing in an unoccupied space that people have to pass by to escape from the
building;

• fire spreading rapidly through the building because of combustible structural elements
and/or large quantities of combustible goods;

• rapid vertical fire spread in high rack storage;

• fire or smoke spreading through a building via routes such as vertical shafts, service
ducts, ventilation systems, poorly installed, poorly maintained or damaged, walls,
partitions and ceilings;

• 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 it
is 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:

18
• Wherever possible replace a potential source by a safer alternative.

• Operate a safe smoking policy in designated smoking areas and prohibit smoking
elsewhere. Where smoking is permitted, provide sufficient and suitably placed ashtrays
and bins of an approved type for the disposal of smoking material

• Replace naked flame and radiant heaters with fixed convector heaters or a central
heating system. Restrict the movement of and guard portable heating appliances.

• Separate ignition hazards and combustibles, e.g. ensure sufficient clear space between
lights and combustibles, build fire-resistant enclosures for hot processes, and incinerate
rubbish off site.

• Inspect and monitor ignition hazards so that preventative corrective actions can be
undertaken, e.g. sample temperature on ducts and in oil baths, inspect for hot spots in
electrical systems and mechanical systems.

• Ensure electrical, mechanical and gas equipment is installed, used, maintained and
protected in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

• Strictly control hot processes/hot work by operating permit to work schemes.

• 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.

• Ensure that no one carrying out work on gas fittings which 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.

• Take precautions to avoid deliberate fire setting.

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:

• Reduce stocks of flammable materials, liquids and gases in open areas to a minimum.
Keep remaining stock in dedicated storerooms or storage areas, preferably outside,
where only the appropriate staff are allowed to go, and keep the minimum required for
the operation of the business.

19
• Do not keep flammable solids, liquids and gases together.

• Keep areas containing flammable gases ventilated, e.g. fork lift truck charging units.

• Ensure flammable materials, liquids and gases, are kept to a minimum, and are stored
properly with adequate separation distances between them.

• Ensure adequate aisle separation is maintained between stacks of stored goods.

• Separate fuel into fire-resistant enclosures, e.g. store raw materials and finished goods
separately.

• Use non-combustible building materials for building modifications.

• Remove, or treat large areas of highly combustible wall and ceiling linings, e.g.
polystyrene or carpet tiles, to reduce the rate of flame spread across the surface.

• 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.

• Take action to avoid any parts of the premises,

and in particular storage areas, being vulnerable
to deliberate fire setting 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.

The fuel hazard can also be reduced by the

installation of automatic sprinkler systems or
other suppression/ extinguishing systems, further
guidance is available in Part 2, Section 3. The
provision of such systems may have been a
requirement of a local act or engineered solution
Figure 6: Storage of flammables
and must be maintained.

20
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 within any heat source or flammable materials;
and

• controlling the use and storage of oxygen cylinders, ensuring that they are not leaking,
are not used to ‘sweeten’ the atmosphere, and that where they are located is adequately
ventilated.

3.4 Remove or reduce the risks to people

Having evaluated and addressed the risk of fire occurring and the risk to people
(preventative measures) it is unlikely that you will be able to conclude that no risk remains
of a fire starting and presenting a risk to people in your premises.

You now need to reduce any 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.

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.

21
For example, if the ‘travel distance’ is in excess of the norm for the level of risk you have
determined (see Part 2, Table 2 on page 85), 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

In some simple, open-plan, single-

storey factories and warehouses, a fire
may be obvious to everyone as soon
as it starts. In these cases, where the
number and position of exits and the
travel distance to them is adequate,
a simple shout of ‘fire’ or a simple
manually operated device, such as a
gong, whistle or air horn that can be
heard by everybody when operated
from any single point within the
building, may be all that is needed.
Where a simple shout or manually
operated device is not adequate, it
is likely that an electrical fire warning
system will be required. Figure 7: Fire detection and warning system

In more complex premises, particularly those with more than one floor, where an alarm
given from any single point is unlikely to be heard throughout the building, an electrical
system incorporating sounders and manually operated call points (break-glass boxes) is

22
likely to be required. This type of system is likely to be acceptable where all parts of the
building are occupied at the same time and it is unlikely that a fire could start without
somebody noticing it quickly. However, where there are unoccupied areas, or common
corridors and circulation spaces in multi-occupied premises, in which a fire could develop to
the extent that escape routes could be affected before the fire is discovered, automatic fire
detection may be necessary.

The use of these systems may also be risk dependent, so a small factory or warehouse
which handles, manufactures, stores or uses low flash point or highly flammable hazardous
substances might also need an automatic fire detection system.

You may need to consider special arrangements for times when people are working alone,
are disabled, or when your normal occupancy patterns are different, e.g. when maintenance
staff or other contractors are working at the weekend.

In large or complex premises, particularly those accommodating large numbers of people, it

is likely that a more sophisticated form of warning and evacuation, possibly phased, should
be provided.

False alarms from electrical fire warning systems are a major problem (e.g. malicious
activation of manual call points) and result in many unwanted 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.

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?

23
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 people 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, a number of
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.

Some premises will also have permanently installed firefighting equipment such as hose
reels, for use by trained staff or firefighters.

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

24
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 legislation,
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 A1 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) see
Part 2, Section 3.3.

Checklist

• Are the portable fire extinguishers or any fixed firefighting equipment provided
suitable for controlling the risks identified?

• 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)?

25
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 in a crèche 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 is 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 large 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;

• whether lifts can or need to be used;

• the use of phased or delayed alarm evacuation;

• assisted means of escape/personal evacuation plans (PEEPs); and

• assembly points.

The type and number of people using the premises

The people present in your premises will primarily be employees. Employees can reasonably
be expected to have an understanding of the layout of the premises, while contractors or
visitors will be unlikely to have knowledge of alternative escape routes.

26
The number and capability of people present will influence your assessment of the escape
routes. You must ensure that your existing escape routes are sufficient and capable of
safely evacuating all the people likely to use your premises at any time, including temporary
staff employed in busy periods, and visitors. If necessary you may need either to increase
the capacity of the escape routes or restrict the number of people in the premises.

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. In high rack storage the spread of fire vertically will be rapid, so this risk
should be given special consideration. For simplicity, the travel distances in Part 2, Table
2 on page 85 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.

If you wish to construct internal partitions or walls in your premises, perhaps to divide up a
work 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.)

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 be 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 normally 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 the travel distances are limited).

27
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 or doors which cannot be opened quickly, e.g. manually
operated roller shutters. You can 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 opened 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.

Management of escape routes

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

Corridors and stairways that form part of escape Figure 9: A blocked corrider
routes should be kept clear and hazard free at all
times. Items that may be a source of fuel or pose an ignition risk should never be located on
any corridor or stairway that will be used as an escape route. In some premises with storage
racking, escape routes may be through/ under the racking; these should be kept clear of
any storage and obstructions. 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;

28
• 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 available in Part 2, Section 4.

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. staff, contractors 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?

29
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. Where any escape routes are internal
and without windows, or your premises are used during periods of darkness, including early
darkness on winter days, then some form of back-up to the normal escape route lighting
(emergency escape lighting) is likely to be required.

In simple premises, e.g. small single storey open plan factories or warehouses with small
numbers of staff where the escape routes are straightforward, borrowed lighting, e.g. from
street lamps where they illuminate escape routes, may be acceptable. Where borrowed
lighting is not available, suitably placed torches may be acceptable.

In larger, more complex premises it is likely that a more comprehensive system of electrical
automatic emergency escape lighting will be needed to illuminate all the escape routes.

Where people have difficulty seeing conventional signs, a ‘way-guidance’ system may need
to be considered.

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

Checklist

• Are your premises used during periods of darkness?

• Will there always be sufficient lighting to use escape routes safely?

• 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 (Northern Ireland) 19969, 10 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 visitors 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 employees and visitors.

30
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.

Figure 15: Typical fire exit sign

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

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 seen and understood.

Further guidance on signs and notices is given

in Part 2, Section 6.

Figure 16: Simple fire action notice

31
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 fire 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 competent
service engineer. Where contractors are used, third party certification is one method where
a reasonable assurance of quality of work and competence can be achieved (see Part 2,
Section 8).

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

Daily checks

Remove bolts, padlocks and security devices from fire exits, ensure that doors on escape
routes swing freely and close fully, and check escape routes to ensure they are clear from
obstructions and combustible materials, and in a good state of repair. Open all final exit

32
doors to the full extent and walk exterior escape routes. 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 apparently 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. Carry out smoke control and
sprinkler tests. Fire pumps and standby diesel engines should be tested for 30 minutes
each week. Check the batteries of safety torches and that fire extinguishers and hose reels
are correctly located and in apparent working order.

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 all 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.

Annual tests and checks

The emergency lighting and all firefighting equipment, fire alarms and other installed
sprinkler and smoke control 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.

Appendix A1 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 on individual types of equipment and

facilities can be found in the relevant section in Part 2.

33
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-detention 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 premises 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?

34
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 on page 44.

4.1 Record the significant findings and action taken

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.

Significant findings should include details of:

• the fire hazards you have identified (you don’t need to include trivial things like a small
tin of solvent-based glue);

• the actions you have taken or will take to remove or reduce the chance of a fire occurring
(preventative 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); and

• 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.

35
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. This can also help you check your fire
precautions as part of your ongoing review.

KEY
WC WC
Fire warden to check
Assembly
point at
ground level Break glass call point
Office
Emergency lighting
Goods In
Fire extinguisher
Office
Fire exit sign

Self-closing 30-minute fire door

30-minute fire-resisting construction

Storage

Despatch

Roller Shutter

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

36
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 appropriate persons 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 the people in your premises know what
to do if there is a fire and that the premises can be safely evacuated.

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

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, larger and more complex premises, the emergency plan will need to
be more detailed and compiled only after consultation with other occupiers and other
appropriate persons, 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.

37
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 to the
samebuilding?

• 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 appropriate persons 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 cleaners or maintenance staff.

All other relevant persons should be given information about the fire safety arrangements
as soon as possible, e.g. contractors when they start work.

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 should be based on your emergency plan and must
include:

• the significant findings from your fire risk assessment;

38
• 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 staff, 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 at the start of each working day.

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 appropriate persons share premises in which an explosive atmosphere
may occur, the appropriate 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.

39
Checklist

• Have you told your staff about the emergency plan?

• Have you informed guests and visitors about what to do in an emergency?

• Have you identified people you have nominated to do a particular task?

• Have you given staff information about any dangerous substances?

• Do you have arrangements for informing temporary or agency staff?

• Do you have arrangements 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 appropriate
people in the premises?

• 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 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; and

• be tested by fire drills.

In simple premises this may be no more than showing new staff the fire exits and giving
basic training on what to do if there is a fire. In complex premises with a high staff turnover
and many shift patterns, the organisation of fire safety training will need to be planned.

40
Your 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 contractors and visitors including, where appropriate,
directing them to exits;

• the arrangements for calling the Fire and Rescue Service;

• the evacuation procedures for everyone in your factory or warehouse 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
(e.g. 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.

41
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 precautions, you
will need to review your assessment and if necessary revise it. Reasons for review could
include:

• 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;

• significant changes to type and quantities and/or method of storage of goods;

• a significant increase in the number of people present; and

42
• 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 A1 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 your District Council
Building Control.

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.

43
 Part 2 Further guidance on fire risk
assessment and fire precautions
Managing fire safety • the arrangement whereby regional or
area managers should monitor and
Good management of fire safety in your check that individual managers are
premises will help to ensure that any meeting the requirements of the fire
fire safety matters that arise are always safety law.
effectively addressed. In small factories
and warehouses this can be achieved by You should have a plan of action to bring
the manager or owner maintaining and together all the features you have evaluated
planning fire safety in conjunction with and noted from your fire risk assessment
general health and safety. so that you can logically plan what needs to
be done. It should not be confused with the
In larger premises it is good practice emergency plan, which is a statement of
for a senior manager to have overall what you will do if there is a fire.
responsibility for fire safety. It may be
appropriate for this responsibility to be The plan of action should include what you
placed with the manager designated with intend to do to reduce the hazards and
overall responsibility for health and safety. risks you have identified and to implement
the necessary protection measures.
An organisation’s fire safety policy should
be flexible enough to allow modification. You will need to prioritise these actions
This is particularly important when local to ensure that any findings which identify
managers have to function daily with other people in immediate danger are dealt
businesses in the same building. It should with straight away, e.g. unlocking fire
be recognised that fire safety operates at all exits. In other cases where people are
levels within an organisation and therefore not in immediate danger but action is
local managers should be able to develop, still necessary, it may be acceptable to
where necessary, a local action plan for plan this over a period of time. Detailed
their premises. recommendations are given in BS 999911.

The company policy should be set out in The guidance in Part 2 provides additional
writing and may cover such things as: information to:

• who will hold the responsibility for fire • ensure good fire safety management by
safety at board level; helping you establish your fire prevention
measures, fire precautions and fire
• who will be the appropriate person for safety procedures (systems equipment
each of their premises (this will be the and plans); and
person who has overall control, usually
the manager); • assist you to carry out your fire safety
risk assessment and identify any issues
• the arrangement whereby managers will, that need attention.
where necessary, nominate in writing
specific people to carry out particular
tasks if there is a fire; and

44
 Section 1 Further guidance on fire
risks and preventative measures
This section provides further information 1.1 Housekeeping
on evaluating the risk of a fire and its
prevention in your premises. You should Good housekeeping can lower the chances
spend time developing long-term workable of a fire starting, so the accumulation of
and effective strategies to reduce hazards combustible materials in premises should
and the risk of a fire starting. At its simplest be monitored carefully. Good housekeeping
this means separating flammable materials is essential to reduce the chances of
from ignition sources. escape routes and fire doors being blocked
or obstructed.
You should consider:
Waste material should be kept in suitable
• housekeeping; containers prior to removal from the
premises. If bins, particularly wheeled bins,
• storage (including high fire loads and are used outside, they should be secured
high rack storage); in a compound to prevent them being
moved to a position next to the building and
• dangerous substances: storage, display set on fire. Skips should never be placed
and use; against a building and should normally be a
minimum of 6m away from any part of the
• equipment and machinery; premises (see Figure 13).If you generate a
considerable quantity of combustible waste
• electrical safety; material then you may need to develop a
formal plan to manage this effectively, e.g.
• smoking; in packing and unpacking areas.

• managing building work and alterations; In higher risk areas you need to make sure
arrangements are in place for safe close
• existing layout and construction; down, e.g. checking all appliances are
turned off and combustible waste has been
• particular hazards in corridors and removed.
stairways used as escape routes;

• insulated core panels;

• restricting the spread of fire and smoke;

• deliberate fire setting; and

• help for people with special needs.

Figure 13: Bins under stairway

45
1.2 Storage The absence of adequate storage
arrangements results in congestion on the
Many of the materials found in your factory floor or warehouse. This may lead
premises will be combustible. If your to a concealed fire, restriction of access
premises have inadequate or poorly to the fire; fire extinguishers; alarm points
managed storage areas then the risk of fire and escape routes. Discarded packaging
is likely to be increased (see Figure 14). The materials, e.g. polystyrene and cardboard,
more combustible materials you store the and even piles of wooden pallets can
greater the source of fuel for a fire. Poorly introduce severe fire hazards.
arranged high racked storage could prevent
equipment such as sprinklers working Poorly managed storage areas often
effectively. become over-stocked or dumping areas for
unwanted material. Do not pile combustible
Combustible materials are not just those material against electrical equipment or
generally regarded as highly combustible, heaters, even if turned off for the summer,
such as polystyrene, but all materials that and do not allow smoking in areas where
will readily catch fire. Even non-combustible combustible materials are stored.
materials may present a fire hazard
when packed in combustible materials. To reduce the risk, store excess materials
However, by carefully considering the type and stock in a dedicated storage area,
of material, the quantities kept and the such as a purpose-built detached building,
storage arrangements, the risks can be a storeroom with fire separation from the
significantly reduced. rest of the factory, or a controlled space
on the factory floor. Goods stored on the
factory floor should be restricted to the
minimum quantities essential for the flow
of work. Finished goods should be removed
promptly.

As well as considering the materials used

in your premises you should also consider
their form. For example, wood in the form
of solid baulks of timber is not readily
ignitable, but chopped wood or kindling
is (similarly with paper). Cardboard stored
flat would not present a high fire risk, but
rolls of cardboard stored vertically present
a vertical surface for fire to spread rapidly
upwards, corrugated cardboard presents an
even greater risk.

Your fire risk assessment should also

consider any additional risk generated
by seasonal changes such as increased
Figure 14: An example of poor storage volumes of goods at Christmas.

46
Consider the following to reduce these Tarpaulin, jute and plastic sacks can readily
risks: burn too. Sparks, cigarettes and deliberate
fire setting are the likely ignition sources.
• ensure you have sufficient storage areas
for your needs; and To reduce these risks, ensure that:

• ensure storage areas are adequately • goods, materials, pallets and vehicles
controlled and monitored. are sited in designated storage areas
away from the building, fire exits,
Voids windows and boundary fences; and

Voids (including roof voids) should not • outdoor areas are kept tidy, by clearing
be used for the storage of combustible waste and vegetation.
material. Such voids should be sealed off
or kept entirely open to allow easy access Stacked goods and high stacked storage
for inspection.
In a fire, flames will tend to spread very
Storage of raw materials rapidly and vertically through the stored
goods to the top of the stack or racking
Raw materials can contain large quantities and then spread laterally to all levels.
of highly combustible materials, such as When fires occur in these conditions they
fats and oils. If ignited these materials can spread extremely quickly, presenting
can burn readily with high rates of heat greater life risk to occupants. (Experimental
release. The storage arrangement of these testing has shown that with boxes stored on
materials should be carefully considered, to a 10m high racking system, fires started in
ensure these fuels are kept separated from vertical flues frequently reached to top of
potential ignition sources. the racking within two minutes).

Combustible waste and packaging Consider the following to reduce these

risks:
Some processes involve large quantities
of combustible waste and packaging. • a minimum clear space of 1m, between
The sighting, use and removal of these stack and ceiling or lighting;
materials needs to be carefully managed to
ensure that they can not come into contact • aisle width of at least 2.5m, to restrict
with potential ignition sources, and do not the spread of fire across an aisle;
cause obstructions.
• aisle with adequate access, to minimise
Outdoor storage collisions;

Your main risks associated with outdoor • a minimum clear space of 0.5m,
storage are outdoor fires preventing escape between stored goods and the internal
from the building or undetected fire spread walls to provide access (e.g. for the Fire
to the building. Fires are most likely to and Rescue Service);
start in waste material or dry undergrowth.

47
• separation and segregation of 1.3 Dangerous substances:
hazardous material, e.g. rubber storage, display and use
tyres, plastic products, sugar and oil
foodstuffs, combustible fibres, paper Specific precautions are required when
and paper products, hanging garments, handling and storing dangerous substances
carpeting, pesticides, flammable to minimise the possibility of an incident.
liquids and gases, reactive chemicals Your supplier should be able to provide
and flammable aerosols. Fire-resisting detailed advice on safe storage and
compartments should be used in certain handling; however, the following principles
circumstances; will help you reduce the risk from fire:

• measures to ensure fire doors and fire • substitute highly flammable substances
shutters are not obstructed; and materials with less flammable ones;

• storage arrangements that ensure • reduce the quantity of dangerous

clearance between stored goods and substances to the smallest reasonable
lighting is maintained; amount necessary for running the
business or organisation;
• storage arrangements that ensure
sprinkler heads are not shielded by the • correctly store dangerous substances,
racking; e.g. in a fire-resisting enclosure. All
flammable liquids and gases should
• control measures where large volumes ideally be locked away, especially when
of packaging materials, are required, the premises are unoccupied, to reduce
e.g. goods inwards and despatch areas; the chance of them being used in an
deliberate fire setting attack; and
• sprinkler protection to control or
extinguish a fire at an early stage; • ensure that you and your employees
are aware of the fire risk the dangerous
• monitored automatic fire detection to substances present and the precautions
ensure the early arrival of the Fire and necessary to avoid danger.
Rescue Service; and
Additional general fire precautions may be
• smoke ventilation to allow firefighters needed to take account of the additional
early and improved intervention risks that may be posed by the storage and
to maintain visibility and reduce use of these substances.
temperatures.
Certain substances and materials are by
Some local legislation may require the their nature, highly flammable, oxidising or
provision of sprinklers, automatic fire potentially explosive. These substances are
detection and smoke ventilation to reduce controlled by other legislation in addition to
the risk. fire safety law, in particular the Dangerous
Substances and Explosive Atmospheres
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200312 (also

48
see the HSE’s Approved codes of practice
and guidance13).

Flammable liquids

Highly flammable liquids present a

particularly high fire risk. For example,
a leak from a container of flammable
solvents, such as acetone, may produce
large quantities of heavier-than-air
flammable vapours. These can travel large
distances, increasing the likelihood of them
reaching a source of ignition well away
from the original leak, such as a basement
containing heating plant and/or electrical
equipment on automatic timers.

Flammable liquids stored in plastic Figure 15: A fire-resisting pedal bin for rags
containers can be a particular problem if
involved in fire because they readily melt,
spilling their contents and fuelling rapid fire
growth. Half-hour
Half-hour
fire-resistant exterior
Non-combustible,
Non-combustible,
fire-resistant exterior high
high melting
melting point
point hinges
hinges

The risk is reduced by ensuring the storage

and use of highly flammable liquids
is carefully managed; that materials Bonded/fire
Bonded/fire stopped junction
stopped junction
contaminated with solvent are properly Maximum 50 litres
Maximum 50 litrestotal
total

disposed of and when not in use, they

are safely stored. In the workroom, up to Figure 16: A 50 litre storage bin for flammables
50 litres may be stored in a fire-resisting
cabinet or bin that will contain any leaks
(see Figures 15 and 16). Quantities lighting systems, needs to be suitable for
greater than 50 litres should be stored in use in flammable atmospheres. In such
a dedicated highly flammable liquids store. situations, you should seek advice from a
Further guidance on the storage of highly competent person.
flammable liquids in containers is available
from the HSE15. LPG storage and use

There should be no potential ignition Where LPG in cylinders or cartridges is

sources in areas where flammable present, you need to take particular care to
liquids are used or stored and flammable minimise the possibility of its involvement
concentrations of vapours may be present. in a fire. The total amount of LPG in use
Any electrical equipment used in these should be kept to the minimum necessary
areas, including fire alarm and emergency to meet your needs.

49
The two primary forms of LPG used for Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association’s
heating and/or cooking purposes are Code of Practice15 or the HSENI.
Propane and Butane. Propane cylinders
must be stored outside buildings Piping
on firm level ground and in a well
ventilated location. The only exception Piping conveying gas or flammable liquid
for using propane inside a building is should be, as far as practicable, of rigid
for maintenance purposes on a limited metal. Any necessary flexible piping should
temporary basis. For information on the consist of material suitable for the gas
use and storage of butane cylinders refer to or liquid being conveyed; it should be
the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association’s adequately reinforced to resist crushing
Code of Practice15 or contact the HSENI. and withstand the maximum internal
pressure to which it may be subjected. Any
The maximum stock should not exceed connections to the flexible piping should
the recommended amount which should be of an approved pattern (i.e. screwed or
be kept in a safe place, where it cannot be otherwise secured with a patent design
interfered with and away from stairways, device to prevent accidental disconnection).
exit doors and places where it might If in doubt you should seek advice from a
obstruct means of escape. competent person.

Keep stored LPG cylinders, both full and Dust

empty, separate from other flammable
and incompatible materials, in a safe and Flammable dusts can initiate fire and
secure location, either in the open air or explosions in factories and warehouses.
in a properly constructed and adequately Dust clouds can be formed by the release
ventilated storeroom. of powder (e.g. foodstuffs or chemicals).
Release can occur by puncturing containers
Advice on the use of LPG for heating is or in the act of transferring powders.
given in Section 1.4.
Preventative measures include:
Bulk storage tanks and bulk cylinder stores
should be designed, installed and located • training in the handling of powders;
in accordance with industry guidance.
• correct use of handling equipment;
LPG must not be kept/stored below ground
level within a building i.e. in a basement. • ensuring that no potential ignition
sources are taken into the dust cloud
Before using or storing LPG in your (e.g. fork lift trucks); and
premises a Risk Assessment should be
carried out. If you are in any doubt about • establishing procedures for cleaning up
the safety of your premises you should (e.g. vacuuming or wetting).
consult a competent person
Where there are quantities of powder
Further guidance on the safe storage of greater than 25kg a Dangerous Substances
LPG is available from your supplier, the

50
and Explosives Atmosphere Regulations13 selling, use, carriage and storage of
risk assessment will be required. Further explosives in Northern Ireland.
guidance is available in the HSE guide16 on
handling of combustible dusts. For further information contact the
Department of Justice or HSENI (also see
Fireworks and explosives the HSE’s leaflet22).

Fireworks and explosives can cause Aerosols

fires and explosions in factories and
warehouses. They have the potential for a Some aerosol cans contain flammable
violent release of pressure and heat that products stored at pressure and can
can cause severe harm to people and present a high level hazard. When ignited,
damage to a building. they can explode, produce fireballs and
rocket to distances of 40m. Their presence
These materials can be ignited or can make it unsafe for firefighters to enter
detonated by contact with ignition sources a building and they have the potential for
or by contamination, where other chemicals starting multiple fires.
or water cause the material to become
unstable. In warehouse situations the main causes of
aerosol can failure are: puncture by truck
Preventative measures include: forks or sharp objects; being run over when
loose on the floor; falls from a height, e.g.
• excluding ignition sources; high racking; or bursting on heating.

• appropriate storage containers; The following should be considered to

reduce these risks:
• training in the handling of fireworks and
explosives; and • All staff involved in the movement,
storage and display of aerosol cans
• establishing separation distances should be adequately instructed, trained
between buildings containing explosives and supervised.
and other buildings.
• Damaged and leaking aerosol cans
In most cases, where fireworks and should be removed immediately to a
explosives are manufactured or stored, a safe, secure, well ventilated place prior
licence will be required. The Explosives Act to disposal. Powered vehicles should not
187517, the Explosives Act (Northern Ireland) be used to move damaged stock, unless
197018 , the Manufacture and Storage of specially adapted for use in flammable
Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) atmospheres. Arrangements should be
200619 as amended by the Manufacture made for its safe disposal at a licensed
and Storage of Explosives (Amendment) waste management facility.
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200920 and
the Carriage of Explosives Regulations
(Northern Ireland) 201021 deal with the

51
• Segregation of stocks of aerosol cans • misuse or lack of maintenance of
from other items e.g. by the use of cooking equipment and appliances.
caging. For larger quantities of aerosol
cans a fire-resisting enclosure should be All machinery, equipment and plant should
used. be properly maintained by a competent
person. Appropriate signs and instructions
• Sprinkler protection. on safe use may be necessary.

• Cleaning and other staff should be Fork lift trucks and other vehicles
made aware of the potential dangers
of aerosol cans and the need for safe There are hazards associated with
disposal. industrial vehicles, particularly during
refuelling and maintenance operations;
Further guidance on handling of aerosols also when stored or in use.
is available from the British Aerosol
Manufacturers’ Association23. Battery charging of fork lift trucks can
give rise to sparks and hydrogen (a gas
that is highly flammable, explosive and is
1.4 Equipment and machinery lighter than air). Sparks can occur when
connecting and disconnecting power
Common causes of fire in equipment are: supplies.

• allowing ventilation points to become Fork lift truck charging points should
clogged or blocked, causing overheating; be carefully sited in a well ventilated
area (ideally direct to open air), clear
• inadequate cleaning of heat-shrink of ignition sources and preferably in a
packaging equipment; separate dedicated non-combustible
structure. However, if sited in the building,
• allowing excessive deposits to build up the charging point should be against
in fume and dust extraction equipment a fire-resisting wall (e.g. 30-minute fire
and associated ducting in catering resistance).
environments;
Heating
• loose drive belts or lack of lubrication
leading to increased friction; Individual heating appliances require
particular care if they are to be used
• disabling or interfering with automatic or safely, particularly those which are kept
manual safety features and cut-outs; for emergency use during a power cut or
as supplementary heating during severe
• leaking valves, glands or joints allowing weather. The greatest risks arise from lack
oils and other flammable liquids to of maintenance and staff unfamiliarity
contaminate adjacent floors or goods; with them. Heaters should be secured in
and position when in use and fitted with a fire
guard if appropriate.

52
As a general rule, convector or fan heaters The siting of cooking processes close to
should be preferred to radiant heaters insulated core panels with combustible
because they present a lower risk of fire insulation (see Section 1.10) can lead
and injury. The following rules should be to the likely ignition of the panels and
observed: consequent rapid fire spread to other
parts of the building. This practice should
• All heaters should be kept well clear of therefore be avoided where possible.
combustible materials and where they
do not cause an obstruction. The following should be considered to
reduce the fire risk from cooking processes:
• Heaters which burn a fuel should be
sited away from draughts. • regular cleaning to prevent build-up of
crumbs and other combustible material;
• Portable fuel burning heaters (including
bottled gas (LPG)) should only be • fire resisting containers for waste
used in public areas in exceptional product;
circumstances and if shown to be
acceptable in your risk assessment. • a fire suppression system capable of
controlling an outbreak of fire;
All gas heating appliances should be used
only in accordance with manufacturer’s • monitored heat/oil levels, even after
instructions and should be serviced the cooking process is complete, and
annually by a competent person. installation of temperature control/cut-
off/shut-off devices as appropriate;
Cooking processes
• duct, joints and supports able to
Typical installations used in cooking withstand high cooking temperatures;
processes include: deep fat fryers, surface
fryers, ovens, grills, surface cookers, • separation from wall and ceiling panels
smoking cabinets, ductwork, flues, filters, (with combustible insulation), e.g. 2.5m
hoods, extract and ventilation ducts, and for walls, 4m for ceilings;
dampers.
• insulation of ducts to prevent heating/
These cooking processes which can igniting nearby combustible materials
operate with high temperatures, involve and wall/ceiling panels;
large quantities of oil and combustible
foodstuffs. Heat sources used for cooking • a regular programme for inspection and
processes include: gas, electric, microwave, cleaning;
radio frequency, and thermal fluids. The
main causes of fire are ignition of cooking • a programme of electrical and
oil, combustion of crumbs and sediment mechanical maintenance;
deposits, and duct work fires from a build
up of fats and grease. • an annual programme of thermographic
surveys to identify ‘hotspots’;

53
• ovens in a single storey non-combustible • overheating cables and equipment, e.g.
building; and due to overloading circuits, bunched or
coiled cables or impaired cooling fans;
• annual service of all gas heating
appliances by a competent person. • incorrect installation or use of
equipment;
Other equipment
• little or no maintenance and testing of
Electrical refrigeration defrost systems can equipment;
raise electrical heating coils built inside
the refrigerator to 600°C, introducing an • damaged or inadequate insulation on
ignition source. Measures to reduce the cables or wiring;
fire risk include temperature probes and
cut-offs. • combustible materials being placed too
close to electrical equipment, which
Spray driers for converting liquids to may give off heat even when operating
powders and other dried products can normally, or may become hot due to a
produce fire and explosion hazards by fault;
ignition of the powders and dusts or by
spontaneous combustion. Measures to • arcing or sparking by electrical
reduce the fire risk include regular removal equipment;
of dust deposits, explosion venting,
automatic suppression systems, and • embrittlement and cracking of cable
electrical safety including grounding and sheathing in cold environments;
bonding.
• bunched cables passing through
Conveyor systems can provide an ignition insulation which can generate excessive
source, by heating due to friction, bearing heat; and
seizure and static charge. Conveyors often
penetrate walls and occasionally ceilings • impaired cooling fans.
and can compromise fire separation.
Hydraulic conveyors can significantly All electrical equipment should be installed
increase the fuel load. Measures to reduce and maintained in a safe manner by a
the fire risk include: regular maintenance competent person. If portable electrical
of belts and drive motors, monitoring of equipment is used, including items brought
bearing temperature and belt slip, bespoke into a workplace by staff, then your fire
conveyor closure devices and automatic risk assessment should ensure that it is
suppression systems. visually inspected and undergoes portable
appliance testing (‘PAT’) at intervals
suitable for the type of equipment and its
1.5 Electrical safety frequency of use (refer to HSE guidance24).
If you have any doubt about the safety of
Electrical equipment is a significant your electrical installation then you should
cause of accidental fires in factories and consult a competent electrician.
warehouses. The main causes are:

54
Issues to consider include: 1.6 Smoking

• overloading of equipment; The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order

200629 makes it against the law to smoke
• correct fuse ratings; in enclosed or substantially enclosed
workplaces, public places and certain
• PAT testing and testing of the fixed vehicles. Premises covered include
installation; restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, theatres,
bingo halls, leisure centres, shopping
• protection against overloading of centres, schools, hospitals and all clubs. If
installation; however you choose to provide designated
smoking areas within your premises then
• protection against short circuit; you should consider the following guidance.

• insulation, earthing and electrical Carelessly discarded cigarettes and other

isolation requirements; smoking materials are a major cause of fire.
A cigarette can smoulder for several hours,
• frequency of electrical inspection and especially when surrounded by combustible
test; material. Many fires are started several
hours after the smoking materials have
• temperature rating and mechanical been emptied into waste bags and left for
strength of flexible cables; future disposal.

• portable electrical equipment; Operate a safe smoking policy in

designated smoking areas and prohibit
• physical environment in which the smoking elsewhere. Display suitable signs
equipment is used (e.g. wet or dusty throughout the premises informing people
atmospheres); and of the smoking policy and the locations
where smoking is permitted.
• use and maintenance of suitable
personal protective equipment. In those areas where smoking is permitted,
provide non-combustible deep and
All electrical installations should be substantial ashtrays to help prevent
regularly maintained by a competent unsuitable containers being used. Empty
person, appointed by you, or on your behalf, all ashtrays daily into a metal waste bin and
in accordance with the Electricity at Work take it outside. It is dangerous to empty
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 199125, as ashtrays into plastic waste sacks which are
amended 199826 and 199927. The use of then left inside for disposal later.
low voltage equipment should conform
to the requirements of the Electrical
Equipment (Safety) Regulations 199428,
including the requirement to be CE marked.

55
1.7 Managing building work and serious fire hazard and need to be strictly
alterations controlled when carried out in areas near
flammable materials. This can be done
Fires are more frequent when buildings are by having a written permit to work for the
undergoing refurbishment or alteration. people involved (whether they are your
employees or those of the contractor).
You should ensure that, before any
building work starts, you have reviewed The purpose of the permit is to ensure that
the fire risk assessment and considered the area is made as safe as possible before
what additional dangers are likely to be any hot working starts, that monitoring and
introduced. You will need to evaluate the precautions continue to be taken whilst
additional risks to people, particularly the work is in progress, and that the area
in those buildings that continue to be where the hot work was carried out and the
occupied. Lack of pre-planning can lead surrounding area are monitored for at least
to haphazard co-ordination of fire safety an hour after completion of the work.
measures.
A permit to work is appropriate in situations
You should liaise and exchange information of high hazard/risk and, for example, where
with contractors who will also have a there is a need to:
duty under the Construction (Design and
Management) Regulations (Northern • ensure that there is a formal check
Ireland) 200730, 31 to carry out a risk confirming that a safe system of work is
assessment and inform you of their being followed;
significant findings and the preventative
measures they may employ. This may be • co-ordinate with other people or
supported by the contractors’ agreed work activities;
method statement. The designer should
also have considered fire safety as part of • provide time limits when it is safe to
the Construction (Design and Management) carry out the work; and
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200730, 31.
• provide specialised personal
You should continuously monitor the impact protective equipment (such as
of the building work on the general fire breathing apparatus) or methods of
safety precautions, such as the increased communication.
risk from quantities of combustible
materials and accumulated waste and Additional risks that can occur during
maintaining adequate means of escape. building work include:
You should only allow the minimum
materials necessary for the work in hand • temporary electrical equipment;
within or adjacent to your building.
• blocking of escape routes including
Activities involving hot work such as external escape routes;
welding, flame cutting, use of blow lamps
or portable grinding equipment can pose a • introduction of combustibles into an
escape route;

56
• loss of normal storage facilities; open-plan areas this may not be possible.
In these areas the fire, and especially the
• fire safety equipment, such as automatic smoke, may spread faster than expected.
fire-detection systems becoming
affected; To assess the risk in your premises you
need to evaluate the construction and
• fire-resisting partitions being breached layout of your building. This does not mean
or fire doors being wedged open (see a structural survey, unless you suspect that
Appendix B1 for information on fire- the structure is damaged or any structural
resisting separation); and fire protection is missing or damaged,
but rather an informed look around to
• additional personnel who may be see if there are any easy paths through
unfamiliar with the premises. which smoke and fire may spread and
what you can do to stop that. In general,
You must notify the Fire and Rescue Service older buildings will have more void areas,
about alterations in your premises if an possibly hidden from view, which will allow
alterations notice is in force. smoke and fire to spread away from its
source. Whatever your type of building, you
Further guidance on fire safety during may need to consider typical situations that
construction work is available from the Fire may assist the spread of fire and smoke
Protection Association32. such as:

• vertical shafts, e.g. lifts, open stairways,

1.8 Existing layout and dumb waiters or holes for moving stock
construction around;

In warehouses the design is open-plan • false ceilings, especially if they are not
with large floor areas, e.g. large warehouse fire-stopped above walls;
and distribution centres typically exceed
2,000m2 and are often in excess of • voids behind wall panelling;
20,000m2. The floor can be densely packed
with stacked goods or high-bay racking • large roof cavities, particularly in cold
systems. Factories, too, are often open-plan stores;
with designated process areas and storage
areas, which can be located in separate • unsealed holes in walls and ceilings
rooms. where pipe work, cables or other
services have been installed; and
These buildings may include a number of
open grate mezzanine floors and gallery • doors, particularly to stairways, which
levels. Often there are few windows and are ill-fitting or routinely left open.
doors, except for access and escape.

Traditionally, occupants are advised to shut

doors when escaping from a fire but in

57
1.9 Particular hazards in corridors 1.10 Insulated core panels
and stairways used as escape
routes Many buildings have insulated core
panels as exterior cladding or for internal
Items that are a source of fuel, pose an structures and partitions. The food
ignition risk, or are combustible and likely industry, in particular, uses insulated core
to increase the fire loading or spread of panels because they are easy to clean
fire, should not be located on any corridor and facilitate consistent temperature
or stairway that will be used as an escape control within the premises. The simple
route. Such items include: construction of these panels enables
alterations and for additional internal
• portable heaters, e.g. bottled gas (LPG) partitions to be erected with minimum
or electric radiant heaters and electric disruption to business.
convectors or boilers;
They normally consist of a central insulated
• gas cylinders for supplying heaters; core, sandwiched between an inner and
outer metal skin (see Figure 17). There is
• cooking appliances; and no air gap. The external surface is then
normally coated with a PVC covering to
• unenclosed gas pipes, meters, and other improve weather resistance or the aesthetic
fittings. appeal of the panel. The central core can
be made of various insulating materials,
However, depending on the findings of your ranging from virtually non-combustible
risk assessment and where more than through to highly combustible. Differing
one escape route is available, items such fire hazards are associated with common
as those below may be acceptable if the types of insulation, when the panels are
minimum exit widths are maintained and subjected to certain temperatures. Typical
the item presents a relatively low fire risk: examples are:

• non-combustible lockers; • Mineral rock/modified phenolic will

produce surface char and little smoke
• vending machines; or gaseous combustion products, at
temperatures above 230°C.
• small items of electrical equipment (e.g.
photocopiers); and • Polyisocyanurate (PIR)/polyurethane
(PUR) will char and will generate smoke
• small coat racks and/or small quantities and gaseous combustion products, at
of upholstered furniture which meets temperatures above 430°C PIR and
BS 717633 or the Furniture and 300°C PUR.
Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations
198834 as amended 199335. • Expanded polystyrene (EPS) will melt
and will generate smoke and gaseous
combustion products, at temperatures
above 430°C PIR.

58
Insulation charring can lead to panel • there may be cavities in older buildings
delamination/collapse, and the gaseous where the panels are used as an
combustion products can fill areas with the internal envelope, enabling fire to spread
toxic gases carbon monoxide and styrene. unnoticed and possibly unchecked by
fire barriers.

Once installed it is difficult to identify the

core material of a panel and its potential
fire hazard.

The following best practice can help you

reduce risks associated with insulated
panels.

Figure 17: Insulated core panels – internal panel • Do not install heating appliances, such
as baking ovens, against the panels.
Operate a clear distance policy for
A number of fires in buildings where cooking systems.
insulated core panels have been used
extensively in the fabric of the building • Control ignition sources that are
have highlighted the particular dangers adjacent to, or penetrating the panels.
that may be associated with this form of
construction, i.e. where the fabric of the • Control hot working.
building can contribute to the fire hazard.
• Check for damage to heater tapes used
In a fire the following may occur: to prevent ice build-up at doors.

• early buckling and falling away of the • Do not store highly combustible
facing materials; materials against panels or allow
rubbish to collect against panels.
• burning of the combustible insulating
material; • Have damaged panels or sealed joints
repaired immediately and make sure
• production of large quantities of dense, that jointing compounds or gaskets used
toxic smoke; around the edges of the panels are in
good order.
• rapid heat generation;
• Check where openings have been made
• early loss of structural strength can for doors, windows, cables and ducts to
result if the system has not been ensure that these have been effectively
properly designed, and this can lead sealed and the inner core has not been
to the collapse of the wall, partition or exposed.
ceiling;

59
• Check that there has been no Insulated core panels should be installed
mechanical damage and repair any that by a competent person in accordance with
has occurred, e.g. caused by mobile industry guidance.
equipment such as fork lift trucks.
Guidance on the design, construction,
• Ensure that any loads, such as storage specification and fire management of
and equipment, are only supported by insulated core panels has been published
panels that have been designed and by the International Association for Cold
installed to perform this function. Storage Construction36.

• Check that the inner and outer skins are

adhering tightly to the core. 1.11 Restricting the spread of fire
and smoke
• Ensure that the panels are correctly
secured to the structure or are designed To reduce the risk to people if there is a
to be independently structurally secure. fire, you need to consider how to control
One solution is to ensure the retaining or restrict the spread of fire and smoke.
brackets bolt the panel to a support The majority of people who die in fires are
frame through the outer and inner skins. overcome by the smoke and gases.

• Ensure large roof cavities are Roofs

appropriately protected, e.g. escape
routes are clear, signed and have limited Where the roofs of buildings are close
travel distance, and fire warning systems together or connected to each other,
are audible. flame or smoke can easily spread. This
risk may be reduced by fire prevention
The use of combustible panels in areas of measures, or by fire separation. For some
buildings with a high life risk, e.g. where roof configurations, venting systems may
large numbers of people are present, offer a means of reducing the spread of
should be carefully considered. Your fire fire (including the movement of flames
risk assessment may need to be revised under the roof) and the spread of smoke
to ensure that any increased risk resulting and toxic gases. Specialist advice should
from this type of construction is considered. be sought on whether venting systems
would be advantageous in a particular
The potential for fire development case. Where a roof contains combustible
involving mineral fibre cores is less than materials these should be replaced by non-
that for panels containing polymeric combustible materials; where this is not
cores. Therefore, in areas where there is practicable, the roof should be lined with
considerable life risk, it may be appropriate non-combustible board.
to consider replacing combustible panels,
providing a fire suppression system or Catering facilities
installing non-combustible fire breaks
within or between the panels at suitable Wherever possible, any extensive catering
intervals. facilities, particularly those with deep

60
fat fryers, should be located in separate Fire-resisting structures
buildings. If located within other buildings
they should be separated from the rest of Many buildings are divided into different
the building by fire-resisting construction areas by fire doors and fire-resisting walls
and provided with adequate ventilation. and floors. These are partly designed to
Where flues pass through any part of keep a fire within one area, giving people
the structure, the structure should be more time to escape.
protected by fire-resisting construction and
the flue should terminate at a point where You will need to identify which doors, walls
emissions can disperse in the open air. and floors in your building are fire-resisting.
Where fire shutters are used these should
be capable of operating both manually and There may be information available from
by fusible link. Where a fire detection and when the building was built, if alterations
warning system is installed, the fire shutter have been made, or from a previously held
should also be designed to close on the fire certificate.
activation of the system. Any automatic
shutter should operate via a controlled High-risk areas (e.g. spray shops with highly
geared mechanism. flammable materials) should be separated
from the rest of the premises by 30-minute
Display materials and decorations fire-resisting construction.

You should evaluate what material could Normally if there are fire doors in a wall,
ignite first and what would cause the fire then the wall itself will also need to be
to develop and spread, and assess how fire-resisting (see Appendix B1 for more
materials used in temporary or permanent technical information about fire-resisting
displays would interact with surface walls and doors). If a wall or floor is
linings and position them accordingly. In required to be fire-resisting then you should
particular, displays such as paper, textiles not make any holes in it, e.g. for extra
or other flimsy materials should not be doors or pipe ducts, without consulting a
located in stairways or corridors. However, competent person.
such materials may be acceptable in other
locations if treated with an appropriate fire- To ensure effective protection against fire,
retardant product. walls and floors (including any openings
such as doors, ventilation ducts, pipe
Staff information should be confined to passages or refuse chutes) providing fire
appropriately located display boards in separation must form a complete fire-
areas away from escape routes. Display resisting barrier.
boards may be used on escape routes as
long as they are no bigger than 1m2 or have The passing of services such as heating
been enclosed in a sealed display case. pipes or electrical cables through fire-
resisting walls or partitions may leave gaps
through which fire and smoke may spread.
These should be rectified by suitable fire
stopping and there are many proprietary

61
products available for this purpose to suit Sprinklers
particular types of construction. Such
products should be installed by competent In some premises there may be a sprinkler
contractors. system. Sprinkler systems are designed to
restrict the spread of fire by suppressing
Smoke control the fire. Further guidance is available in
Part 2, Section 3.2.
In some premises, there may be some form
of smoke control provided for the safety
of the occupants and to assist firefighting 1.12 Deliberate Fire Setting
(e.g. Smoke and Heat Exhaust Ventilation
Systems (SHEVS). These systems are All premises can be targeted deliberately or
designed to restrict the spread of fire just because they offer easy access.
and smoke usually by venting the heat
and smoke through the roof or via other Of the hundreds of fires that occur in
routes to the outside. Low level inlet air is non-domestic premises across Northern
essential for the operation of SHEVS and Ireland each year, a large percentage
all openings for this purpose should not be are determined to have been started
obstructed. deliberately

Special down-stands may have been Be aware of other small, deliberately set
installed to create a reservoir which will fires in the locality, which can indicate
contain the smoke and hot gases at roof an increased risk to your premises. Be
level, while vents allow the smoke to suspicious of any small ‘accidental’ fires on
escape. the premises and investigate them fully and
record your findings.
It is important that any smoke can flow
easily into the reservoirs and that nothing Fires started deliberately can be particularly
which could cause an obstruction, such as dangerous because they generally develop
large displays, is fixed near the vents. much faster and may be intentionally
started in escape routes. Of all the risk-
If your building has smoke vents fitted, or reduction measures, the most benefit may
any other form of smoke control, then you come from efforts to reduce the threat from
may need to seek advice from someone deliberate fire setting.
who is competent in such systems. Further
information on smoke control can be Measures to reduce deliberate fire setting
found from Chartered Institute of Building may include the following:
Services Engineers (CIBSE) Guide E37 or
from the Building Research Establishment • ensure the outside of the premises
(BRE)38. is well lit and, if practical, secure the
perimeter of the premises;

• thoroughly secure all entry points to the

premises, including windows and the

62
 roof, but make sure that this does not 1.13 Help for people with special
compromise people’s ability to use the needs
escape routes;
Of all the people who may be especially
• make sure you regularly remove all at risk you will need to pay particular
combustible rubbish; attention to people who have special
needs, including those with a disability.
• do not place rubbish skips adjacent to Disability Action estimates that 1 in 5
the building and secure waste bins in a adults in Northern Ireland have a disability,
compound separated from the building; which may mean that they find it more
difficult to leave a building if there is a fire.
• encourage staff to report people acting Under the Disability Discrimination Act39,
suspiciously; as amended 200640, if disabled people
could realistically expect to use premises,
• remove automatic entry rights from staff then you must anticipate any reasonable
who have been dismissed; adjustments that would make it easier for
that right to be exercised.
• ensure that your security alarm/fire-
detection system is monitored and acted The Disability Discrimination Act39, as
on; amended40, includes the concept of
‘reasonable adjustments’ and this can be
• secure flammable liquids so that carried over into fire safety law. It can mean
intruders cannot use them; different things in different circumstances.
For a small business it may be considered
• secure all storage areas and unused reasonable to provide contrasting colours
areas of the building that do not on a handrail to help people with vision
form part of an escape route against impairment to follow an escape route more
unauthorised access, ensure access to easily. However, it might be unreasonable
keys to those areas is restricted; to expect that same business to install an
expensive voice-alarm system. Appropriate
• fit secure metal letterboxes on the inside ‘reasonable adjustments’ for a large
of letter flaps to contain any burning business or organisation may be much
materials that may be pushed through; more significant.
and
If disabled people are going to be in your
• do not park vehicles or store goods or premises then you must also provide a safe
materials in the open next to windows or means for them to leave if there is a fire.
doors opening into buildings. You and your staff should be aware that
disabled people may not react, or can react
Further guidance on reducing the risk of differently, to a fire warning or a fire. You
deliberate fire setting has been published should give similar consideration to others
by the Arson Prevention Bureau.* with special needs such as parents with
young children or the elderly.

*Visit www.arsonpreventionbureau.org.uk for more information

63
In premises with a simple layout, a Guidance on removing barriers to the
common-sense approach, such as offering everyday needs of disabled people is in
to help lead a blind person or helping an BS 830041. Much of this advice will also
elderly person down steps may be enough. help disabled people during an evacuation.
In more complex premises, more elaborate
plans and procedures will be needed, with Further advice can be obtained from
trained staff assigned to specified duties. the Northern Ireland Human Rights
Commission and the Equality Commission
Consider the needs of people with mental for Northern Ireland.
disabilities or spatial recognition problems.
The range of disabilities encountered can
be considerable, extending from mild
epilepsy to complete disorientation in an
emergency situation. Many of these can
be addressed by properly trained staff,
discreet and empathetic use of the ‘buddy
system’ or by careful planning of colour and
texture to identify escape routes.

Where people with special needs use or

work in the premises, their needs should,
so far as is practicable be discussed with
them. These will often be modest and
may require only changes or modifications
to existing procedures. You may need to
develop individual ‘personal emergency
evacuation plans’ (PEEPs) for disabled
persons who frequently use a building. They
will need to be confident of any plan/PEEP
that is put in place after consultation with
them. As part of your consultation exercise
you will need to consider the matter of
personal dignity.

If members of the public use your building

then you may need to develop a range of
standard PEEPs which can be provided on
request to a disabled person or others with
special needs.

64
 Section 2 Further guidance on fire
detection and warning systems
Where an electrical fire-warning system is likely to be the major difficulty. If these
is necessary then a straightforward persons are never alone while on the
arrangement typically includes the premises then this may not be a serious
following: problem, as it would be reasonable for
other occupants to let them know that the
• manual call points (break-glass call building should be evacuated. If a person
points); with hearing difficulties is likely to be alone,
then consider other means of raising the
• electronic sirens or bells; and alarm. Among the most popular are visual
beacons and vibrating devices or pagers
• a control and indicator panel. that are linked to the existing fire alarm.

An alternative system of interconnected Voice alarms

combined manual call points and sounders
may be acceptable. Research has shown that some people and,
in particular, members of the public, do
If your building has areas where a fire could not always react quickly to a conventional
develop undetected or where people work fire alarm. Voice alarms are therefore
alone and might not see a fire, then it may becoming increasingly popular and can
be necessary to upgrade your fire-warning also incorporate a public address facility.
system to incorporate automatic fire The message or messages sent must
detection. be carefully considered. It is therefore
essential to ensure that voice-alarm
If, for any reason, your system fails you systems are designed and installed by a
must still ensure that people in your person with specialist knowledge of these
premises can be warned and escape systems.
safely. A temporary arrangement, such as
gongs, whistles or air horns, combined with Schematic plan
suitable training, may be acceptable for a
short period pending system repairs. In order to quickly determine where a fire
has been detected, you should consider
The fire warning sound levels should be displaying a schematic plan showing
loud enough to alert everyone, taking into fire alarm zones in a multi-zoned system
account background noise. In areas with adjacent to the control panel.
high background noise, or where people
may be wearing hearing protectors, the
audible warning should be supplemented, 2.1 Manual call points
e.g. with visual alarms.
Manual call points, often known as ‘break-
People with hearing difficulties glass’ call points, enable a person who
discovers a fire to immediately raise
Where people have hearing difficulties, the alarm and warn other people in the
particularly those who are profoundly premises of the danger.
deaf, then simply hearing the fire warning

65
People leaving a building because of a • where smoke control and ventilation
fire will normally leave by the way they systems are controlled by the automatic
entered. Consequently, manual call points fire-detection system.
are normally positioned, at exits and
storey exits that people may reasonably If you have an automatic fire detection
be expected to use in case of fire, not just system, the system should:
those designated as fire exits. However, it is
not necessary in every case to provide call • be designed to accommodate the
points at every exit. emergency evacuation procedure;

Manual call points should normally be • give an automatic indication of the

positioned so that, after all fixtures and fire warning and its location. If the
fittings, machinery and stock are in place, indicator panel is located in a part of the
no one should have to travel more than premises other than the control point
45m to the nearest alarm point. This (for example, the secretary’s office)
distance may be less if your premises cater there should ideally be a repeater panel
for people of limited mobility or there are sited in the control point;
particularly hazardous areas. They should
be conspicuous (red), fitted at a height of • be maintained and tested by a
about 1.4m (or less for premises with a competent person; and
significant number of wheelchair users),
and not in an area likely to be obstructed. • communicate with a central control
room (if you have one).

2.2 Automatic fire detection New automatic fire detection systems

should be designed and installed by a
Automatic fire detection may be needed for competent person. Further guidance is
a number of reasons. These can include: given in BS 5839-142 or a more recent
standard where applicable.
• if you have areas where people are
isolated or remote and could become Where the public address system is part
trapped by a fire because they are of the fire warning system it should be
unaware of its development, such as connected to an auxiliary power source to
lone workers; ensure the continued use of the system in
the event of fire or other emergency.
• if you have areas where a fire can
develop unobserved (e.g. storerooms); Whichever warning or detection systems
are in place, the Fire and Rescue Service
• as a compensating feature, e.g. for should always be called immediately if a
inadequate structural fire protection, in fire occurs.
dead-ends or where there are extended
travel distances; and

66
2.3 Reducing False Alarms 2.4 Staged fire alarms

False alarms from automatic fire detection In the vast majority of premises sounding
systems are a major problem and result the fire warning system should trigger the
in many unwanted calls to the Fire and immediate and total evacuation of the
Rescue Service every year. Guidance on building. However, in some large or complex
reducing false alarms is available on the premises this may not be necessary and
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service alternative arrangements may be in place.
website www.nifrs.org.
These alternative arrangements broadly
If there are excessive false alarms in your fall into two groups. Firstly, those people
premises, people may become complacent potentially most at risk from a fire, usually
and not respond correctly to a warning of those closest to where the alarm was
a real fire. In such circumstances, you may activated, will be immediately evacuated,
be failing to comply with fire safety law. while others in the premises are given
All false alarms should be investigated an alert signal and will only evacuate if
to identify the cause of the problem and it becomes necessary. This is generally
remedial action taken. called a phased evacuation and the initial
movement, depending on the layout and
To help reduce the number of false alarms, configuration of the premises, can be either
the system design and location of detection horizontal or vertical.
and activation devices should be reviewed
against the way the premises are currently The second alternative is for the initial
used. For example, if a store room has alert signal to be given to certain staff, who
been converted to a staff area with cooking then carry out pre-arranged actions to help
facilities (e.g. a microwave and toaster) others to evacuate more easily. It requires
then the likelihood of the detector being able, fully-trained staff to be available at all
set off is increased. Similarly, if a manual times and should not be seen as a simple
call point is placed in a storage area where means of reducing disruption to working
there is continual movement of goods, practices. Where staged alarms are being
the call point is likely to be accidentally used, disabled people should be alerted on
damaged. In this case a simple, fabricated the first stage to give them the maximum
hinged metal guard around the call point is time to escape.
likely to solve the problem.
These arrangements both require fire-
Occasionally people set off a manual call warning systems capable of giving staged
point in the genuine, but incorrect belief alarms, including an ‘alert signal’ and
that there is a fire. Nothing should be done a different ‘evacuate signal’ and should
to discourage such actions and the number only be considered after consultation with
of false alarms generated this way is not specialist installers and, if necessary, the
significant. relevant enforcing authority.

Further detailed guidance on reducing false Such systems also require a greater degree
alarms is available in BS 5839-142. of management input to ensure that staff

67
and others are familiar with the system and Manual call points may be numbered to
action required. ensure they are sequentially tested.

Testing of the system should be carried out

2.5 Testing and maintenance by a competent person. Further guidance
on testing and maintenance of fire warning
Your fire-warning and/or detection systems can be found in British Standards
system should be supervised by a named 5839-142.
appropriate person, who has been given
enough authority and training to manage all It is good practice to test the alarm at the
aspects of the routine testing and scrutiny same time each week, but additional tests
of the system. may be required to ensure that staff or
people present outside normal working
The control and indicating equipment hours are given the opportunity to hear the
should be checked at least every 24 hours alarm.
to ensure there are no specific faults.
All types of fire-warning systems should Where systems are connected to a central
be tested once a week. For electrical monitoring station, arrangements should
systems a manual call point should be be made prior to testing to avoid unwanted
activated (using a different call point for false alarms.
each successive test), usually by inserting
a dedicated test key (see Figure 18). This Six-monthly servicing and preventative
will check that the control equipment is maintenance should be carried out
capable of receiving a signal and in turn, by a competent person with specialist
activating the warning alarms. 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.

It is good practice to record all tests, false

alarms and any maintenance carried out.

2.6 Guaranteed power supply

If your fire risk assessment concludes

that an electrical fire-warning system is
necessary, then the Health and Safety
(Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations
(Northern Ireland) 19969 requires it to have
a back-up power supply.

Whatever back-up system is used, it should

Figure 18: Using a test key normally be capable of operating the

68
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 5839-142. If you are unsure that your
existing system is adequate you will need
to consult a competent person. You should
consider seeking approval from you District
Council Building Control for new or altered
fire alarm systems.

69
 Section 3 Further guidance on
firefighting equipment and facilities
You have responsibility for the provision Where it is determined that there are
of appropriate firefighting equipment. It additionally other classes of fire risk, the
is also your responsibility to check that appropriate type, number and size of
all firefighting equipment is in the correct extinguisher should be provided. Further
position and in satisfactory order before the information is available in BS 5306-843.
premises are used.
Where the fire risk is not confined to a
Appropriate staff should be trained in the particular location, e.g. Class A fires, the
use of all equipment. fire extinguishers should be positioned
on escape routes, close to the exit from
the room or floor, or the final exit from the
3.1 Portable firefighting building. Similarly, where the particular fire
equipment risk is specifically located, e.g. flammable
liquids, the appropriate fire extinguisher
Fire extinguishers provided should be should be near to the hazard, so located
appropriate to the specific risks found in that they can be safely used. They should
your premises in accordance with Table 1. be placed on a dedicated stand or hung
This table also shows the different classes on a wall at a convenient height so that
of fire, according to what is burning. employees can easily lift them off (at
about 1m for larger extinguishers, 1.5m for
Number and type of extinguishers smaller ones, to the level of the handle).
Ideally no one should have to travel more
provision of one water-based extinguisher than 30m to reach a fire extinguisher. If
for approximately every 200m2 of floor there is a risk of malicious use you may
space, with a minimum of two extinguishers need to use alternative, and more secure,
per floor, will normally be adequate. locations.

Table 1: 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 in deep-fat fryers.

Note:
1. 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.
2. It is not safe to fight fires involving aerosols with fire extinguishers

70
Consider the implications of the Manual extinguisher is not suitable for use on live
Handling Operations Regulations (Northern electrical equipment.
Ireland) 199244 when selecting and siting
firefighting equipment. Water extinguishers with additives (red)

In self-contained small premises, multi- This type of extinguisher is suitable for

purpose extinguishers which can cover Class A fires. They can also be suitable for
a range of risks may be appropriate. use on Class B fires and where appropriate,
Depending on the outcome of your fire this will be indicated on the extinguisher.
risk assessment, it may be possible to They are generally more efficient than
reduce this to one extinguisher in very conventional water extinguishers.
small premises with a floor space of less
than 90m2. Foam extinguishers (cream)

Extinguishers manufactured to current This type of extinguisher can be used

standards (BS EN 3-745) are predominately on Class A or B fires and is particularly
red but may have a colour-coded area, suited to extinguishing liquid fires such
sited above or within the instructions, as petrol and diesel. They should not be
denoting the type of extinguisher. Most used on free-flowing liquid fires unless the
older extinguishers, manufactured to operator has been specially trained, as
previous standards, have bodies painted these have the potential to rapidly spread
entirely in a single colour which denotes the fire to adjacent material. This type of
the type of extinguisher. These older extinguisher is not suitable for deep-fat
extinguishers remain acceptable until fryers or chip pans.
they are no longer serviceable. However,
it is good practice to ensure that old and Powder extinguishers (blue)
new style extinguishers are not mixed on
the same floor of a building. This type of extinguisher can be used on
most classes of fire and achieve a good
The following paragraphs describe different ‘knock down’ of the fire. They can be used
types of extinguisher. The colour referred on fires involving electrical equipment but
to is the colour of the extinguisher or the will almost certainly render that equipment
colour-coded area. useless. Because they do not cool the
fire appreciably it can re-ignite. Powder
Water extinguishers (red) extinguishers can create a loss of visibility
and may affect people who have breathing
This type of extinguisher can only be used problems and are not generally suitable for
on Class A fires. They allow the user to confined spaces.
direct water onto a fire from a considerable
distance. A 9-litre water extinguisher can be Carbon dioxide extinguishers (black)
quite heavy and some water extinguishers
with additives can achieve the same This type of extinguisher is particularly
rating, although they are smaller and suitable for fires involving electrical
therefore considerably lighter. This type of equipment as they will extinguish a fire
without causing any further damage (except

71
in the case of some electronic equipment 3.2 Fixed firefighting installations
e.g. computers). As with all fires involving
electrical equipment, the power should be These are firefighting systems which are
disconnected if possible. normally installed within the structure of
the building. They may already be provided
Class ‘F’ extinguishers in your premises or you may be considering
them as a means of protecting some
This type of extinguisher is particularly particularly dangerous or risk-critical areas
suitable for commercial catering as part of your risk-reduction strategy.
establishments with deep-fat fryers.
Hose reels
Selection, installation and maintenance
of portable fire extinguishers Permanent hose reels (see Figure 19)
installed in accordance with the relevant
All portable fire extinguishers will require British Standard (see BS EN 671-348)
periodic inspection, maintenance and provide an effective firefighting facility. They
testing. Depending on local conditions may offer an alternative, or be in addition
such as the likelihood of vandalism or to, portable firefighting equipment. A
the environment where extinguishers are concern is that untrained people will stay
located, carry out brief checks to ensure and fight a fire when escape is the safest
that they remain serviceable. In normal option. Where hose reels are installed, and
conditions a monthly check should be your fire risk assessment expects relevant
enough. Maintenance by a competent staff to use them in the initial stages of
person should be carried out annually. a fire, they should receive appropriate
New fire extinguishers should comply with training.
BS EN 3-745. Guidance on the selection and
installation of fire extinguishers in given in
BS 5306-843, for maintenance in
BS 5306-346 and for colour coding in
BS 786347.

Fire blankets

Fire blankets should be located in the

vicinity of the fire hazard they are to be
used on, 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. Heavy-duty fire blankets are for
industrial use where there is a need for the
blankets to resist penetration by molten
materials. Figure 19: Hose reel

72
Note: It is not safe to fight fires involving burning characteristics and the sprinkler
aerosols with hose reels. control characteristics. For each hazard
the sprinkler installation design should
Maintenance of hose reels includes visual take account of specific matters such
checks for leaks and obvious damage and as: storage height, storage layout, ceiling
should be carried out regularly. More formal clearance, and sprinkler type (e.g. sprinkler
maintenance checks should be carried out orifice, sprinkler sensitivity).
at least annually by a competent person.
There are some hazards where sprinklers
Sprinkler Systems should not be fitted, such as over salt baths
and metal melt pans, because water will
Sprinkler systems can be very effective in possibly cause an explosive reaction.
controlling fires. They can be designed to
protect life and/or property and may be If you are making significant changes
regarded as a cost-effective solution for to your premises, e.g. changing storage
reducing the risks created by fire. If you arrangements or material stored, you
have a sprinkler installation, it may have should check your sprinkler installation is
been installed as a result of a business still appropriate and seek expert advice as
decision, e.g. for the protection of business necessary.
assets, or they may have been installed
as a requirement, e.g. imposed under a Sprinkler protection could give additional
local legislation, or an integral part of the benefits, such as a reduction in the
building design. amount of portable firefighting equipment
necessary, and the relaxation of restrictions
Sprinkler systems should normally extend in the design of buildings.
to the entire building. In a well designed
system only those heads in the immediate Guidance on the design and installation
vicinity of the fire will actually operate. of new sprinkler systems and the
Sprinkler installations typically comprise maintenance of all systems is given in the
a water supply (preferably a stored water Loss Prevention Council (LPC) Rules49,
supply incorporating tanks), pumps, BS EN 1284550 or BS 5306- 251 and should
pipework and sprinkler heads. There only be carried out by a competent person.
are different types of sprinkler design; Routine maintenance by on-site personnel
sprinklers can be operated to discharge may include checking of pressure gauges,
water at roof or ceiling level or within alarm systems, water supplies, any anti-
storage racks. Other design types such as freezing devices and automatic booster
ESFR (early suppression fast response) pump(s). For example, diesel fire pumps
and dry pipe may also be appropriate. In should be given a test run for 30 minutes
all cases a competent person/contractor each week.
should be used to provide guidance.
A competent maintenance contractor
The installation should be designed for should provide guidance on what records
the fire hazard; taking into account the need to be completed.
building occupancy, the fire load and its

73
Following a sprinkler operation the • Inform the Fire and Rescue Service.
sprinkler system should be reinstated
by a competent person. A stock of spare If, having considered all possible measures,
sprinkler bulbs should be available on site the risk is still unacceptable then it will
for replacements, preferably in a separate be necessary to close all or part of the
building, e.g. the pump house. building. If in doubt you should seek the
advice of a competent person.
If a sprinkler system forms an integral part
of your fire strategy it is imperative that Other fixed installations
adequate management procedures are in
place to cater for those periods when the There are a number of other fixed
sprinkler system is not functional. This installations including: local application
should form part of your emergency plan. water mist systems for fryer vats and
Although the actual procedures will vary, hoods, local application gaseous systems
such measures may include the following: for ducting and hoods, water deluge
systems for rubbish compactors and fixed
• Restore the system to full working order powder systems.
as soon as possible.
If your premises have a fixed firefighting
• Limit any planned shutdown to low-risk system that you are unfamiliar with, then
periods when numbers of people are at seek advice. Where a fixed firefighting
a minimum (e.g. at night), or when the system forms an integral part of your fire
building is not in use. This is particularly safety strategy, it should be maintained
important when sprinklers are installed in accordance with the relevant British
to a life safety standard or form part of Standard by a competent person.
the fire safety engineering requirements.

• You may need to isolate the area without 3.3 Other facilities (including
the benefit of working sprinklers from those for firefighters)
the rest of the premises by fire-resisting
material. Building Regulations and other legislation,
including local legislation, may have
• Avoid higher-risk processes such as ‘hot- required firefighting equipment and other
work’. facilities to be provided for the safety
of people in the building and to help
• Extra staff should be trained and firefighters. Fire safety law places a duty
dedicated to conducting fire patrols. on you to maintain such facilities in good
working order and at all times.
• Any phased or staged evacuation
strategy may need to be suspended. These may include:
Evacuation should be immediate and
complete. (Exercise caution as the • access for fire engines and firefighters;
stairway widths may have been designed
for phased evacuation only.) • firefighting shafts and lifts;

74
• fire suppression systems, e.g. sprinklers, Where a building is used by a number
water mist and gaseous systems; of different occupants you will need to
ensure cooperation between the various
• smoke-control systems; appropriate persons to maintain Fire and
Rescue Service access. In exceptional
• dry or wet rising mains and firefighting cases, where access is persistently
inlets; obstructed, you may need to make
additional arrangements.
• information and communication
arrangements, e.g. fire telephones and See Technical Booklet E to the Building
wireless systems and information to Regulations8 for more information.
brief the Fire and Rescue Service when
they arrive; and Firefighting shafts and lifts

• firefighters’ switches. Firefighting shafts (see Figure 20) are

provided in larger buildings to help
It may be appropriate to invite the Fire and firefighters reach floors further away from
Rescue Service to familiarise themselves the building’s access point. They enable
on products, layout and fire systems as a firefighting operations to start quickly and
precautionary measure. in comparative safety by providing a safe
route from the point of entry to the floor
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) where the fire has occurred.
Regulations (Northern Ireland) 199352 also
require that systems provided for safety
within a workplace are maintained. Dry rising main

Access for fire engines and firefighters

Firefighting stairs
Self-closing
fire doors
Buildings that have been constructed
to modern building regulations or in
accordance with certain local legislation
will have been provided with facilities Firefighting
lift in
that allow fire engines to approach and lift shaft

park within a reasonable distance so that

firefighters can use their equipment without
too much difficulty.

These facilities may consist of access roads

to the building, hard standing areas for fire
engines and access into the building for
firefighters. It is essential that where such Figure 20: Firefighting shaft
facilities are provided they are properly
maintained and available for use at all
relevant times.

75
Entry points from a stairway in a firefighting authority. Any proposed changes will
shaft to a floor will be via a lobby, through require Building Regulation approval from
two sets of fire and smoke-resisting doors your District Council Building Control.
and walls. Many people will use the
stairway for normal movement through the Where a firefighting shaft is provided, it
building and it is important that the safety should be maintained by a competent
features are not compromised by doors person.
being wedged open.
Fire suppression systems
Most firefighting shafts will also incorporate
a firefighting lift which opens into the lobby. Fire suppression systems can include
The lift will have a back-up electrical supply sprinklers and other types of fixed
and car control overrides. The primary installations designed to automatically
function of the lift is to transport firefighting operate and suppress a fire. Such systems
personnel and their equipment to the should be maintained by a competent
scene of a fire with the minimum amount of person.
time and effort. It may also be used to help
evacuate less mobile people. Smoke control systems

Alterations that might affect the shaft These are complex systems that are
should not be made without first liaising provided for life safety of occupants,
with other appropriate persons, any owners assistance to firefighters and property
or managing agents and the enforcing protection by clearing hot smoke and

Height of
building >18m

Maximum distance 18m

Figure 27: Rising main

76
gases from the building. The smoke control • Prohibit car parking in front of the inlet
system may have been a requirement, box.
e.g. imposed under local legislation, or an
integral part of the building design. • Secure the inlet box in such a way that
firefighters can open the door without
If you have one of these systems provided too much difficulty.
in your premises you should ensure you
understand how it operates and that it is • It is advisable to lock the landing valves
maintained in full working order. If your in the closed position, usually with a
system is part of a larger system then you leather strap and padlock.
should liaise with other occupiers and
building managers. Foam inlets

The smoke control system should be Foam inlets are special inlets usually fitted
maintained by a competent person to provide an efficient way of extinguishing
who is familiar with the fire engineering a fire in a basement or other area of high
performance specifications of that specific risk such as a plant room. In many respects
system. This is particularly important when they look the same as rising main inlet
the system is a requirement. boxes, but the door should be clearly
marked ‘foam inlet’. The risk area should
Where these systems are installed in be kept clear of obstructions to allow the
addition to a sprinkler system then the foam to spread into the compartment.
design and installation of each system
should not act detrimentally on one Maintenance of rising mains and foam
another. A competent person should be inlets
employed to confirm this.
All types of rising mains together with
Dry and wet rising fire mains associated valves should be maintained
and tested on a regular basis by a
The rising fire main (see Figure 21) is an competent person. Guidance on inspection
important facility for the Fire and Rescue and testing of dry and wet rising mains
Service in taller buildings. It consists of an is given in BS 5306-153. Although there
inlet box where firefighters can connect are no recommended periods between
their hoses, a pipe running up or through maintenance checks for foam inlets it
the building, outlet valves on each floor would be prudent to carry out an annual
level and an air vent at the top. service.

It is important that fire mains are kept in Firefighters’ switches

good working order. Issues to be considered
can include the following: Luminous discharge lighting is frequently
used. Safety switches are normally provided
• The physical approach to the inlet box to isolate high-voltage luminous signs or
should be such that a fire engine can to cut off electrical power. In the case of
park within 18m with the inlet box in existing installations, they should be of
view. a suitable standard e.g. BS 767154. If in

77
doubt then you may need to consult the
enforcing authority regarding the suitability
of its location and marking. Testing should
be carried out in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions. If you have no
such instructions then an initial test should
be carried out by a competent electrician.

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.

78
 Section 4 Further guidance on
escape routes
Introduction judgement about the level of risk that
people may be at after you have taken
This section provides further guidance other risk reduction (preventative and
on the general principles that apply to protective) measures.
escape routes and provides examples of
typical escape route solutions for a range In premises where there is a likelihood of a
of common building layouts. The guidance fire starting and spreading quickly (or a fire
is based on premises of normal risk so if could start and grow without being quickly
your premises (or part of your premises) are detected and a warning given) and affect
higher (or lower) risk you should adapt the the escape routes before people are able to
solution accordingly. use them then the risk should normally be
regarded at ‘higher’. Such premises could
You are not obliged to adopt any particular include those where significant quantities
solution for escape routes in this section if of flammable materials are used or stored;
you prefer to meet the relevant requirement ready sources of ignition are present, e.g.
in some other way. If you decide to adopt heat producing machinery and processes;
some alternative arrangement it will need premises where significant numbers of the
to achieve at least an equivalent level of fire people present, are likely to move slowly or
safety. be unable to move without assistance; and
premises where the construction provides
Refer to the glossary (Appendix D) for the hidden voids or flues through which a fire
definitions of any terms you may not be could quickly spread.
familiar with.
In premises where there is a low occupancy
Levels of risk level and all the occupants are able bodied
and capable of using the means of escape
In order to apply the guidance in this without assistance; very little chance of
section, you need to understand that in any a fire; few if any highly combustible or
fire situation, the time that people have to flammable materials or other fuels for a
escape before they could become affected fire; fire cannot spread quickly; and will be
by the fire is limited. Providing them with quickly detected so people will quickly know
sufficient time usually means that as well that a fire has occurred and can make
as having an appropriate way of detecting their escape, then the risk can usually be
and giving warning in case of fire, the regarded as ‘lower’.
distance that people have to travel to make
their escape to a place of reasonable or In most cases however, the risk will usually
total safety must be restricted. be ‘normal’.

The travel distances which are usually The travel distances suggested are not
appropriate for this purpose (and are hard and fast rules and should be applied
suggested later in this section) vary with a degree of flexibility according
according to the level of risk in the to the circumstances. For example, in
premises (or part of them). To check your premises where the risk might otherwise
escape routes you will need to form a be considered ‘normal’ but where there are
a significant number of people who move

79
slowly or may need assistance to evacuate, • well lit by normal or emergency escape
it would usually be appropriate to consider lighting; and
this a ‘higher’ risk. However, where other
measures are in place to mitigate this, • available for access by the emergency
such as the availability of extra assistance services.
and this has been planned for in your
emergency plan, it may be that the risk In multi-occupied premises, escape routes
level can be regarded as ‘normal to higher’. should normally be independent of other
occupiers, i.e. people should not have to
Equally, in premises where the risk category go through another occupier’s premises as
would otherwise be ‘lower’ but for the fact the route may be secured or obstructed.
that a small number of occupants may Where this is not possible, then robust legal
move slowly or need assistance, it may agreements should be in place to ensure
be appropriate to categorise the risk as their availability at all times.
‘normal’ in these circumstances.
All doors on escape routes should, as far as
If you are not sure about the level of risk practicable, open in the direction of escape
that remains in your premises, you should and, ideally be fitted with a safety vision
seek advice from a competent person. panel. Doors should always open in the
direction of escape if more than 60 people
are expected to use them at any one time
4.1 General principles or they provide an exit from an area of high
fire risk.
Suitability of escape routes
At least two exits should be provided if
You should ensure that your escape routes an area/storey is to be occupied by more
are: than 60 persons. This number of 60 can
be varied in proportion to the risk, for a
• suitable; lower risk there can be a slight increase,
for a higher risk, lower numbers of persons
• easily, safely and immediately usable at should be allowed.
all times;
Movement of persons up or down a group
• adequate for the number of people likely of not less than three steps will be so
to use them; obvious to those following that they will
be prepared for the change in level, but
• generally usable without passing movement up or down one step is not so
through doors requiring a key or code to readily observed and may easily lead to a
unlock, or with low level manual over- fall. Wherever practicable, differences of
rides for metal roller shutter doors; level in corridors, passages and lobbies
should be overcome by the provision
• free from any obstructions, slip or trip of inclines or ramps of gradients not
hazards; exceeding 1 in 12 or steps not having less
than three risers in any flight. Corridors and

80
passages should be level for a distance installation of new services, e.g.
of 1.5 metres in each direction from any computer cabling.
steps.
Where an escape route needs to be
Any mirrors situated in escape routes separated from the rest of the premises
should be sited so that persons escaping by fire-resisting construction, e.g. a dead-
from a fire will not be thrown into confusion end corridor or protected stairway (see
by any reflected image of the route they are Figures 30 and 34 on pages 92 and 96,
using, or be misled as to the direction they respectively), then you should ensure the
should take to reach fire exits. following:

While not normally acceptable, the use • Doors, (including access hatches to
of ladders, floor hatches, wall hatches or cupboards, ducts and vertical shafts
window exits may be suitable for small linking floors), walls, floors and ceilings
numbers of able-bodied, trained staff in protecting escape routes should be
exceptional circumstances. capable of resisting the passage of
smoke and fire for long enough so that
Fire-resisting construction people can escape from the building.

The type and age of construction are crucial • Where suspended or false ceilings are
factors to consider when assessing the provided, the fire resistance should
adequacy of the existing escape routes. extend up to the floor slab level above.
To ensure the safety of people it may be For means of escape purposes a 30
necessary to protect escape routes from minute fire-resisting rating is usually
the effects of a fire. In older premises enough.
(see Appendix C for more information on
historical properties) it is possible that • Cavity barriers, fire stopping, and
the type of construction and materials dampers in ducts are appropriately
used may not perform to current fire installed.
standards. Also changes of occupancy and
refurbishment may have led to: If there is any doubt about the nature of
the construction of your premises, ask for
• cavities and voids being created, advice from a competent person.
allowing the potential for a fire to spread
unseen; Number of people using the premises

• doors and hardware worn by age and As your escape routes need to be adequate
movement being less likely to limit the for the people likely to use them you
spread of smoke; will need to consider how many people,
including employees and the public, may be
• damaged or insufficient cavity barriers in present at any one time. Where premises
modular construction; and have been subject to building regulations
approval for use as either a factory or
• breaches in fire compartment walls, warehouse, the number and width of
floors and ceilings created by the escape routes and exits will normally be

81
enough for the anticipated number of Mobility impairment
people using the building. In such buildings
where the risk has changed or buildings Effective management arrangements need
were constructed before national building to be put in place for those who need help
regulations, it will be necessary to confirm to escape.
the provision.
Consider the following points:
In most warehouses the number of people
will be low, whilst in factories the numbers • A refuge is a place of reasonable
will vary depending on the facility. However, safety in which disabled people can
the maximum numbers of staff, visitors wait either for an evacuation lift or
and contractors liable to be in the building for assistance up or down stairs (see
at the same time will be known by the Figure 22). Disabled people should not
appropriate person. There will also be an be left alone in a refuge area whilst
appreciation of the use of the building by waiting for assistance evacuate the
those you know have special needs, such building. Depending on the design and
as the disabled. fire resistance of other elements, a
refuge could be a lobby, corridor, part
If you propose to make changes to the use of a public area or stairway, or an open
or layout of the building which may increase space such as a balcony or similar
the number of people, you should check place which is sufficiently protected (or
the design capacity by referring to guidance remote) from any fire risk and should be
given in BS 999911 or Technical Booklet E8 provided with its own means of escape
and consult your District Council Building and a means of two-way communication.
Control.
• Where refuges are provided, they should
be enclosed in a fire-resisting structure
Case study which creates a protected escape
route which leads directly to a place of
The activities in the warehouse change total safety and should only be used in
from packaging and distributing to conjunction with effective management
a factory process involving a labour rescue arrangements. Your fire safety
intensive manual assembly line. Before strategy should not rely on the Fire and
the introduction of the assembly line Rescue Service rescuing people waiting
most of the floor area was used for in these refuges.
storage of goods. Fewer staff were
required in the warehouse and only • If firefighting lifts (provided in high
a small number of fire exits were buildings as firefighting access) are to
necessary. When the assembly line was be used for evacuation, this should be
introduced more staff were required. This co-ordinated with the Fire and Rescue
necessitated checking the number and Service as part of the pre-planned
widths of exits, resulting in the need for evacuation procedures.
an additional exit.

82
• Normal lifts may be considered suitable • Stairways used for the emergency
for fire evacuation purposes, subject to evacuation of disabled people
an adequate fire risk assessment and should comply with the requirements
development of a suitable fire safety for internal stairs in the building
strategy by a competent person. regulations. Specialist evacuation chairs
or other equipment may be necessary to
• Since evacuation lifts can fail, a disabled negotiate stairs.
person, having reached a refuge, should
also be able to gain access to a stairway • Plans should allow for the careful
(should conditions in the refuge become carrying of disabled people down stairs
untenable). An evacuation lift with its without their wheelchairs, should the
associated refuge should therefore be wheelchair be too large or heavy. You will
located adjacent to a protected stairway. need to take into account Health and
Safety manual handling procedures in
• Sufficient escape routes should always addition to the dignity and confidence of
be available for use by disabled people. the disabled person.
This does not mean that every exit will
need to be adapted. Staff should be • Stairlifts should not be used for
aware of routes suitable for disabled emergency evacuation. Where installed
people so that they can direct and help in a stairway used for emergency
people accordingly. evacuation, no parts of the lift, such

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

Refuge
SC

Figure 22: An example of a refuge

83
 as its carriage rail, should be allowed The time available for escape depends
to reduce the effective width of the on several factors. Studies of human
stairway or any other part of an behaviour in an emergency situation have
emergency evacuation route. shown that about two thirds of the time
available to escape is taken up by the initial
• Where ramps are necessary for the reaction to the developing situation. For
emergency evacuation of people in example, people will decide whether the
wheelchairs they should be as gentle as situation is real or false, often waiting to
possible. Guidance is given in Technical see the reaction of people around them,
Booklet R55. and generally gathering information to
decide whether to act or not. The final third
Further guidance is available in BS 999911. is taken up by the actual movement away
from the area of the fire. Throughout this
Widths and capacity of escape routes and time the fire may be growing and spreading.
stairways Therefore, to account for the limited time
available for people to travel to a place of
Once you have established the maximum reasonable safety, the length of escape
number of people likely to be in any part of routes needs to be limited. The suggested
the premises, the next step is to establish travel distances in this section (Table 2)
that the capacity of the escape routes is take this limitation into account.
adequate for people to escape safely and in
sufficient time to ensure their safety in case The following guide can be used to
of fire. determine the general capacities of escape
routes:
The capacity of a route is determined by a
number of factors including the width of the A width of at least 750mm can
route, the time available for escape and the accommodate up to:
ability of the people using them.
The effective usable width of an escape • 80 people in higher risk premises;
route is the narrowest point, normally a
door or other restriction such as narrowing • 100 people in normal risk premises; or
of a corridor due to fixtures and fittings. The
capacity of an escape route is measured by • 120 people in lower risk premises.
the number of persons per minute that can
pass through it so, to establish the capacity A width of at least 1,050mm can
of the route, it is first necessary to measure accommodate up to:
the width of the route at the narrowest
point. The effective width of a doorway is • 160 people in higher risk premises;
the clear unobstructed width through the
doorway when the door is open at right • 200 people in normal risk premises; or
angles to the frame. The effective width
at any other point is the narrowest clear • 240 people in lower risk premises.
unobstructed width through which people
can pass.

84
An additional 75mm should be allowed for be sufficient for the number of people likely
each additional 15 persons (or part of 15). to have to use them in case of fire.

The minimum width of an escape route Stairways wider than 2,100mm should
should not be less than 750mm (unless it normally be divided into sections, each
is for use by less than five people in part separated from the adjacent section by a
of your premises) and, where wheelchair handrail, so that each section measured
users are likely to use it, 900mm. between the handrails is not less than
1,050mm wide.
The aggregate width of all the escape
routes should be not less than that required Travel distance
to accommodate the maximum number of
people likely to use them. Having established the number and
location of people and the exit capacity
When calculating the overall available required to evacuate them safely, you
escape route capacity for premises now need to confirm that the number and
that have more than one way out, you location of existing exits is adequate. This
should normally assume that the widest is normally determined by the distance
is not available because it has been people have to travel to reach them.
compromised by fire. If doors or other exits
leading to escape routes are too close to Table 2 gives guidance on travel distances.
one another you should consider whether It should be understood, however, that
the fire could affect both at the same time. these distances are flexible and may be
If that is the case, it may be necessary to increased or decreased depending upon
discount them both from your calculation. the level of risk after you have put in place
the appropriate fire-prevention measures
As a general rule stairways should be (Part 1, Step 3.3). For instance, some
at least 1,050mm wide and in any case warehouse buildings that were designed
not less than the width of the escape with fire-engineered solutions may have
routes that lead to them. In all cases the extended travel distances.
aggregate capacity of the stairways should

Table 2: Suggested travel distances

Escape routes Suggested travel distances

Where more than one escape route is provided 45m

Where only a single escape route is provided 25m

The dimensions given above assume that the building will be of normal fire risk. If the building is high risk, then
lesser distances shall apply and you should consider consulting a competent person.

Some areas are considered as places of special fire hazard e.g. boiler rooms, spraying rooms, oil-filled
transformer and switchgear rooms, storage space for fuel or other highly flammable substances and rooms
housing a fixed internal combustion engine. Shorter travel distances are generally required for these areas e.g.
18m where there is more than one escape route, and 9m with a single escape route.

85
In new buildings which have been designed protection measures, e.g. automatic fire
and constructed in accordance with detection.
modern building standards the travel
distances will already have been calculated. The travel distances given in Table 2
Once you have completed your fire risk are based on those recommended in
assessment you need to confirm that those Technical Booklet E8 and are intended
distances are still relevant. to complement the other fire safety
recommendations in Technical Booklet E8.
When assessing travel distances you need Your current escape route travel distances
to consider the distance to be travelled by may be different from these since they may
people when escaping allowing for walking be based on recommendations made in
around equipment, plant storage units, etc. alternative guidance.
The distance should be measured from all
parts of the premises to the nearest place Where your route leads to more than one
of reasonable safety which is: final exit, but only allows initial travel in a
single direction (e.g. from a room or dead
• a protected stairway enclosure (a storey end, see Figures 27 and 28), then this initial
exit); travel distance should be limited to that for
a ‘single escape route’ in Table 2. However,
• a separate fire compartment from which your total travel distance should not exceed
there is a final exit to a place of total that for ‘more than one escape route’.
safety; or
Measuring travel distance
• the nearest available final exit.
The figures that follow are schematic only
The suggested travel distances may be and are intended to represent part of a
increased by the addition of further fire larger building.

Storeroom

Exit

Figure 23: Measuring travel distance

86
The route taken through a room or space in the outer room could trap people in the
will be determined by the layout of the inner room. This means of exit should be
contents, e.g. machinery, storage racking avoided where possible. If, however, this
(Figure 23). It is good practice to ensure cannot be achieved then adequate warning
routes to the exits are kept as direct and of a fire should be provided by any one of
short as possible. In a small room there the following means:
may be only one exit but in a larger room or
area there may be many exits. • a vision panel between the two rooms
providing adequate vision to give an
In some cases, where the contents are indication of the conditions in the outer
moved around or the space is liable to room and the means of escape;
frequent change, e.g. in a storage area
or where racking is movable, you should • a large enough gap between the dividing
ensure that the exits, or the routes to them, wall and the ceiling, e.g. 500mm, so that
do not become blocked or the length of the smoke will be seen;
route is not significantly extended.
• an automatic smoke detector in the
Inner rooms outer room that will sound a warning in
the inner room.
Where the only way out of a room is through
another room (Figure 24), an unnoticed fire

Automatic fire
detection
Outer room

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

Inner room

Figure 24: Inner rooms

87
In addition, the following points should also • no one should have to pass through
be considered: more than one access room while
making their escape.
• restrict the number of people using an
inner room to 60. • the outer room should not be an area of
high fire risk.
• access rooms should be under the
control of the same person as the inner Alternative exits
room.
Where alternative exits from a space or
• the travel distance from any point in the room are necessary they should wherever
inner room to the exit from the access possible be located at least 45° apart (see
room should be restricted to escape in Figure 25) unless the routes to them are
one direction only (see Table 2), unless separated by fire-resisting construction (see
there are alternative exits from the Figure 26). If in doubt consult a competent
access room. person.

45º+
Final Exit

Final Exit

45º+

Figure 25: Alternative exits

88
less than
45º Final Exit

less than 45° Final Exit

Fire-resisting wall

Figure 26: Alternative exits (separated by fire-resisting construction)

89
Measuring travel distances for initial both exits. The maximum total travel
dead-end travel distance recommended in Table 2 should
apply to the nearest exit (Figure 27 and 28,
Where the initial direction of travel in distance A–C). However, since you have
an open area (see Figure 27) is in one two exits, your total travel distance should
direction only or within an inner room (see not exceed that for ‘more than one escape
Figure 28), the travel distance (A–B) should route’ in Table 2.
be limited to that for a ‘single escape route’
in Table 2. Note: Additional measures are necessary
to give warning of fire for inner rooms (see
Any alternative exits should be positioned Figure 24).
to ensure that a fire will not compromise

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)

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

90
 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)

Figure 28: Measuring travel distance from initial dead end (inner room)

Escape routes with dead-end conditions fire could present a risk to the escape
route (see Figure 29).
If your premises has escape routes from
which escape can be made in one direction • Protect the escape route with fire-
only (a dead end), then an undetected fire resisting construction to allow people
in that area could affect people trying to to escape safely past a room in which
escape. To overcome this problem, limit the there is a fire (see Figure 30).
travel distance (see Table 2) and use one of
the following solutions: • Provide an alternative exit
(see Figure 31).
• Fit an automatic fire detection and
warning system in those areas where a Alternative approaches may be acceptable,
although expert advice may be necessary.

91
 A

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 29: Dead-end conditions with automatic fire detection

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

Figure 30: Dead-end conditions with fire-resisting construction

92
 C Alternative Exit

C Exit
B

C Alternative Exit

C Exit

C Exit

A–B Travel in single direction only B

A–C Total travel distance

C Exit A

Figure 31: Dead-end conditions provided with an alternative exit

Basements, escape and protection Wherever possible all stairways to

basements should be entered at ground
In all buildings with basements (other than level from the open air, and should be
very small basements), stairways serving positioned so that smoke from any fire in
upper floors should preferably not extend the basement would not obstruct any exit
to the basement and in any case should serving the other floors of the building.
not do so where they are the only stairway
serving the upper floors. Any stairway that Where any stairway links a basement with
extends from the basement to the upper the ground floor, the basement should
floors should be separated at basement be separated from the ground floor,
level by a fire-resisting lobby or corridor preferably by two 30-minute fire doors, one
between the basement and the stairway. All at basement and one at ground floor level
basements used by more than 60 people, (see Figure 32). In a factory, the basement
or where there are no exits directly to a can be separated by one 60-minute fire
place of total safety, should have at least door at basement level, or one 30-minute
two protected escape stairways. fire door where the basement is small and
does not present a high fire risk.
In high risk premises there should be an
alternative stairway from the basement Any floor over a basement should provide
to ground level, unless there is a suitable 60 minutes fire resistance. For smaller
alternative route to the final exit. premises 30 minutes may be acceptable.

93
 SC

or
flo
nd
Grou

nt
me
se
Ba

SC

Fire-resisting wall
Fire door
SC Self-closing

Figure 32: Basement protection

Where this is impractical, and as long Where a corridor serves two exits from a
as no smoke can get through the floor, floor, generally these corridors should be
automatic smoke detection linked to a fire- subdivided with fire doors to separate the
alarm system which is audible throughout two exits (see Figure 33).
the premises could, as an alternative, be
provided in the basement area. If in doubt, Doors that are provided solely for the
contact a competent person for more purpose of restricting the travel of smoke
detailed advice. need not be fire doors, but will be suitable as
long as they are of substantial construction,
Subdivision of corridors are capable of resisting the passage of
smoke, and are self-closing. Smoke should
If your premises have corridors more than not be able to bypass these doors, e.g.
30m long, then generally these corridors above a false ceiling, or via alternative doors
should be subdivided near the centre of from a room, or adjoining rooms, opening on
the corridor with fire doors and, where either side of the subdivision.
necessary, fire-resisting construction to limit
the spread of fire and smoke and to protect Generally, false ceilings should be provided
escape routes if there is a fire. with barriers or smoke stopping over any
fire doors. Where the false ceiling forms

94
 SC

SC

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

SC
SC

SC SC SC

Upper storey

Figure 33: Subdivision of corridor between two stairways or exits

part of the fire-resisting construction this If any floor has an occupancy of over 60,
may not be necessary. each storey should have at least two exits,
i.e. protected routes. The figure of 60 can
If you have doubts about subdivision of be varied in proportion to the risk, lower
corridors, ask advice from a competent risk slight increase, higher risk lower
person. numbers of persons.

Stairway enclosures It is possible that you may have some

stairways which have no fire protection
Stairways, if unprotected from fire, can to them. In this case they are not
rapidly become affected by heat and designed for escape and are normally
smoke, cutting off the escape route known as accommodation stairways (see
and allowing fire spread to other floors. accommodation stairways on page 84).
However, if adequately protected, escape
stairways can be regarded as places of If you have a protected stairway(s) then it is
reasonable safety to enable people to essential that you maintain that level of fire
escape to a place of total safety. protection.

In most premises designed and built to The benefit of protecting stairways from the
building regulations and served by more effects of fire allows you to measure your
than one stairway, it is probable that these travel distance from the farthest point on
stairways will be protected by fire-resisting the relevant floor to the nearest storey exit
construction and will lead to a final exit. rather than the final exit of the building.

95
 SC

SC

SC
SC

SC

SC

SC
SC

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

SC
SC

SC

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

Figure 34: Examples of a stairway with protected lobby/corridor approach

If you do not have a protected stairway, If the building you occupy has floors which
depending on the outcome of your fire are occupied by organisations other than
risk assessment, it may be that you can your own, you need to consider, as part of
achieve an equivalent level of safety by your fire risk assessment, the possibility
other means. However, before doing so that a fire may occur in another part of
you should seek advice from a competent the building over which you may have no
person. control and which may affect the protected
stairway if allowed to develop unchecked.

96
 If your fire risk assessment shows that this and stairways must be kept clear of
may be the case and people using any floor combustibles
SC
and obstructions.
would be unaware of a developing fire, thenSC

additional fire-protection measures may be Ideally stairway enclosures should lead

required, e.g. an automatic fire-detection directly to a final exit. If your premises has
and warning system. If this is required you only one stairway from the upper floor(s)
will need to consult and co-operate with which does not lead directly to a final exit,
other occupiers and building managers. adopt one of the following arrangements:

You may find that stairways in your building • provide a protected route from the foot
are
Final Exit provided with protected lobbies or of the stairway enclosure leading to a
corridors at each floor level, except the top final exit (see Figure 35); or
floor (Figure
SC 34). Although
SC theseFinal
areExitnot
generally necessary for means of escape Fire door• provide two exits from the stairway, each
Fire-resisting wall
in multi-stairway buildings of less than giving access to a final exit via routes
SC Self-closing
18m high, they may have been provided which are separated from each other by
for other reasons (e.g. firefighting access). fire-resisting construction (see
In all cases protected corridors, lobbies Figure 36).

SC SC

SC

SC

SC

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

Figure 35: Examples of a protected route from a stairway to a final exit

97
 SC

SC

Final Exit

SC SC Final Exit

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Figure 36: Examples of two escape routes from a stairway to final exits

SC SC

SC

SC

SC

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

98
Separation of protected stairways • using intercommunicating doors
between rooms adjacent to the stairway;
Where there are two or more protected such doors must be available at all
stairways, the routes to final exits should times when the building is occupied (see
be separated by fire-resisting construction Figure 38);
so that fire cannot affect more than one
escape route at the same time (see • using balconies and other features to
Figure 37). bypass the stairway; or

Creating a stairway bypass route • as long as there is enough space, create

a bypass corridor around the stairway
No one should have to pass through enclosure.
a protected stairway to reach another
stairway. Options to avoid this include:

SC

SC

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

SC

SC

Final SC Final
exit SC SC exit

Figure 37: Separation of protected stairways

99
 SC

SC

SC SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Figure 38: A stairway bypass route

Reception areas the remainder of the floor as long as they

do not pass through a compartment floor,
Reception or enquiry areas should only be or people do not have to pass the head of
located in protected stairways where the such a stairway in order to access a means
stairway is not the only one serving the of escape stairway. However, experience
upper floors, the reception area is small shows that many people will continue to
(less than 10m2) and is of low fire risk. use these as an escape route.

Accommodation stairways Accommodation stairways should not

normally form an integral part of the
If you have stairways that are used for calculated escape route; however, where
general communication and movement of your fire risk assessment indicates that it is
people in the premises, and they are not safe to do so, then you may consider them
designated as fire escape stairs then these for that purpose. In these circumstances
are called ‘accommodation stairways’. it may be necessary to seek advice from a
They may not require fire separation from competent person to verify this.

100
External stairways window (other than toilet windows) and
walls within 1.8m horizontally and 9m
To be considered a viable escape route, vertically below any part of the stairway
an external stairway should normally be should be fire-resisting. Windows should be
protected from the effects of a fire along fixed shut and doors self-closing (see
its full length. This means that any door, Figure 39).

1.8 m

1.8 m

Defined zone for fire-resisting

walls, doors and windows on an
external stairway

Figure 39: Protection to an external stairway

101
Consider protecting the external stairway Lifts are housed in vertical shafts that
from the weather as the treads may become interconnect floors and compartments,
slippery, e.g. due to algae, moss or ice. If this therefore precautions have to be taken
is not possible, you must ensure that the to protect people from the risk of fire and
stairway is regularly maintained. Consider smoke spreading from floor to floor via the
fixing non-slip material to the treads. lift shaft. Such precautions may include:

Spiral and helical stairways • separating the lift from the remainder
of the storey using fire-resisting
Spiral and helical stairways are usually construction and access via a fire door;
acceptable only in exceptional situations,
e.g. for a maximum of 50 people who are • ensuring the lift shaft is situated in a
not members of the public. The stairway protected enclosure which may also be a
should not be more than 9m in total height stairway enclosure; and
and not less than 1.5m in diameter with
adequate headroom. A handrail should be • providing ventilation of at least 0.1m2 at
continuous throughout the full length of the the top of each lift-well to exhaust any
stairway. smoke.

However spiral and helical stairways may Roof exits

be used as means of escape for more than
50 staff and may be used by the public if It may be reasonable for an escape route
the stairways have been designed for the to cross a roof. Where this is the case,
purpose. Further guidance is given in additional precautions will normally be
BS 5395-256 including about type E (public) necessary:
stairs under that standard.
• The roof should be flat and the route
Lifts across it should be adequately defined
and well-illuminated where necessary,
Due to the danger of the power supplies with normal electric and emergency
to a lift being affected by a fire, lifts not escape lighting. The route should be
specifically designed as ‘firefighting’ non-slip and guarded with a protective
or ‘evacuation’ lifts are not normally barrier.
considered acceptable as a means of
escape. However, where a lift and stairway • The escape route across the roof and
for a means of escape are incorporated in its supporting structure should be
a fire-resisting shaft which has a final exit constructed as a fire-resisting floor.
from it at the access level, and the lift has
separate electrical supply to that of the • Where there are no alternatives other
remainder of the building, then that lift, than to use a roof exit, any doors,
subject to an agreed fire risk assessment, windows, roof lights and ducting within
may be acceptable as a means of escape 3m of the escape route should be fire-
in case of fire. resisting.

102
• The exit from the roof should be in, or • These should not normally be used by
lead to, a place of reasonable safety members of the public.
where people can quickly move to a
place of total safety. A typical escape route across a roof is
illustrated in Figure 40.
• Where an escape route passes through
or across another person’s property, External escape routes should receive
you will need to have a robust legal routine inspection and maintenance to
agreement in place to allow its use ensure they remain fit for use. You will need
at all times when people are on your to ensure that any legal agreements in
premises. place cover access for maintenance of the
escape route.

3m

3m

Figure 40: An escape route across a roof

103
Revolving doors, wicket doors, sliding Final exit doors and escape away from
doors and roller shutters the premises

Revolving doors should not normally be Good escape routes to a final exit will be of
considered as escape doors unless the little benefit if the occupants are not able to
leaves fold outward to form a clear opening get out of the building and quickly disperse
upon pressure from within, or standard from the area to a place of total safety. It
doors of the required exit width are is also important to consider where people
provided next to the revolving door. will go once they have evacuated from the
premises.
Ideally wicket doors or gates (a small door
set within a larger door) should have a The matters that you should consider
minimum opening height of 1.5m. The include the following:
bottom of the door should not be more
than 250mm above the floor and the width • Final exit doors should be quickly and
should be preferably more than 500mm easily opened without a key or code
but not less than 450mm. Normally wicket in the event of a fire. Where possible,
doors will only be suitable for up to 15 there should be only one fastening. See
members of staff; however, in areas of a Appendix B3 for more information on
higher fire risk, this should be reduced to a security fastenings.
maximum of three.
• Final exit doors should not lead people
Loading and goods delivery doors, shutters into an enclosed area from which there
(roller, folding or sliding), up-and-over doors is no further escape.
and similar openings are not normally
suitable for use as a final exit. However, • Where a final exit discharges into an
they may be suitable for escape from areas enclosed area, further access to a place
of normal risk by small numbers of staff as of total safety should be available by
long as they are not likely to be obstructed means of further doors or gates that can
and can be easily and immediately opened be easily opened in a manner similar to
manually, even if normally power-operated, the final exit.
and the staff are familiar with the escape
routes.
4.2 Escape route layout
Sliding doors are not normally suitable on
escape routes unless they are for the sole The examples listed in Table 3 show typical
use of members of staff. Where provided, escape route solutions for a range of
a notice with the words ‘slide to open’, common building layouts. In each case the
with an arrow pointing in the direction of solution is for a normal risk building unless
opening, should be permanently displayed otherwise illustrated.
at about eye level on the face of the doors.
These are not intended to be prescriptive
or exhaustive, but merely to help you
understand how the principles of means of
escape may be applied in practice.

104
They are illustrative of the key features of • If your fire risk assessment shows that
escape route layouts and not intended to people using any floor would be unaware
be real building layouts or to scale. of a fire you may require additional fire-
protection measures, e.g. an automatic
You do not need to read all of this section, fire-detection and warning system.
you only need to consider those figures
and the accompanying text which most • There should be more than one escape
closely resemble your premises. If your route from all parts of the premises
premises do not resemble these then you (rooms or storeys) except for areas or
should seek advice from a competent storeys with an occupancy of less than
person. These examples are intended to 60. The figure of 60 can be varied in
represent your existing layout; they are proportion to the risk, for a lower risk
not to be used as design guidance. there can be a slight increase, for a
higher risk, lower numbers of persons
In all of these examples the following basic should be allowed.
principles apply:

• The farthest point on any floor to the

final exit or storey exit to a protected
stairway is within the overall suggested
travel distance (see Table 2).

• The route to and the area near the

exit is kept clear of combustibles and
obstructions.

• The fire-resisting stairway is kept clear of

combustibles and obstructions.

• The escape route leads to a final exit.

• Where the stairway is not a protected

stairway, the final exit is visible and
accessible from the discharge point of
the stairway at ground floor level.

• High-risk rooms do not generally open

directly into a protected stairway.

105
Table 3: Typical examples of escape route layouts

Single-storey buildings (or the ground floor of a larger building)

Ground floor (smaller) with more than one exit See Figure 41
Ground floor (larger) with more than one exit See Figure 42
Ground floor with a single exit (including a mezzanine) See Figure 43
Multi-storey buildings with more than one stairway
Two-storey, ground and one upper floor: lower risk premises (e.g. a See Figure 44
warehouse storing sand, gravel and cement)
Two-storey, ground and one upper floor: higher risk premises (e.g. a See Figure 45
factory with paint spraying activities)
Three-storey basement, ground and one upper floor See Figure 46
Four-storey ground and up to three floors See Figure 47
Tall building with a firefighting shaft See Figure 48
Multi-storey buildings with a single stairway
Two-storey, ground and one upper floor See Figure 49
Two-storey, basement and ground floor See Figure 50
Three-storey, small basement, ground and one upper floor with a See Figure 51
separate single stairway to each
Three-storey, basement, ground and one upper floor See Figure 52
Four-storey, ground and up to three upper floors See Figure 53

Four-storey, ground and up to three upper floors: higher risk premises See Figure 54
(e.g. a factory with paint spraying activities) - protected lobbies/
corridors
Four-storey, ground and up to three upper floors: higher risk premises See Figure 55
(e.g. a factory with paint spraying activities) - protected with automatic
fire detection

If you do not have any of the stairway in Table 2 (page 71) which should be
configurations given, and depending on applied.
the outcome of your fire risk assessment, it
may be that you can achieve an equivalent If your building has more than a ground
level of safety by other means. floor and three upper storeys, ask advice
from a competent person.
The green arrows on the Figures 41–55
represent the travel distances given

106
Single-storey buildings (or the ground
floor of a larger building)

Ground floor with more than one exit

Figures 41 and 42 show acceptable

examples of smaller and larger premises
respectively, with more than one exit.

45º+
Final Exit

Final Exit

45º+

Figure 41: Ground floor (smaller) with more than one exit

45º+

45º+

Final Exit Final Exit

Final Exit Final Exit

Figure 42: Ground floor (larger) with more than one exit

107
Ground floor with a single exit (including If your fire risk assessment shows that
a mezzanine) people using the mezzanine would be
unaware of a fire, it may require additional
Part of your premises may have only a fire-protection measures, e.g. an automatic
single exit. The example shown in Figure fire-detection and warning system.
43 will be generally acceptable provided
that part of the premises served only by a Note: A mezzanine covering more than half
single exit (i.e. ground floor and mezzanine) of the floor area may need to be treated as
accommodates no more than 60 people in a separate floor (see two-storey buildings).
total.

Ground floor

Final Exit

Figure 43: Ground floor with a single exit (including a mezzanine)

108
Multi-storey buildings with more than one The layout shown in Figures 44 and 45
stairway will be generally acceptable as long as
the farthest point on each of your floors
Two-storey, ground and one upper floor to the storey exit (or to a final exit using
If your premises have a ground floor and an unprotected stair) is within the overall
one upper floor and these are served by suggested travel distance (see Table 2 on
more than one stairway, it is important to page 71).
understand that you may not be able to
meet the suggested travel distance to a
final exit (see Table 2 on page 71). In this
case, stairways may therefore need to be
protected by a fire-resisting enclosure as
shown.

First floor SC

SC

>45º
>45º

Final Exit
Ground floor

>45º Final Exit

>45º

Final Exit

Final Exit

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Figure 44: Two-storey, ground and one upper floor: lower risk premises (e.g. a warehouse storing sand, gravel
and cement)

109
 First floor SC

SC

SC
SC
>45º
>45º

Final Exit
Ground floor

>45º Final Exit

>45º

Final Exit

Final Exit

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Figure 45: Two-storey, ground and one upper floor: higher risk premises (e.g. a factory with paint spraying
activities)

Three-storey, basement, ground and one overall suggested travel distance (see
upper floor Table 2 on page 71).

In premises with a basement, ground • Where the building incorporates a

and first floor, served by more than one basement, any stairway from the
stairway, the layout shown in Figure 46 basement that extends to the upper
will be generally acceptable as long as the floors should be separated by a fire-
following apply: resisting lobby or corridor between the
basement and the protected stairway.
• To overcome the restriction of travel
distance the stairway has been • If the basement is served only by
completely enclosed in 30-minute fire- a single stairway then it should
resisting construction and all doors onto accommodate no more than 60 people.
the stairway are self-closing fire doors.
This principle applies to taller buildings (up
• The farthest point on all of the floors to 18m). However, where your building has
to the nearest storey exit is within the more than three upper storeys ask advice
from a competent person.

110
SC First floor

SC

Final Exit

SC Ground floor

SC

Final Exit

SC Basement

SC

SC

SC
Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Figure 46: Three-storey, basement, ground and one upper floor

111
Four-storey, ground and up to three upper The layout shown in Figure 47 will be
floors generally acceptable as long as the farthest
point on all of the floors to the storey exit is
In some premises, with a ground floor and within the overall suggested travel distance
up to three upper floors served by more than (see Table 2 on page 71).
one stairway, it is important to understand
that you are unlikely to be able to meet the This principle applies to taller buildings (up
suggested travel distance to a final exit (see to 18m). However, where your building has
Table 2 on page 71. In these circumstances more than three upper storeys ask advice
it is necessary to protect the stairway by a from a competent person.
fire-resisting enclosure as shown.

Top floor
SC

SC

SC

SC
First and
second floors

SC

W.C. SC
W.C. SC

SC

Final
exit
SC
Ground floor

SC

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

Figure 47: Four-storey, ground and up to three upper floors

112
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 999911 and Technical Booklet E8.

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

Figure 48: Tall building with a firefighting shaft

113
Multi-storey buildings (or parts of • The upper floor should accommodate no
buildings) with a single stairway more than 60 people.

Two-storey, ground and one upper floor • The farthest point on each of the floors
to the final exit is within the overall
In two-storey premises with a simple layout suggested travel distance for escape in
and a single stairway the arrangement one direction only (see Table 2 on
in Figure 49 will generally be acceptable page 71).
provided:

First floor

Ground floor

Final Exit

Figure 49: Two-storey, ground and one upper floor with a single stairway

114
Two-storey, basement and ground floor

In premises with a basement and a simple

layout, an open stairway is acceptable as
indicated in Figure 50 provided:

• The basement can accommodate no

more than 60 people.

• The farthest point on each floor to the

final exit is within the overall suggested
travel distance (see Table 2 on page 71).

Ground floor

Final
Exit

Basement

Store

Figure 50: Two-storey, with a single stairway, basement and ground floor

115
Three-storey, small basement, ground and • The farthest point in the basement to
one upper floor, with a separate single the door to the nearest stairway is within
stairway to each the overall suggested travel distance
(see Table 2 on page 71).
In premises with a ground floor, and a small
basement and first floor each served by • The stairway from the basement to
a separate single stairway, the layout in ground floor level is enclosed by fire-
Figure 51 will be generally acceptable as resisting construction and leads to a
long as the following apply: final exit.

• The basement should accommodate no • The farthest point on the first floor to the
more than 60 people. final exit is within the overall suggested
travel distance.
• The first floor should accommodate no
more than 60 people.

First floor

Ground floor
SC

SC

Final Exit
SC

Basement

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Figure 51: Three-storey, small basement, ground and one upper floor, with a separate single stairway to each

116
 First floor

SC

SC

Ground floor

SC
SC

Final Exit

Basement

SC

SC SC

SC

Fire door
Fire-resisting wall
SC Self-closing

Figure 52: Three-storey, basement, ground and one upper floor, with a single stairway

Three-storey, basement, ground and one • The first floor should accommodate no
upper floor, with a single stairway more than 60 people.

In premises with a basement, ground and • To overcome the restriction of travel

first floor, served by a single stairway, the distance the stairway has been
layout shown in Figure 52 will be generally completely enclosed in 30-minute fire-
acceptable as long as the following apply: resisting construction and all doors onto
the stairway are self-closing fire doors.
• The basement should accommodate no
more than 60 people.

117
• The farthest point on floor each to the Four storey, ground and up to three upper
storey exit is within the overall suggested floors: higher risk premises
travel distance (see Table 2 on page 71).
In premises with higher risk areas (e.g.
• Where the building incorporates a paint spraying activities) with a single
basement, any stairway from the stairway, to protect the escape route
basement is separated by a fire-resisting by preventing smoke from entering the
lobby or corridor between that basement stairway, a protected stairway with lobby
and the protected stairway. or corridor approach between the stairway
and all floors (other than the top floor)
Four storey, ground and up to three upper should be provided as shown.
floors
The layout shown in Figure 54 will be
In premises with a ground floor and up generally acceptable as long as the
to three upper floors served by a single following apply:
stairway, it is important to understand
that you are unlikely to be able to meet • The upper floors should each
the suggested travel distance to a final accommodate no more than 60 people.
exit (see Table 2 on page 71). In these
circumstances it is necessary to protect • The farthest point on all of the floors
the stairway by a fire-resisting enclosure as to the lobbied storey exit is within the
shown. overall suggested travel distance (see
Table 2 on page 71).
The layout shown in Figure 53 will be
generally acceptable as long as the • When a protected lobby or corridor
following apply: approach to the stairway is employed
the travel distance is measured to the
• The upper floors should each storey exit and not the door to the lobby
accommodate no more than 60 people. or corridor.

• The farthest point on all of the floors Alternatively, automatic fire detection
to the storey exit is within the overall on all floors may be used instead of
suggested travel distance (see Table 2 protected lobbies or corridors (see Figure
on page 71). 55); however, the stairway must still be
protected.

118
 Second and
third floors

SC
SC

First 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

Figure 53: Four storey, ground and up to three upper floors

119
 Top floor

SC

SC

First and
second floors

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

Figure 54: Four storey, ground and up to three upper floors: higher risk premises – protected lobbies/corridors

120
 Top floors

SC
SC

First and
second floors

W.C. SC
W.C.

SC

SC

SC

Ground floor

SC SC SC

Final Exit SC

SC

SC

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

Figure 55: Four storey, ground and up to three upper floors: higher risk premises – protected with automatic fire
detection

121
 Section 5 Further guidance on
emergency escape lighting
The primary purpose of emergency escape
lighting is to illuminate escape routes, but it
also illuminates safety equipment.

The size and type of your premises and

the risk to the occupants will determine
the complexity of the emergency escape
lighting required. In simple single storey
Figure 56: Self-contained spot lights
premises where borrowed lighting or
torches are not appropriate, single ‘stand-
alone’ escape lighting units may be You will have identified the escape routes
sufficient and these can sometimes be when carrying out your fire risk assessment
combined with exit or directional signs. The and need to ensure that they are all
level of general illumination should not be adequately lit. If there are escape routes
significantly reduced by the sign. that are not permanently illuminated by
normal lighting, such as external stairs,
In larger, more complex premises a more then a switch, clearly marked ‘Escape
comprehensive system of fixed automatic lighting’, or some other means of switching
escape lighting is likely to be needed. This on the lighting should be provided at the
will be particularly true in premises with entry to that area/stairs.
extensive basements or where there are
significant numbers of staff or members of An emergency escape lighting system
the public. should normally cover the following:

In warehouses and large open-plan areas • each exit door;

in factories, an efficient and effective
method of illuminating escape routes in • escape routes;
an emergency is by using spotlights. These
are normally self-contained units consisting • intersections of corridors;
of a battery, switching mechanism and
spotlights (see Figure 56) fitted to operate • outside each final exit and on external
automatically on a circuit or mains failure. escape routes;

These self-contained units can be • emergency escape signs;

suspended from roofs, structural steelwork
such as columns or beams, substantial • stairways so that each flight receives
fixed high racking or attached to walls, etc. adequate light;
and are capable of illuminating escape
routes easily. They should be located at • changes in floor level;
high level and point downward.
• windowless rooms and toilet
accommodation exceeding 8m2;

• firefighting equipment;

122
• fire alarm call points; pleasing fixtures. Power supplies can be
rechargeable batteries integral to each unit,
• equipment that would need to be shut a central battery bank or an automatic start
down in an emergency; generator.

• lifts; and To complement emergency escape lighting,

people, especially those unfamiliar with
• areas in premises greater than 60m2. the premises, can be helped to identify
exit routes by the use of way-guidance
It is not necessary to provide individual equipment. Way-guidance systems usually
lights (luminaires) for each item above, but comprise photo-luminescent material, lines
there should be a sufficient overall level of of LEDs, or strips of miniature incandescent
light to allow them to be visible and usable. lamps, forming a continuous marked
escape route at lower level (Figure 58).
Emergency escape lighting can be both These systems have proved particularly
‘maintained’, i.e. on all the time, or ‘non- effective when people have to escape
maintained’ which only operates when the through smoke, and for partially-sighted
normal lighting fails. Systems or individual people. They can be particularly useful
luminaires are designed to operate for in premises where they can provide
durations of between one and three marked routes on floors and in multi-storey
hours. In practice, the three-hour design premises they can direct people to escape
is the most popular and can help with routes which are seldom used.
maintaining limited continued use of your
premises during a power failure (other than If you decide that you need to install
in an emergency situation). emergency escape lighting or to modify

Figure 57: Luminaires

Emergency escape lighting can be stand-

alone dedicated units or incorporated
into normal light fittings. There are
highly decorative versions of these for
those areas that demand aesthetically
Figure 58: A “way guidance” system

123
your existing system, any work should Typically, testing would include:
be carried out by a competent person in
accordance with the appropriate standards. • a daily visual check of any central
Further guidance is given in BS 5266-157 controls;
and BS 5266-858.
• a monthly function test by operating
Maintenance and testing of emergency the test facility for a period sufficient
escape lighting to ensure that each emergency lamp
illuminates; and
All emergency escape lighting systems
should be regularly tested and properly • an annual full discharge test.
maintained to an appropriate standard.
Most existing systems will need to be Particular care needs to be taken
manually tested. However, some modern following a full discharge test. Batteries
systems have self-testing facilities that typically take 24 hours to re-charge and
reduce routine checks to a minimum. the premises should not be re-occupied
Depending on your type of installation you until the emergency lighting system
should be able to carry out most of the is fully functioning unless alternative
routine tests yourself. The test method arrangements have been made. See
will vary. If you are not sure how to carry BS 5266-858 and BS 5266-157 for more
out these tests you should contact your information.
supplier or other competent person.
It is good practice to keep a record of tests.

Figure 59: A test key

Test facilities often take the form of a

‘fishtail’ key (Figure 59) inserted in a special
switch either near the main fuse board or
adjacent to relevant light switches.

124
 Section 6 Further guidance on signs
and notices
Escape signs Escape signs should meet the following
criteria:
In simple premises, a few signs indicating
the alternative exit(s) might be all that • They should provide clear, unambiguous
is needed. In more complex premises, a information to enable people to safely
series of signs directing people along the leave a building in an emergency.
escape routes towards the final exit may be
needed. • Every escape route sign should,
where necessary, incorporate, or be
Many people with poor vision retain some accompanied by, a directional arrow.
sight and are able to recognise changing Arrows should not be used on their own.
or contrasting colour to provide them
with visual clues when moving around a • If the escape route to the nearest exit is
building.* It may be sufficient to paint any not obvious then it should be indicated
columns and walls in a contrasting colour by a sign(s).
and to highlight changes in level by, for
example, making the nosing to step and • Signs should be positioned so that a
stair treads a contrasting colour (see BS person escaping will always have the
830041 for further guidance). next escape route sign in sight.

For people with no sight, a well-managed • Escape signs should be fixed above the
‘buddy system’, continuous handrails, a door in the direction of escape and not
sound localisation system (which helps be fixed to doors, as they will not be
people to move towards an alert sound) or visible if the door is open.
the installation of more tactile aids may be
appropriate. • Signs mounted above doors should be
at a height of between 2.0m and 2.5m
Exit signs should be clearly visible above the floor.
whenever the public, staff and contractors
are present. • Signs on walls should be mounted
between 1.7m and 2.0m above the floor.
Positioning of escape signs
• Mounting heights greater than 2.5m
The presence of other signs in factories may be used for hanging signs, e.g. in
and warehouses (such as staff notices large open spaces or for operational
or operating instructions) can distract reasons, but care should be taken
attention from, or obscure the visibility of, to ensure that such signs are both
escape signs. This could affect people’s conspicuous and legible. In such case
ability to see and understand escape signs, larger signs may be necessary.
particularly if there is a fire evacuation.
Always ensure that escape signs are not • Signs should be sited at the same height
overwhelmed. throughout the escape route, so far as is
reasonably practicable.

* The Royal National Institute of the Blind estimates that only about 4% of visually impaired people are totally blind.

125
Escape sign design

For a sign to comply with signs and signals

regulations it must be pictographic (see
Figures 60 and 61). The pictogram can be
supplemented by text if this is considered
necessary to make the sign easily
understood (BS-type sign), but you must not Figure 61: Euro sign
have a fire safety sign that uses only text.
Either type of sign can be used but different Other safety signs and notices
types should not be mixed. Appropriate
signs should take into account the needs of A number of other mandatory signs such as
those who may need to use them. ‘Fire action’ notices may also be necessary.

The legibility of escape signs is determined Fire doors that have been fitted with self-
by the size of the sign, its level of closing devices should be labelled ‘Fire
illumination and the distance over which it door – keep shut’ (Figure 62) on both sides.
is viewed. The use of signs within the same Fire-resisting doors to cupboards, stores
premises should follow a consistent design and service ducts that are not self-closing
pattern or scheme. You should not rely on because they are routinely kept locked
a few outsized signs which may encourage should be labelled ‘Fire door – keep locked’
people to travel to a particular escape route on the outside.
when other more appropriate routes should
be used.

In multi-occupied premises, co-operation

between the respective ‘appropriate
persons’ should be sought to ensure that,
as far as possible, all signs in the building
conform to a single pattern or scheme.

Figure 62: Fire door “keep shut” notice

Figure 60: BS-type sign Signs should indicate non-automatic fire

safety 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

126
doors fitted with a panic bolt or panic latch. (Figure 63), put them where staff frequently
A notice with the words ‘Fire escape – keep assemble in the premises, e.g. the canteen
clear’ should be permanently displayed at and locker rooms.
about eye level on the external face of all
doors which are provided as a means of If your premises are routinely expected to
escape in case of fire and which, because accommodate people whose first language
they are not normally used, may become is not English you may need to consider
obstructed. providing instructions in more than one
language. The interpretation should always
Staff notices convey an identical message.

In simple premises where there are Illumination

a limited number of escape routes, it
may be reasonable to provide staff with All signs and notices will need illumination
verbal reminders of what they need to do to ensure they are conspicuous and legible.
if there is a fire. In some premises, you There are a number of options available to
could consider providing a short written achieve this, such as:
statement that could, for example, be
delivered with staff pay slips every six • external illumination; and
months.
• internal illumination.

The supplier or other competent person

can give you further advice.

Signs or notices of the photo-luminescent

type, i.e. where the active material making
up the luminous parts of such signs or
notices needs a period of exposure to light
before they become visible in darkness (but
get fainter with time), are not a substitute
for appropriate emergency lighting and
should only be used where other forms of
illumination are present.

Figure 63: Fire action notice Further guidance

In multi-occupied, larger and more complex Detailed guidance on fire safety signs can
premises or where there is a high turnover be found in BS 5499-459 and BS 5499-
of staff, a more considered approach 560. Published guidance9, 10 on compliance
for staff notices and instructions will be with health and safety legislation on signs
necessary. As well as positioning the is also available. Guidance about the use
fire instructions notice on escape routes of photo-luminescent fire safety signs and
adjacent to fire break-glass call points notices can be found in BS 5266-661.

127
 Section 7 Further guidance on
recording, planning, informing,
instructing and training
7.1 Fire safety records • testing of fire-warning systems, including
weekly alarm tests and periodic
Keeping up-to-date records of your fire maintenance by a competent person;
risk assessment can help you effectively
manage the fire strategy for your premises • recording of false alarms;
and demonstrate how you are complying
with fire safety law. • testing and maintenance of emergency
lighting systems;
Even if you do not have to record the fire
risk assessment, it can be helpful to keep • testing and maintenance of fire
a record of any co-operation and exchange extinguishers, hose reels and fire
of information made between employers blankets, etc.;
and other appropriate persons for future
reference. • if appropriate, testing and maintenance
of other fire safety equipment such as
In larger and more complex premises, it fire suppression systems and smoke
is best to keep a dedicated record of all control systems;
maintenance of fire-protection equipment
and training. There is no one ‘correct’ • recording and training of relevant people
format specified for this. Suitable record and fire evacuation drills;
books are available from trade associations
and may also be available from your local • planning, organising, policy and
enforcing authority. implementation, monitoring, audit and
review;
In all cases the quality of records may also
be regarded as a good indicator of the • maintenance and audit of any systems
overall quality of the safety management that are provided to help the Fire and
structure. Rescue Service;

Your records should be kept in a specified • the arrangements in a large multi-

place on the premises (for example, in the occupied building for a co-ordinated
management’s office), and should include: emergency plan or overall control of the
actions you or your staff should take if
• details of any significant findings from there is a fire; and
the fire risk assessment and any action
taken (see Part 1, Section 4.1); • all alterations, tests, repairs and
maintenance of fire safety systems,
• testing and checking of escape routes, including passive systems such as fire
including final exit locking mechanisms, doors.
such as panic devices, emergency
exit devices and any electromagnetic
devices;

128
Other issues that you may wish to record
include:

• the competence, qualifications and

status of the persons responsible for
carrying out inspections and tests;

• the results of periodic safety audits,

reviews, inspections and tests, and any
remedial action taken;

• all incidents and circumstances which

had the potential to cause accidents
and monitor subsequent remedial
actions; and

• a record of the building use, the fire

prevention and protection measures in
place and high-risk areas.

You should ensure that no other

management decisions or policies
compromise safety.

Your documentation should be available

for inspection by representatives of the
enforcing authority.

More detailed advice is given in BS 999911.

Figure 64 is an example of how to record

some individual stages of the process in
more detail. A blank version of this form is
provided in Appendix A2.

129
 Risk Assessment - Record of significant findings
Risk assessment for Assessment undertaken by

Company Acme Fine Engineering Date 02/02/2006

Address Unit 2, Ferry Estate Completed by J Brown

New Town
CD12 4AB Signature J Brown

Street number Location Use

One Ground floor production area Workshop

Step 1 - Identify fire hazards

Sources of ignition Sources of fuel Sources of oxygen

Electrical plant and equipment Plastic electrical casings No additional sources

Soldering station Cable and various small components
Radiant electrical heaters Packaging
Microwave/kettle in tea bay Degreasing solvent

Step 2 - People at risk

5 full time staff members 4 sales representatives - ocassional 1 cleaner

2 part time staff members access only 2 office clerks

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

(3.1) Evaluate the risk of the fire Degreasing work station in close proximity to soldering work station
occuring Workshop routinely used to store plastic components
Tea bay untidy and cluttered. Equipment appears to be in poor condition
Radiant heaters in proximity to various combustable materials
(3.2) Evaluate the risk to people Predominantly open plan so fire in workshop area quickly evident
from a fire starting in the Fire in rear store could go undetected
building Fire in workshop could effect first floor office
(3.3) Remove and reduce the Resite degreasing area remote from soldering area
hazards that may cause a fire Limit quantity of degreasing agent in workshop to one 10 litre tin (about one days
supply)
Plastic components to be stored in storeroom
Packaging material to be placed in secure store to rear of premises
Replace radiant heaters with suitable convection heaters
Tea bay to be moved to first floor and monitored by cleaner
Replace kettle and microwave
(3.4) Remove and reduce the risks The current fire precaution measures (refer to floor plan A) have been assessed
to people from a fire in view of the findings recorded above. They are considered adequate with the
following acceptions
Additional measures considered necessary
Provide automatic fire detection to rear store
Fire door protecting staircase to 1st floor office requires new self closer
Provide additional fire alarm sounder to first floor - currently not sufficiently
audible
Fire extinguisher require maintenance
Introduce periodic staff refresher training and programme in fire drills
Replace damaged fire exit sign above rear exit
Provide flammable liquid bin in rear store
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; co-ordinate measures with other ‘appropriate persons’ in the building; and to inform
and train staff and inform other relevant persons.

Figure 64: Example record of significant findings

130
In premises with ‘engineered fire safety • methods for fighting fire (details of
strategies’, a fire policy manual should be the number, type and location of the
provided in addition to any other records. firefighting equipment);
Guidance on the structure of fire engineering
policy manuals is given in BS 7974 Section • location of manually-operated fire alarm
5: Reporting and presentation62. call points and control equipment for fire
alarms;
Fire safety audit
• location of any control rooms and fire
A fire safety audit can be used alongside staff posts;
your fire risk assessment to identify what
fire safety provisions exist in your premises. • location of any emergency lighting
equipment and the exit route signs;
When carrying out a review of your fire
safety risk assessment, a pre-planned audit • location of any high-risk areas,
can quickly identify if there have been any equipment or process that must be
significant changes which may affect the immediately shut down by staff on
fire safety systems and highlight whether a hearing the fire alarm;
full fire risk assessment is necessary.
• location of any automatic firefighting
Plans and specifications systems, risers and sprinkler control
valves;
Plans and specifications can be used
to assist understanding of a fire risk • location of the main electrical supply
assessment or emergency plan. Even switch, the main water shut-off valve
where not needed for this purpose they and, where appropriate, the main gas or
can help you and your staff keep your oil shut-off valves; and
fire risk assessment and emergency plan
under review and help the Fire and Rescue • plans and specifications relating to all
Service in the event of fire. Any symbols recent constructions.
used should be shown on a key. Plans and
specifications could include the following: This information should be passed on to
any later users or owners of the premises.
• essential structural features such as the
layout of function rooms, escape doors,
wall partitions, corridors, stairways, etc. 7.2 Emergency plans
(including any fire-resisting structure and
self-closing fire doors provided to protect Emergency plan and contingency plans
the escape routes);
Your emergency plan should be appropriate
• location of refuges and lifts that have to your premises and could include:
been designated suitable for use by
disabled people and others who may • how people will be warned if there is a
need assistance to escape in case of fire;
a fire;

131
• what staff should do if they discover a • procedures for meeting the Fire and
fire; Rescue Service on their arrival and
notifying them of any special risks,
• how the evacuation of the premises e.g. the location of highly flammable
should be carried out; materials; and

• where people should assemble after • what training employees need and the
they have left the premises and arrangements for ensuring that this
procedures for checking whether the training is given.
premises have been evacuated;
As part of your emergency plan it is good
• identification of key escape routes, how practice to prepare post-incident plans for
people can gain access to them and dealing with situations that might arise
escape from them to a place of total such as those involving:
safety;
• young persons;
• arrangements for fighting the fire;
• people with personal belongings
• the duties and identity of staff who have (especially valuables) still in the building;
specific responsibilities if there is a fire;
• getting people away from the building
• arrangements for the safe evacuation of (e.g. to transport); and
people identified as being especially at
risk, such as young persons, those with • inclement weather.
disabilities or lone workers;
You should therefore prepare contingency
• any machines/processes/appliances/ plans to determine specific actions and/or
power supplies that need to be stopped the mobilisation of specialist resources.
or isolated if there is a fire;
The emergency services may prepare
• specific arrangements, if necessary, for an emergency procedure plan (or major
high fire-risk areas; incident plan) for dealing with a major
incident (for example, an explosion, toxic
• contingency plans for when life safety release or large fire). Your contingency
systems, such as evacuation lifts, plans and the emergency procedure plan
fire-detection and warning systems, should be compatible. In such cases
sprinklers or smoke control systems are consultation should therefore take place
out of order; between yourself and the police, fire and
ambulance services, the local health
• how the Fire and Rescue Service and authority and local council, in order to
any other necessary services will be produce an agreed plan of action, including
called and who will be responsible for access for emergency vehicles, for all
doing this; foreseeable incidents.

132
Guidance on developing health and safety You need to ensure that all staff and, where
management policy has been published by necessary, other relevant persons in the
the HSE63. building, receive appropriate information in
a way that can be easily understood. This
might include any special instructions to
7.3 Information, instruction, co- particular people who have been allocated
operation and co-ordination a specific task, such as shutting down
equipment or guiding people to the nearest
Supplying information exit.

You must provide easily understandable Duties of employees to give information

information to employees, the parents of
children you may employ, and to employers Employees also have a duty to take
of other persons working in your premises reasonable care for their own safety and
about the measures in place to ensure a that of other people who may be affected
safe escape from the building and how they by their activities. This includes the need
will operate, for example: for them to inform their employer of any
activity that they consider would present a
• any significant risks to staff and other serious and immediate danger to their own
relevant persons that have been safety and that of others.
identified in your fire risk assessment or
any similar assessment carried out by Dangerous substances
another user and appropriate person in
the building; HSE publishes guidance14 about specific
substances where appropriate information
• the fire prevention and protection may need to be provided. If any of these,
measures and procedures in your or any other substance that is not included
premises and where they impact on but nevertheless presents more than a
staff and other relevant persons in the slight risk, is present in your premises, then
building; you must provide such information to staff
and others, specifically you must:
• the procedures for fighting a fire in the
premises; and • name the substance and the risks
associated with it, e.g. how to safely use
• the identity of people who have been or store the product to avoid creating
nominated with specific responsibilities highly flammable vapours or explosive
in the building. atmospheres;

Even if you do not have to record the fire • identify any legislative provisions that
risk assessment, it would be helpful to keep may be associated with the substance;
a record of any co-operation and exchange
of information made between employers • allow employees access to the
and other appropriate persons for future hazardous substances safety data
reference. sheet; and

133
• inform the Fire and Rescue Service
where dangerous substances are Case study
present on the premises.
If the firefighting lift in a multi storey
premises becomes defective, this
Case study should be brought to the attention of
the fire and rescue service. Being able
A few boxes of sodium chlorate-based to use this facility to tackle a fire on the
weedkiller, or a few litres of flammable upper floors might have a serious effect
varnish, are unlikely to need anything on the ability of firefighters to begin
other than basic precautions such operations as quickly as planned. The
as a warning sign on the room or information supplied will enable the
container in which they are stored. emergency service to make adjustments
However, the storage and/or use of to the level of the emergency response.
sizeable quantaties of polystyrene However the responsible person should
pellets for packaging or significant ensure that the defect is corrected as
quantaties of highly flammable liquids soon as possible and the fire and rescue
stored in a warehouse will require service notified.
more comprehensive information and
notification to the fire and rescue service.
Instruction

Information to the Fire and Rescue You will need to carefully consider
Service services the type of instructions to staff and
other people working in your premises.
In addition to providing information to the Written instructions must be concise,
Fire and Rescue Service when dangerous comprehensible and relevant and
substances are present in sufficient therefore must be reviewed and updated
quantities to pose an enhanced risk, it will as new working practices and hazardous
also be helpful to inform them of any short substances are introduced.
term changes that might have an impact on
their firefighting activities; e.g. in the event Inclusive access and employment policies
of temporary loss of a firefighting facility mean that people with learning difficulties
and temporary alterations. may now be present in a range of premises
and your fire risk assessment should
Procedures should also include meeting consider whether further instruction or
and briefing the Fire and Rescue Service guidance is necessary to ensure that your
when they arrive. evacuation strategy is appropriate and
understood by everyone.

Instructions will need to be given to people

delegated to carry out particular tasks, for
example:

134
• removing additional security bolts, bars • carrying out evacuation roll calls;
or chains on final exit doors before the • taking charge at the assembly area;
start of business to ensure that escape
routes are accessible; • meeting and directing fire engines; and

• daily, weekly, quarterly and yearly checks • cover arrangements when nominated
on the range of fire safety measures people are on leave.
(in larger premises some of the work
may be contracted out to a specialist Co-operation and co-ordination
company);
Where you share premises with others (this
• safety considerations when closing down includes people who are self-employed or in
the premises at the end of the day, e.g. partnership), each appropriate person, i.e.
removing rubbish, ensuring enough exits each employer, owner or other person who
are available for people that remain and has control over any part of the premises,
closing fire doors and shutters; will need to co-operate and co-ordinate
the findings of their separate fire risk
• leaving hazardous substances in a safe assessments to ensure the fire precautions
condition when evacuating the building; and protection measures are effective
throughout the building. This could include:
• the safe storage of hazardous
substances at the end of the working • co-ordinating an emergency plan (see
day; and Section 7.2 for features of an emergency
plan);
• ensuring everyone in large organisations
with many buildings within a curtilage • identifying the nature of any risks and
and a security zone know how to use how they may affect others in or about
internal emergency telephones. the premises;

Specific instructions may be needed about: • identifying any fire-prevention and

protection measures;
• how staff will help members of the
public/visitors to leave the building; • identifying any measures to mitigate the
effects of a fire; and
• ‘sweeping’ of the factory or warehouse
floor by staff to guide people to the • arranging any contacts with external
nearest exit when the fire alarm sounds; emergency services and calling the Fire
and Rescue Services.
• designating particular areas of a factory
or warehouse for supervisors to check
that no one remains inside;

• calling the emergency services;

135
 It should include the role that those
Case study members of staff will be expected to carry
out if a fire occurs. This may vary in large
Company A stores a wide range of timber premises, with some staff being appointed
products including fence panels, garden as fire marshals or being given some other
sheds and timber decking, and also particular role for which additional training
rents space to Company B. Company will be required.
A’s premises are in the open air where
significant stockpiles of timber fencing In addition to the guidance given in Part
are stored on 8m-high steel racking 1, Step 4.4, as a minimum all staff should
around the boundary. Should a fire receive training about:
start there is a significant risk that
it will spread to the other premises, • the items listed in your emergency plan;
endangering people in both premises
and in the immediate vicinity. The • the importance of fire doors and other
responsible person (Company A0 should basic fire-prevention measures;
ensure that there is enough space
between stacks of timber products and • where relevant, the appropriate use of
the boundary to ensure as far as possible firefighting equipment;
that any fire is confined to the stack and
would not spread and endanger other • the importance of reporting to the
people. To do this, companies A and B assembly area;
will need to co-ordinate as necessary.
• exit routes and the operation of exit
devices, including physically walking
these routes;
7.4 Fire safety training
• general matters such as permitted
Staff training smoking areas or restrictions on cooking
other than in designated areas; and
The actions of staff if there is a fire are
likely to be crucial to their safety and that • assisting disabled persons where
of other people in the premises. All staff necessary.
should receive basic fire safety induction
training and attend refresher sessions at Training is necessary:
pre-determined intervals.
• when staff start employment or are
You should ensure that all staff and transferred into the premises;
contractors are told about the emergency
plan and are shown the escape routes. • when changes have been made to the
emergency plan and the preventative
The training should take account of the and protective measures;
findings of the fire risk assessment and be
easily understood by all those attending. • where working practices and processes
or people’s responsibilities change;

136
• to take account of any changed risks • shutting down vital or dangerous
to the safety of staff or other relevant equipment; and
persons;
• performing a supervisory/managing role
• to ensure that staff know what they in any fire situation.
have to do to safeguard themselves and
others on the premises; Training for this role may include:

• where staff are expected to assist • detailed knowledge of the fire safety
disabled persons; and strategy of the premises;

• if a member of staff may take on the • awareness of human behaviour in fires;

role of duty manager.
• how to encourage others to use the
Training should be repeated as often as most appropriate escape route;
necessary and should take place during
working hours. • how to search safely and recognise
areas that are unsafe to enter;
Whatever training you decide is necessary
to support your fire safety strategy and • the difficulties that some people,
emergency plan, it should be verifiable. particularly if disabled, may have in
escaping and any special evacuation
Enforcing authorities may want to examine arrangements that have been pre-
records as evidence that adequate training planned;
has been given.
• additional training in the use of
Fire marshals firefighting equipment;

Staff expected to undertake the role of fire • an understanding of the purpose of

marshals (often called fire wardens) would any fixed firefighting equipment such as
require more comprehensive training. Their sprinklers or gas flooding systems; and
role may include:
• reporting of faults, incidents and near
• helping any members of the public, misses.
visitors and/or disabled persons leave
the premises; Fire drills

• checking designated areas to ensure Once the emergency plan has been
everyone has left; developed and training given, you will need
to evaluate its effectiveness. The best way
• using firefighting equipment if safe to do to do this is to perform a fire drill. This
so; should be carried out at least annually or
as determined by your fire risk assessment.
• liaising with the Fire and Rescue Service If you have a high staff turnover, you may
on arrival; need to carry them out more often.

137
A well-planned and executed fire drill will Carrying out the drill
confirm understanding of the training
and provide helpful information for future For premises that have more than one
training. The appropriate person should escape route, the escape plan should be
determine the possible objectives of the designed to evacuate all people on the
drill such as to: assumption that one exit or stairway is
unavailable because of the fire. This could
• identify any weaknesses in the be simulated by a designated person being
evacuation strategy; located at a suitable point on an exit route.
Applying this scenario to different escape
• test the procedure following any recent routes at each fire drill will encourage
alteration or changes to working individuals to use alternative escape routes
practices; which they may not normally use.

• familiarise new members of staff with When carrying out the drill you might find it
procedures; and helpful to:

• test the arrangements for disabled • circulate details concerning the drill
people and young persons on work and inform all staff of their duty to
experience. participate. It may not be beneficial to
have ‘surprise drills’ as the health and
Who should take part? safety risks introduced may outweigh
the benefits;
Within each building the evacuation
should include all occupants except those • ensure that equipment can be safely
who may need to ensure the security of left;
the premises, or people who, on a risk-
assessed basis, are required to remain with • nominate observers;
particular equipment or processes that
cannot be closed down. • inform the alarm receiving centre if the
fire-warning system is monitored (if the
Premises that consist of several buildings Fire and Rescue Service is normally
on the same site should be dealt with one called directly from your premises,
building at a time over an appropriate ensure that this does not happen);
period unless the emergency procedure
dictates otherwise. • inform visitors and members of the
public if they are present; and
Where appropriate, you may find it helpful
to include members of the public in your • ask a member of staff at random to set
fire drill – ensuring that all necessary health off the alarm by operating the nearest
and safety issues are addressed before you alarm call point using the test key. This
do so. will indicate the level of knowledge
regarding the location of the nearest call
point.

138
 More detailed information on fire drills and • difficulties experienced by people with
test evacuations is given in BS 999911. disabilities;

The roll call/checking the premises have • the roles of specified people, e.g. fire
been evacuated wardens;

Carry out a roll call as soon as possible at • inappropriate actions, e.g. stopping to
the designated assembly point(s), and/or collect personal items, attempting to use
receive reports from wardens designated to lifts, etc.; and
‘sweep’ the premises. You should note any
people who are unaccounted for. In a real • windows and doors not being closed as
evacuation this information will need to be people leave.
passed to the Fire and Rescue Service on
arrival. On-the-spot debriefs are useful to discuss
the fire drill, encouraging feedback from
Check that people have assembled at the everybody. Later, reports from fire wardens
evacuation point. and observations from people should be
collated and reviewed. Any conclusions and
Once the roll call is complete or all reports remedial actions should be recorded and
have been received, allow people to implemented.
return to the building. If the fire-warning
system is monitored, inform the alarm
receiving centre that the drill has now
been completed and record the outcomes
of the drill.

Monitoring and debrief

Throughout the drill the appropriate 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;

139
 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 the 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.

The 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.

140
 Appendix A
A1 Example fire safety maintenance
checklist
A fire safety maintenance checklist can be Any ticks in the dark yellow boxes should
used as a means of supporting your fire result in further investigation and
safety policy. The list is not intended to be appropriate action as necessary. In larger
comprehensive and should not be used and more complex premises you may need
as a substitute for carrying out a fire risk to seek the assistance of a competent
assessment. person to carry out some of the checks.

You can modify the example, where

necessary, to fit your premises and you may
need to incorporate the recommendations
of manufacturers and installers of the fire
safety equipment/systems that you may
have installed in your premises.

Yes No N/A Comments

Daily checks (not normally recorded)
Escape routes
Can all fire exits be opened immediately and
easily?
Are fire doors clear of obstructions?

Are escape routes clear?

Fire warning systems

Is the indicator panel showing ‘normal’?

Are whistles, gongs, or air horns in place?

Escape lighting
Are luminaires and exit signs in good condition
and undamaged?
Is emergency lighting and sign lighting working
correctly?
Firefighting equipment
Are all fire extinguishers in place?

Are fire extinguishers clearly visible?

Are vehicles blocking fire hydrants or access to

them?

141
 Yes No N/A Comments
Weekly checks
Escape routes
Do all emergency fastening devices to fire exits
(push bars and pads, etc.) work correctly?
Are external routes clear and safe?

Fire warning systems

Does testing a manual call point send a signal to
the indicator panel? (Disconnect the link to the
receiving centre or tell them you are doing a test.)
Did the alarm system work correctly when tested?

Did staff and other people hear the fire alarm?

Did any linked fire protection systems operate

correctly? (e.g. magnetic door holder released,
smoke curtains drop).
Do all visual alarms and/or vibrating alarms and
pagers (as applicable) work?
Do voice alarm systems work correctly?
Was the message understood?
Escape lighting
Are charging indicators (if fitted) visible?

Firefighting equipment
Is all equipment in good condition?

Additional items from manufacturer’s

recommendations.
Monthly checks
Escape routes
Do all electronic release mechanisms on escape
doors work correctly? Do they ‘fail safe’ in the
open position?
Do all automatic opening doors on escape routes
‘fail safe’ in the open position?
Are fire doors seals and self-closing devices in
good condition?

142
 Yes No N/A Comments
Monthly checks contiued
Do all roller shutters provided for fire
compartmentation work correctly?
Are external escape stairs safe?

Do all internal self-closing fire doors work

correctly?
Escape lighting
Do all luminaires and exit signs function correctly
when tested?
Have all emergency generators been tested?
(Normally run for one hour.)
Firefighting equipment
Is the pressure in ‘stored pressure’ fire
extinguishers correct?
Additional items from manufacturer’s
recommendations
Three monthly checks
General
Are any emergency water tanks/ponds at their
normal capacity?
Are vehicles blocking fire hydrants or access to
them?
Additional items from manufacturer’s
recommendations
Six monthly checks
General
Has any firefighting or emergency evacuation lift
been tested by a competent person?
Has any sprinkler system been tested by a
competent person?
Have the release and closing mechanisms of any
fire-resisting compartment doors and shutters
been tested by a competent person?
Fire warning system
Has the system been checked by a competent
person?

143
 Yes No N/A Comments
Six monthly checks continued
Escape lighting
Do all luminaires operate on test for one third of
their rated value?
Additional items from manufacturer’s
recommendations.
Annual checks
Escape routes
Do all self-closing fire doors fit correctly?

Is escape route compartmentation in good repair?

Escape lighting
Do all luminaires operate on test for their full rated
duration?
Has the system been checked by a competent
person?
Firefighting equipment
Has all firefighting equipment been checked by a
competent person?
Miscellaneous
Has any dry/wet rising fire main been tested by a
competent person?
Has the smoke and heat ventilation system been
tested by a competent person?
Has external access for the fire service been
checked for ongoing availability?
Have any firefighters’ switches been tested?

Has the fire hydrant bypass flow valve control been

tested by a competent person?
Are any necessary fire engine direction signs in
place?

144
 A2 Example form for recording
significant findings
Risk Assessment - Record of significant findings
Risk assessment for Assessment undertaken by

Company Date

Address Completed by

Signature

Street number Location 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) Evaluate the risk of the fire
occuring

(3.2) Evaluate the risk to people

from a fire starting in the
building

(3.3) Remove and reduce the

hazards that may cause a fire

(3.4) Remove 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; co-ordinate measures with other ‘appropriate persons’ in the building; and to inform
and train staff and inform other relevant persons.

145
 Appendix B
Technical information on fire-resisting
separation, fire doors and door
fastenings
B1 Fire-resisting separation Fire-resisting construction

General The fire resistance of a wall or floor is

dependent on the quality of construction
The materials from which your premises and materials used. Common examples
are constructed may determine the speed of types of construction that provide
with which a fire may spread, affecting the 30-minute fire resistance to escape routes
escape routes that people will use. A fire if constructed to the above standards are:
starting in a building constructed mainly
from readily combustible material will • internal framed construction wall, non-
spread faster than one where modern fire- load bearing, consisting of 72mm x
resisting construction materials have been 37mm timber studs at 600mm centres
used. Where non-combustible materials are and faced with 12.5mm of plasterboard
used and the internal partitions are made with all joints taped and filled (see
from fire-resisting materials, the fire will Figure 65);
be contained for a longer period, allowing
more time for the occupants to escape. • internal framed construction, non-load
bearing, consisting of channel section
Because of the requirements of the steel studs at 600mm centres faced
Building Regulations you will probably with 12.5mm of plasterboard with all
already have some walls and floors that are joints taped and filled; and
fire-resisting and limitations on the surface
finishes to certain walls and ceilings. • masonry cavity wall consisting of
solid bricks of clay, brick earth, shale,
You will need to consider whether concrete or calcium silicate, with a
the standard of fire resistance and minimum thickness of 90mm on each
surface finishing in the escape routes is leaf.
satisfactory, has been affected by wear
and tear or alterations and whether any There are other methods and products
improvements are necessary. available which will achieve the required
standard of fire resistance and may
The following paragraphs give basic be more appropriate for the existing
information on how fire-resisting construction in your premises. If there
construction can provide up to 30 is any doubt about how your building is
minutes protection to escape routes. This constructed, then ask for further advice
is the standard recommended for most from a competent person.
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.

146
 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

Figure 65: Fire-resisting construction

Fire-resisting floors with instructions from the manufacturer or

supplier.
The fire resistance of floors will depend on
the existing floor construction as well as the Fire-resisting glazing
type of ceiling finish beneath. If you need to
upgrade the fire resistance of your floor it The most common type of fire-resisting
may not be desirable to apply additional fire glazing is 6mm Georgian wired glazing,
resistance to the underside of an existing which is easily identifiable. Clear fire-
ornate ceiling. In older buildings there may resisting glazing is available and can
be a requirement to provide fire resistance quickly be identified by a mark etched
between beams and joists. into the glass, usually in the corner of the
glazed panel, to confirm its fire-resisting
A typical example of a 30-minute fire- standard.
resisting timber floor is tongue and groove
softwood of not less than 15mm finished Although this is not compulsory, the
thickness on 37mm timber joists, with a marking of glass is supported by the
ceiling below of one layer of plasterboard Glass and Glazing Federation; you should
to a thickness of 12.5mm with joints taped check whether the glazing will be marked
and filled and backed by supporting timber. accordingly before purchase. The glazing
should have been installed in accordance
There are other, equally valid, methods and with the manufacturer’s instructions and to
products available for upgrading floors. If the appropriate standard64, to ensure that
you are in any doubt you should ask the its fire-resisting properties are maintained.
advice of a competent person and ensure
that the product is installed in accordance The performance of glazed systems in
terms of fire resistance and external fire

147
exposure should, wherever possible, be This should be rectified by suitable fire
confirmed by test evidence. Alternatively, stopping and there are many proprietary
where there is a lack of test information, products available to suit particular types
ask for an assessment of the proposed of construction. Such products should be
construction from suitably qualified people. installed by competent contractors.

Fire separation of voids Décor and surface finishes of walls,

ceilings and escape routes
A common problem encountered with fire
separation is fire-resisting partitions which The materials used to line walls and
do not extend above false ceilings to true ceilings can contribute significantly to the
ceiling height. This may result in unseen spread of flame across their surface. Most
fire spread and a loss of vital protection to materials that are used as surface linings
the escape routes. It is important therefore will fall into one of three classes of surface
to carefully check all such partitions have spread of flame. The following are common
been installed correctly. examples of acceptable materials for
various situations:
The total or systematic methods of
construction that were developed to provide Class 0: Materials suitable for circulation
consistent building quality, while reducing spaces and escape routes
the need for traditional skilled labour,
consist of a metal frame upon which • Such materials include brickwork,
structural panels are fixed. This results blockwork, concrete, ceramic tiles,
in hidden voids through which fire may plaster finishes (including rendering
spread. It is important that cavity barriers on wood or metal lathes), wood-wool
that restrict the spread of fire are installed cement slabs and mineral fibre tiles or
appropriately, especially to walls and floors sheets with cement or resin binding.
that need to be fire-resisting. If you are in
any doubt as to whether any remedial work Note: Additional finishes to these surfaces
will be required, then ask for advice from a may be detrimental to the fire performance
competent person. of the surface and if there is any doubt
about this then consult the manufacturer of
Breaching fire separation the finish.

To ensure effective protection against fire, Class 1: Materials suitable for use in all
walls and floors providing fire separation rooms but not on escape routes
must form a complete barrier, with an
equivalent level of fire resistance provided • Such materials include all the Class 0
to any openings such as doors, ventilation materials referred to above. Additionally,
ducts, pipe passages or refuse chutes. timber, hardboard, blockboard, particle
board, heavy flock wallpapers and
The passing of services such as heating thermosetting plastics will be suitable
pipes or electrical cables through fire- if flame-retardant treated to achieve a
resisting partitions leaves gaps through Class 1 standard.
which fire and smoke may spread.

148
Class 3: Materials suitable for use in All fire-resisting doors are rated by their
rooms of less than 30m2 performance when tested to an appropriate
standard. The level of protection provided
• Such materials include all those referred by the door is measured, primarily by
to in Class 1, including those that have determining the time taken for a fire
not been flame-retardant treated and to breach the integrity (E), of the door
certain dense timber or plywood and assembly, together with its resistance to
standard glass-reinforced polyesters. the passage of hot gases and flame.

The equivalent European classification It may be possible to upgrade the fire

standard will also be acceptable. resistance of existing doors. Further
Further details about internal linings and information is available from the Building
classifications are available in Technical Research Establishment68 or the Timber
Booklet E8. Appropriate testing procedures Research and Development Association69.
are detailed in BS 476-765 and where
appropriate BS EN 13501-166. Timber fire-resisting doors require a gap
of 2-4mm between the door leaf and
Further guidance on types of fire-resisting the frame. However larger gaps may be
construction has been published by the necessary to ensure that the door closes
Building Research Establishment67. flush into its frame when smoke seals are
fitted. Further information is available in
BS 4787-170. For fire-resisting purposes
B2 Fire-resisting doors the gap is normally protected by installing
an intumescent seal, in either the door or,
Requirements of a fire-resisting door preferably, the frame. The intumescent seal
expands in the early stages of a fire and
Effective fire-resisting doors (see Figure enhances the protection given by the door.
66) are vital to ensure that the occupants Additional smoke seals will restrict the
can evacuate to a place of safety. Correctly spread of smoke at ambient temperatures.
specified and well-fitted doors will hold back Doors fitted with smoke seals, either
fire and smoke, preventing escape routes incorporated in the intumescent seal or
becoming unusable, as well as preventing fitted separately, have their classification
the fire spreading from one area to another. code suffixed with a ‘S’.

Fire-resisting doors are necessary in any The principal fire-resisting door categories
doorway located in a fire-resisting structure. are:
Most internal doors are constructed
of timber. These will give some limited • E20 fire-resisting door providing 20
protection against fire spread, but only a minutes fire resistance (or equivalent FD
purpose-built fire-resisting door that has 20S). (Note: Many suppliers no longer
been tested to an approved standard will provide an E20 type fire-resisting door.)
provide the necessary protection. Metal
fire-resisting doors are also available and • E30 fire-resisting door providing 30
specific guidance for these follows. minutes fire resistance (or equivalent
FD 30S).

149
• E60 fire-resisting door providing 60 Fire-resisting door furniture
minutes fire resistance (or equivalent
FD 60S). Hinges

Timber fire-resisting doors are available To ensure compliance with their rated fire
that will provide up to 120 minutes fire performance, fire-resisting doors need to
resistance but their use is limited to more be hung with the correct number, size and
specialised conditions that are beyond the quality of hinges. Normally a minimum
scope of this guidance. of three hinges are needed, however the
manufacturer’s instructions should be
Metal fire-resisting doors closely followed. BS EN 193573 including
Annex B, is the appropriate standard.
Although the majority of fire-resisting doors
are made from timber, metal fire-resisting Alternative door mountings
doors, which meet the appropriate standard,
can often be used for the same purpose. Although the most common method of
However, there are situations, especially in hanging a door is to use single axis hinges,
large factories or warehouses, where they alternative methods are employed where
are more appropriate. The majority of metal the door is required to be double swing or
fire-resisting door manufacturers will require mounted on pivots for other reasons.
the use of bespoke frames and hardware for
their door sets. Floor mounted controlled door closing
devices are the most common method
See BS EN 1634-171 and BS 476-2272 for regularly found with timber, glass and steel
more information. doors while transom mounted devices are
commonly used with aluminium sections. In
For detailed guidance refer to Technical each case reference should be made to the
Booklet E8. fire test report for details as to compliance
with the composition of the door assembly
Glazing in fire-resisting doors including the door mounting conditions.

Although glazing provides additional Self-closing devices

safety in everyday use and can enhance
the appearance of fire-resisting doors, it All fire-resisting doors, other than those to
should never reduce the fire resistance locked cupboards and service ducts, should
of the door. The opening provided in be fitted with an appropriately controlled
the door for the fire-resisting glazing self-closing device that will effectively
unit(s) and the fitting of the beading are close the door from any angle. In certain
critical, and should only be entrusted to circumstances, concealed, jamb-mounted
a competent person. In nearly all cases closing devices may be specified and in
the door and glazing should be purchased these cases should be capable of closing
from a reputable supplier who can provide the door from any angle and against any
documentary evidence that the door latch fitted to the door; spring hinges are
continues to achieve the required rating. unlikely to be suitable. Further information
is available in BS EN 115474.

150
 Ideally the frame should be to the
same standard as the door,
purchased together as a door set.

Door closer – see BS EN 115474

for further information.

Hinges – see BS EN 1935 annex B.73

Hinges should be tested as part of
the door set – see BS EN 1634-278
for further information.
Securing device –
lock, emergency Vision panel should be fire-resisting glazing.
exit device or panic
exit device. See
BS EN 12209,75 Door handles and locks – see BS EN 190679
BS EN 179476 annex C and BS EN 12209 annex A75
or BS EN 112577 respectively for further information.
respectively for Door handles and locks should be tested
further information. as part of a door set – see BS EN 1634-171
for further information.

Infumescent strip and cold smoke seal to

resist the passage of smoke and fire.

Figure 66: A fire-resisting and smoke-stopping door

Rising butt hinges are not suitable for use Such devices are particularly useful in
as a self-closing device due to their inability situations where self closing doors on
to close and latch the door from any angle. escape routes are used regularly by
significant numbers of people, or by people
Automatic door hold-open/release with impaired mobility who may have
devices for self-closing fire doors difficulty in opening the doors.

These devices are designed to hold open Typical examples of such devices include:
self closing fire doors or allow them to
swing free during normal use. In the event • electro-magnetic devices fitted to the
of a fire alarm the device will then release fire-resisting door which release when
the door automatically, allowing the self- the fire detection and warning system
closing mechanism to close the door. operates, allowing a separate self-closer
to close the door;

151
• electro-magnetic devices within the • any failure of the fire detection and
controlled door closing device which alarm system; or

• function on the operation of the fire • any electrical power failure.

detection and warning system; and
Other devices, including self-contained
• ‘free swing’ controlled door closing devices which perform a similar function,
devices, which operate by allowing the that are not connected directly to a fire
door leaf to work independently of the alarm system and are not therefore able to
closing device in normal conditions. meet the above criteria are available and
An electro-magnetic device within the may be acceptable where a site-specific
spring mechanism linked to the fire risk assessment can show that they are
detection and warning system ensures appropriate. Such devices are unlikely to be
that the door closes on the operation of suitable for use on doors protecting single
the system. stairways or other critical means of escape.
In all cases where a door hold open device
Note: Free swing devices may not be is used it should be possible to close the
suitable in some situations, such as door manually.
corridors, where draughts are a problem
and the doors are likely to swing A site specific risk assessment should be
uncontrolled, causing possible difficulty undertaken before any type of automatic
or injury to certain people e.g. those with door hold open/release device is installed.
certain disabilities, the elderly and frail, or If you are unsure about the suitability of
young children. such devices in your premises, you should
seek the advice of a competent person.
Automatic door hold open/release devices
fitted to doors protecting escape routes Further guidance about automatic door
should only be installed in conjunction with hold open/release devices is given in
an automatic fire detection and warning BS EN 115580, BS 5839-381 and
system incorporating smoke detectors, that BS 7273-482.
is designed to protect the escape routes in
the building (see Part 2, Section 2). Door co-ordinators

In all cases the automatic device should Where pairs of doors with rebated meeting
release the fire-resisting door allowing it to stiles are installed it is critical that the
close effectively within its frame when any correct closing order is maintained. Door
of the following conditions occur: coordinators to BS EN 115883 should be
fitted and fully operational in all cases
• the detection of smoke by an automatic where the doors are self-closing.
detector;
Installation and workmanship
• the actuation of the fire detection and
alarm system by manual means e.g. The reliability and performance of correctly
operation of break glass call point; specified fire-resisting doors can be
undermined by inadequate installation. It is

152
important that installers with the necessary However, it is accepted that in many cases
level of skill and knowledge are used. the need for security will require some form
Accreditation schemes for installers of fire- of device that prevents unlimited access,
resisting doors are available. but still enables the occupants of a building
or area to open the door easily if there is
Fire-resisting doors and shutters will a fire. These devices can take many forms
require routine maintenance, particularly but, in the majority of cases, premises
to power operation and release and closing where there are members of the public
mechanisms. present or others who are not familiar
with the building should use panic exit bar
Further information is available on fire- devices (i.e. push bars or touch bars). See
resisting doors in BS 821484. If you are BS EN 112577 for further information.
unsure about the quality, the effectiveness
or the fitting of your fire-resisting doors Premises that have limited numbers of
consult a fire safety expert. staff or others who are familiar with the
building and where panic is not likely may
For further guidance on the selection and use alternative devices (i.e. push pads or
maintenance of door furniture suitable for lever handles). See BS EN 17976 for further
use on timber fire resisting and escape information.
doors refer to the Door and Hardware
Federation (DHF)/Guild of Architectural In some larger premises, when only certain
Ironmongers (GAI) Code of Practice85. staff are on the premises and there is a
security issue, it may be acceptable to
restrict the number of emergency exits
B3 Door-fastening devices immediately available, e.g. when only
security staff are present at night in large
The relationship between the securing premises, or prior to opening the premises
of doors against unwanted entry and the to the public in the morning. Staff should
ability to escape through them easily in an be made fully aware of any restrictions
emergency has often proved problematic. and the number of exits not immediately
Careful planning and the use of quality available should be limited.
materials remain the most effective means
of satisfying both of these objectives. Electrical locking devices

Any device that impedes people making Electrically operated entry control devices
good their escape, either by being have been developed for use as locking
unnecessarily complicated to manipulate devices on fire exits. They fall into two
or not being easily opened, will not be main categories, electromechanical and
acceptable. electromagnetic.

Guidance on fire exits starts from the • Electromechanical devices

position that doors on escape routes
should not be fitted with any locking Electromechanical devices comprise
devices (electrically operated or otherwise). electromechanical lock keeps and
draw bolts, which can be controlled by

153
 people inside the premises by entering Time-delay devices on escape routes
a code or by using ‘smart cards’, which
have been adapted to control the exit A further development is the fitting of
from certain areas. These devices have a time-delay system to the electronic
been fitted in many premises and may door-locking device. This delays the
be linked to the fire-detection and/or actual opening of an exit door for a
warning system. Experience has shown variable period following operation of the
that these devices can fail to open in a panic bar or other exit device. Periods
number of ways. They are dependent of between five and 60 seconds can
on a spring mechanism to return the be pre-set at the manufacturing stage
lock keep or draw bolt(s) and are liable or can be adjusted when fitted. These
to jam when pressure is applied to the are not usually acceptable for use by
door. It is also relatively easy to fit them members of the public. However, they
incorrectly. Electromechanical locking may be acceptable for use by staff who
devices are normally unacceptable on are familiar with their operation and are
escape doors, unless they are fitted suitably trained in their use.
with a manual means of overriding the
locking mechanism, such as a push Management of electronic door-control
bar, push pad or lever handle or they devices including time delays
do not rely on a spring mechanism,
fail-safe open and are not affected by The use of such devices may be accepted
pressure, in which case the criteria by enforcing authorities if the appropriate
for electromagnetic devices should be person can demonstrate, through a
applied. suitable risk assessment for each
individual door, both the need and the
• Electromagnetic devices adequate management controls to ensure
that people can escape safely from the
These devices comprise a magnet and premises. In particular:
a simple fixed retaining plate with no
moving parts and are therefore generally • Access control should not be confused
considered to be more reliable due with exit control. Many devices are
to their inherent ‘fail-safe unlocked’ available which control the access to
operation. Electromagnetic locking the premises but retain the immediate
devices go some way to addressing escape facility from the premises.
the particular concerns surrounding
electromechanical locking systems. • In public areas, when push bars are
The release of this type of device operated on escape doors, they should
is controlled by the interruption of release the electromagnetic locks
electrical current to an electromagnet immediately and allow the exit doors to
either manually via a switch or other open.
means, break-glass point (typically
coloured green), or by linking to the fire- • The requirement for exit control should
warning and/or detection system of the be carefully assessed and should
premises. not be seen as a substitute for good

154
 management of the employees and The use of exit control devices should not
occupants. be considered where the number of trained
staff is low or where members of the public
• All other alternatives should have been would be expected to operate the device
explored/evaluated prior to using these without help.
devices to ensure they do not affect the
safety of occupants. In premises where there may be large
numbers of people, the devices should
• The device should be connected to the only be considered when linked to a
fire warning and/or detection system. comprehensive automatic fire-detection
and warning system in accordance with
• The device should incorporate a BS 5839-142. There should be an additional
bypass circuit for immediate release means of manually overriding the locking
on activation of the fire warning and/or device at each such exit (typically a green
detection system. break-glass point).

• Each door should be fitted with a single The use of time-delay systems that prevent
securing device. the opening of emergency exits for a pre-set
time are primarily used to improve security.
• The emergency exit doors should be These add a further layer of complexity
clearly labelled about how to operate to the fire strategy and should not be
them. considered in public areas. They should
only be used in non-public areas when all
• Adequate control measures should be other options such as relocating valuable
put in place to ensure the safety of the stock or exterior boundary management
occupants. have been addressed. Their value in
preventing theft is likely to be transient as
The use of electronic door-locking devices the use of the manual override becomes
should be considered with particular care more widely known.
in premises with a number of different
occupancies. The management of a British Standard 822086 gives further
complicated system of evacuation for advice on security in buildings and while
many different groups is unlikely to be this standard does refer to electronic
practicable. locking devices, it also acknowledges that
the balance must remain on the side of
The technical standards in respect of emergency escape rather than security.
sourcing, maintaining and testing must be
extremely high.

When part of the management control

system involves trained personnel helping
others at these doors, it is vital to ensure
these people are available.

155
 Appendix C
Historic buildings
General considerations • considering the installation of specialist
fire-detection or suppression systems.
This appendix offers additional information
about listed and historical buildings. Should the design and nature of the
historic building preclude the introduction
Fire risk assessments conducted for a of conventional fire safety features, it will
factory or warehouse which is within a be necessary to manage the building in
listed or historic building will need to such a way that:
endeavour to strike a balance between
ensuring sufficient fire safety measures • limits the number of occupants, either
are in place for the safety of people, yet staff or members of the public, inside
avoid extensive alterations and helping to the building;
maintain the character of the building.
• limits activities in the building; and
As well as the fire risk assessment it is
recommended that a general fire policy • provides adequate supervision within
statement and manual is compiled. the building.
A person must be nominated to take
responsibility for all aspects of fire safety. Liaison with the Fire and Rescue Service
Usually the person charged with the
management and control of the premises The appropriate person will need to
will be the ‘appropriate person’ under the ensure effective liaison with the Fire and
Order1. Rescue Service to enable them to carry out
firefighting operations. These may include
The advice and/or consent of your District information on:
Council Building Control or any other
relevant bodies (e.g. Northern Ireland • the provision of water supplies, seasonal
Environment Agency) should form part ponds, lakes and underground tanks,
of any fire risk assessment that impacts and any associated pumps;
on the character of the building (e.g.
replacement of doors, fittings, wooden • difficult access for fire engines;
panelling and decor) or material changes to
existing escape routes. An ideal solution is • particular hazards in the construction
one that is reversible, enabling the historic features of the building (including
elements to be reinstated. asbestos);

A fire safety adviser will be able to • the use of combustible under floor
suggest alternatives to conventional fire insulation;
precautions, such as:
• underground vaults ducts and voids
• a fire engineering solution; where fire may spread unchecked;

• upgrading existing doors and partitions • worn stone slabs in stairway

in a sympathetic manner to improve construction; and
their fire resistance; and

156
• the presence of cast iron columns and • Fire Protection Measures in Scottish
wrought iron beams. Historic Buildings: Advice on Measures
Required to Minimise the Likelihood
Emergency planning of Fire Starting and to Alleviate the
Destructive Consequences of Fire in
An important consideration for the owners Historic Buildings (Technical Advice
and trustees is the protection of valuable Note No 11), TCRE Division/Scottish
artefacts and paintings from the effects of Conservation Bureau, Hist. 1997, ISBN 1
fire. However, the efficient evacuation of 900168 41 3
all occupants must take precedence over
procedures for limiting damage to property • Fire Risk Management in Heritage
and contents. Salvage work should be Buildings (Historic ScotlandTechnical
limited to those parts of the building not Advice Note No22), TCRE Division/
directly affected by the fire. Scottish Conservation Bureau, Hist.
2001, ISBN 1900168715
Fire wardens and others tasked with
carrying out salvage work should have • Timber panelled doors and fire.
received formal training, adequate Published by English Heritage 1997.
protection and be fully briefed about the
health and safety risk assessment carried • Fire safety in historic town centres,
out to identify the dangers associated with English Heritage and Cheshire Fire and
this activity. Further detailed advice on fire Rescue Service
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 0 902167 7901

• The Installation of Sprinkler Systems

in Historic Buildings (Historic Scotland
Technical Advice Note 14), Fire
Protection Association (TCRE Division/
Scottish Conservation Bureau, Hist.)
1998, ISBN 1900168634

157
 Appendix D
Glossary
These definitions are provided to assist the
appropriate 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 stairway, 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.
Appropriate person The person with duties as defined in Articles 25 & 26 of
the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order
20061.
As low as reasonably Is a concept where risks should continue to be reduced
practicable 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 A means of automatically detecting the products of a fire
system 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 separate
means of escape.
Child A person who has not attained the age of 16.
Class 0, 1 or 3 surface Classes of surface spread of flame for materials needed to
spread line the walls and ceilings of escape routes. See Appendix
B for further information.
Combustible material A substance that can be burned.

158
Term Definition
Compartment wall and/or A fire-resisting wall or floor that separates one fire
floor 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.
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 (Northern Ireland)
200312.
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 Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service or any other
authority specified in the Fire and Rescue Services
(Northern Ireland) Order 20061.
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.

159
Term Definition
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.
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 of relevant standards. (Generally
described as 30 minutes fire-resisting or 60 minutes fire-
resisting.) See BS EN 1363-187, BS 476-765 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 ‘appropriate 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.
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.
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.
Hazardous substance See Dangerous substance.
A substance subject to the Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland)
200388, as amended 200589.

160
Term Definition
High risk area Places of special fire hazard – oil-filled transformer and
switchgear rooms, boiler rooms, storage space for fuel or
other highly flammable substances and rooms housing a
fixed internal combustion engine. Additionally in schools
– laboratories, technology rooms with open heat sources,
kitchens and stores for PE mats or chemicals
Highly flammable Generally liquids with a flashpoint of below 21°C.
The Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for
Supply) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 200990 give more
detailed guidance.
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.
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 premises, 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 route An escape route which is adequately protected from the
rest of the building by fire-resisting construction.

161
Term Definition
Protected stairway A stairway 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
and 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.
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 occurring 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.
Staged fire alarms A fire warning which can be given in two or more stages for
different purposes within a given area (e.g. notifying staff,
stand 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.
Technical Booklet E10 Guidance issued by Government in support of the fire
safety aspects of the building regulations.
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.

162
Term Definition
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 Order1 and Regulations2 require 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 Any person who has not attained the age of 18.

163
 References
The following documents are referenced in this guide.

1 The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, SI 2006 No 1254 (N.I. 9).
The Stationery Office. ISBN 0110800370.
2 The Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, SR 2010 No 325. The Stationery
Office. ISBN 9780337982187
3 Fire Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1984, No 1821 (N.I. 11). The Stationery Office.
ISBN 9780110478210.
4 The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001, SR 2001
No 348. The Stationery Office. ISBN 9780337940491.
5 Management of Health and Safety at Work and Fire Precautions (Workplace)
(Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003, SR 2003 No 454. The Stationery
Office. ISBN 9780337952609.
6 The Licensing (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, SI 1996 No 3158 (N.I. 22). The Stationery
Office ISBN 9780110634760.
7 The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 1985,
No 1208 (N.I. 15).
8 The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000: Technical Booklet E – Fire Safety
2005. www.dfpni.gov.uk.
9 Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996,
SR 1996 No 119. The Stationery Office, 1996. ISBN 9780337920790
10 Safety signs and signals. The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Guidance on
regulations, L64 (second edition) 2009. HSE Books. ISBN 978071766359.
11 BS 9999. Code of practice for fire safety in the design management and use of
buildings. British Standards Institution. ISBN 9780580579202.
12 The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (Northern Ireland)
2003, SR 2003 No 152. www.opsi.gov.uk
13 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.
14 The storage of flammable liquids in containers, HSG 51. Health and Safety Executive.
15 Storage of full and empty LPG cylinders and cartridges. Code of Practice 7, UKLPG,
2004. Available from www.uklpg.org.
16 Safe handling of combustible dusts: Precautions against explosions. HSG103 HSE
Books. ISBN 9780717627264.
17 The Explosives Act 1875 (C17). www.opsi.gov.uk
18 The Explosives Act (Northern Ireland) 1970 (C10). www.statutelaw.gov.uk
19 Manufacture and storage of Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006,
SR 2006 No 425. www.opsi.gov.uk
20 Manufacture and Storage of Explosives (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland)
2009, SR 2009 No 248. www.opsi.gov.uk
21 The Carriage of Explosives Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, SR 2010 No 59.
www.opsi.gov.uk
22 Storing and selling fireworks safely, INDG407. Health and Safety Executive.

164
23 Guide to the safe warehousing of aerosols. British Aerosol Manufacturers Association
24 Maintaining portable electrical equipment in offices and other low-risk environments,
INDG236. HSE Books, 1996. ISBN 0717612724.
25 The Electricity at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1991, SR 1991 No 13.
26 Offshore Noise and Electricity Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998, SR 1998 No 47.
27 Health and Safety (Modifications) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999, SR 1999
No 150
28 The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, SI 1994/3260.
29 The Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, SI 2006 No 2957 (NI 20).
30 The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007,
SR 2007 No 291. The Stationery Office. ISBN 9780337970474.
31 Managing Health & Safety in Construction – Approved Code of Practice – The
Construction (Design & Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007
ISBN 9780717662234
32 Fire prevention on construction sites: The joint code of practice on the protection from
fire of construction sites and buildings undergoing renovation (seventh edition). Fire
Protection Association 2009.
33 BS 7176: Specification for resistance to ignition of upholstered furniture for non-
domestic seating by testing composites. British Standards Insitution.
34 The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, SI 1988 No 1324.
35 The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 1993,
SI 1993 No 207.
36 Design, construction, specification and fire management of insulated envelopes for
temperature controlled environments. International Association for Cold Storage
Construction.
37 Guide E: Fire engineering. Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, 2003.
38 Design methodologies for smoke and heat exhaust ventilation, Report 368. Building
Research Establishment, 1999.
39 Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (c 50), The Stationery Office, 1995. ISBN
9780105450955.
40 Disability Discrimination (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, SI 2006 No 312 (NI 1). The
Stationery Office. ISBN 9780110800202.
41 BS 8300: Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled
people. Code of practice. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 57419 1.
42 BS 5839-1: Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for
system design, installation, commissioning and maintenance. British Standards
Institution. ISBN 9780580604386.
43 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.
44 Manual Handling Operations Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992, SR 1992 No 535.
The Stationery Office. ISBN 9780337904356.
45 BS EN 3-7: Portable fire extinguishers. Characteristics, performance requirements and
test methods.British Standards Institution.

165
46 BS 5306-3: Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises.
Commissioning and maintenance of portable fire extinguishers. Code of Practice.
British Standards Institution. ISBN 0580572616.
47 BS 7863: Recommendations for colour coding to indicate the extinguishing media
contained in portable fire extinguishers. British Standards Institution.
ISBN 9780580634796.
48 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 9780580564185.
49 LPC rules for automatic sprinkler installations 2009, incorporating BS EN 12845. The
Fire Protection Association.
50 BS EN 12845: Fixed firefighting systems. Automatic sprinkler systems. Design,
installation and maintenance. British Standards Institution. ISBN 9780580687334.
51 BS 5306-2: Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Specification
for sprinkler systems. British Standards Institution.
52 Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1993,
SR 1993 No 37. The Stationery Office. ISBN 97803379053077.
53 BS 5306-1: Code of practice for fire extinguishing installations and equipment on
premises. Hose reels and foam inlets. British Standards Institution.
54 BS 7671: Requirements for electrical installations. IEE Wiring Regulations. Seventeenth
Edition. British Standards Institution.
55 The Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000: Technical Booklet R – Access to and
use of buildings, 2006. www.dfpni.gov.uk
56 BS 5395-2: Stairs, ladders and walkways. Code of practice for the design of helical and
spiral stairs. British Standards Institution. ISBN 9780580675607.
57 BS 5266-1: Emergency lighting. Code of practice for the emergency lighting of
premises. British Standards Institution.
58 BS 5266-8: Emergency escape lighting systems. British Standards Institution.
59 BS 5499-4: Safety signs, including fire safety signs. Code of practice for escape route
signing. British Standards Institution.
60 BS 5499-5: Graphical symbols and signs. Safety signs, including fire safety signs. Signs
with specific safety meanings.British Standards Institution.
61 BS 5266-6: Emergency lighting. Code of practice for non-electrical low mounted way
guidance systems for emergency use. Photoluminescent systems. British Standards
Institution.
62 BS 7974: Application of fire safety engineering principles to the design of buildings.
Code of practice British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 38447 0.
63 Successful health and safety management, HSG65 (second edition). HSE Books, 1997.
ISBN 0 7176 1276 7.
64 A guide to best practice in the specification and use of fire-resistant glazed systems.
Glass and Glazing Federation 2009
65 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.

166
66 BS EN 13501-1: Fire classification of construction products and building elements.
Classification using test data from reaction to fire tests. British Standards Institution.
67 Guidelines for the construction of fire resisting structural elements, BR 128 Building
Research Establishment, 1988.
68 Increasing the fire resistance of existing timber doors, Information Paper 8/82. BRE.
69 Fire resisting doorsets by upgrading. Wood Information Sheet 1-3 2. Timber Research
and Development Association.
70 BS 4787-1: Internal and external wood doorsets, door leaves and frames. Specification
for dimensional requirements. British Standards Institution.
71 BS EN 1634-1: Fire resistance tests for door and shutter assemblies Fire doors and
shutters. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 32429 X.
72 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.
73 BS EN 1935: Building hardware. Single-axis hinges. Requirements and test methods.
British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 39272 4.
74 BS EN 1154: Building hardware. Controlled door closing devices. Requirements and
test methods. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 27476 4.
75 BS EN 12209: Building hardware. Locks and latches. Mechanically operated locks,
latches and locking plate.British Standards Institution.
76 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.
77 BS EN 1125: Building hardware. Panic exit devices operated by a horizontal bar.
Requirements and test methods. British Standards Institution.
78 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.
79 BS EN 1906: Building hardware. Lever handles and knob furniture. Requirements and
test methods. British Standards Institution.
80 BS EN 1155: Building hardware. Electrically powered hold-open devices for swing
doors. Requirements and test methods. British Standards Institution.
81 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.
82 BS 7273-4: Code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures. Actuation of
release mechanisms for doors. British Standards Institution. ISBN 9780580503030.
83 BS EN 1158: Building hardware. Door coordinator devices. Requirements and test
methods. British Standards Institution.
84 BS 8214: Code of practice for fire door assemblies with non-metallic leaves. British
Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 18871 6.
85 Hardware for timber fire and escape doors. Door and Hardware Federation (DHF) /
Guild of Architectural ironmongers (GAI) Code of Practice

167
86 BS 8220-1: Guide for security of buildings against crime. Dwellings. British Standards
Institution. ISBN 0 580 33145 8.
BS 8220-2: Guide for security of buildings against crime. Offices and shops. British
Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 23692 7.
BS 8220-3: Guide for security of buildings against crime. Storage, industrial and
distribution premises. British Standards Institution. ISBN 0 580 43509 1.
87 BS EN 1363-1: Fire resistance tests. General requirements. British Standards
Institution. ISBN 0 580 32419 2.
88 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003,
SR 2003 No 34
89 The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (Amendment) Regulations (Northern
Ireland) 2005, SR 2005 No 165
90 Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations (Northern
Ireland) 2009, SR 2009 No 238.

168
 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 DHSSPS.

Document Number Title

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 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.
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 firefighting 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.

169
 Document Number Title
BS EN 15004-1 Fixed firefighting systems. Gas extinguishing systems. Design,
installation and maintenance. British Standards Institution.
BS 5266-2 Emergency lighting. Code of practice for electrical low mounted
way guidance systems for emergency use. British Standards
Institution.
BS EN 60598-1 Luminaires. General requirements and tests.
British Standards Institution.
BS 5499-1 Graphical symbols and signs. Safety signs, including fire safety
signs. Specification for geometric shapes, colours and layout.
British Standards Institution.
BS EN 1634-3 Fire resistance and smoke control tests for door and shutter
assemblies, openable windows and elements of building
hardware. Smoke control test for door and shutter assemblies.
British Standards Institution.
BS EN 14637 Building hardware. Electrically controlled hold-open systems
for fire/smoke door assemblies. Requirements, test methods,
application and maintenance. British Standards Institution.
BS EN 45020 Standardisation and related activities. General vocabulary.
British Standards Institution.
BS EN 1995-1-2 Eurocode 5. Design of timber structures. General structural fire
design. British Standards Institution.
BS 9999 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use
of buildings.

Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply) Regulations (Northern Ireland)
2009, SR 2009 No 238. The Stationery Office, 2009. ISBN 9780337978081

Supporting guides: The idiot’s guide to CHIP 3: Chemicals (Hazard Information and
Packaging for Supply) Regulations 2002, INDG350. HSE Books, 2002. CHIP for everyone,
HSG228. HSE Books, 2002. ISBN 0 7176 2370 X.

Ensuring best practice for passive fire protection in buildings. Association for Specialist Fire
Protection. 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.

170
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.

Safe use of handling of flammable liquids, HSG140. HSE Books, 1996. ISBN
9780717609673.

Chemical warehousing: The storage of packaged dangerous substances, HSG71. HSE

Books, 2009. ISBN 9780717662371.

Guidance on the assessment of fire risk. .Food Storage and Distribution Federation.

BDM3 Fire protection of buildings - Warehouses and storage buildings 1 - Design principles.
The Fire Protection Association, 2008

Fire risk minimisation guidance. Code of Practice for the Food Industry , 2007.

171
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173
174
This guide is for employers, managers, occupiers and owners of factories and warehouses. 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 Offices and retail premises (including individual units within larger premises, e.g. shopping centres).

ISBN: 978 0 33709 718 8

Factories and warehouses Factories and warehouse storage premises.

ISBN: 978 0 33709 723 2

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 and the common areas of flats, maisonettes,
ISBN: 978 0 33709 717 1 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 Residential care and nursing homes, common areas of sheltered housing (where care is provided) and similar
premises, which are permanently staffed and where the primary use is the provision of care rather than
ISBN: 978 0 33709 724 9 healthcare (see Healthcare premises).

Educational premises Teaching establishments ranging from pre-school through to universities, except the residential parts (see
Sleeping accommodation).
ISBN: 978 0 33709 725 6

Small and medium places of assembly Smaller public houses, clubs, restaurants and cafés, village halls, community centres, libraries, marquees,
churches and other places of worship or study accommodating up to 300 people.
ISBN: 978 0 33709 722 5

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 centres, sports stadia, marquees, museums, libraries,
ISBN: 978 0 33709 726 3 churches, cathedrals and other places of worship or study.

Theatres, cinemas and similar premises Theatres, cinemas, concert halls and similar premises used primarily for this purpose.

ISBN: 978 0 33709 720 1

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 0 33709 721 8

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 0 33709 719 5

Transport premises and facilities Transportation terminals and interchanges, e.g. airports, railway stations, transport tunnels, ports, bus and
coach stations and similar premises but excluding the means of transport (e.g. trains, buses, planes and
ISBN: 978 0 33709 727 0 ships).

Animal premises and stables Agricutural premises, stables, livery yards and stables within zoos, large animal sanctuaries or farm parks.

ISBN: 978 0 33709 728 7

Supplementary Guides

Fire Safety Law – The evacuation of This guide is a supplement to be read alongside other guides in this series. It provides additional information
disabled people from buildings on accessibility and means of escape.

ISBN: 978 0 33709 716 4

Fire Safety Law – Are you aware of your This guide provides an overview to the changes to fire safety law.
responsibilities?

ISBN: 978 0 33709 715 7