How many fire exits needed - Ground floor office

[Reddwarf]

i think messy raised a valid point about the need for 60 minutes fire separation between the two offices. My only thought was that if it was all occupied by the same company then the door separating the two areas wouldn't be an issue. now that it is to be occupied by to separate companies then the door becomes an issue which does seem slightly odd as it wasn't an issue before.

But as a FRA looks at life protection rather than property protection i would look to ensure that everyone can escape from the building as the primary concern. who knows it might return to being totally occupied by one company in the future.

i did come across a very old row of terrace building used for commercial premises where the buildings had a very small interconnecting door between the units (on the 1st floor)to be used as an emergency escape route through each others premises. how you would know they hadn't locked or blocked the door on the other side is beyond me though so i don't think it could ever be considered an escape route by todays standard, but interesting to see hoe they approached they issue some 100 years ago.

Red

[hammer1]

Don't forget BS9999 which is a good tool. However given the info provided best just stick to the Government guidance of offices and shops (as it is free and easy to follow) in regards to the info it provides and how many exits, travel distances is required .

[Messy]

i did come across a very old row of terrace building used for commercial premises where the buildings had a very small interconnecting door between the units (on the 1st floor)to be used as an emergency escape route through each others premises. how you would know they hadn't locked or blocked the door on the other side is beyond me though so i don't think it could ever be considered an escape route by todays standard, but interesting to see hoe they approached they issue some 100 years ago.

Red

There are scores in London, if not hundreds across the UK of such MOEs through neighbour's properties. Some are protected by legal agreements, whilst others's via archaic gentleman's agreements. It's a legal minefield. Most are escape over roof level to the neighbours premises, leading to security issue (roof top doors left unlocked and accessible)

My favourite was a five storey single staircase 'hotel'- OK, more a hostel for vagrants now. The hotel's 5th floor was protected by a cross staircase fire door (to delay fire spread upwards) and an alternative MOE route was by a ropey steel balcony at the rear leading to next door (Separate resi flats). The hotel's fire alarm released a mag locked sash window (set inside a hinged frame) to allow access through a flat's private bathroom. The hotel's fire alrm also sounded a buzzer in the bathroom to warn any occupant to cover up as she was about to be joined by half a dozen vagrants

The flat's tenant was surprising cool about the arrangement despite the fact that any vagrant could access her flat from the hotel at any time. Weird!

[HCSafety]

Now that takes the biscuuit for the weirdest MoE I have heard about in some time Messy!

[johnbone]

Hi,
Any sub-division of a buidling into "units" as oppsed to "hot desk" sharing, does require a Building Regulations application.
In order to ensure that the means-of-escape is safe for all units.

John Bone (ex-building control surveyor)