fire escape route

[hammer1]

I have a scenerio for you.

A building site is going to be erected, blocking a fire escape route for staff who use an area in the basement for storage. The alternative exit route is down a corridor that is nearly 90m before you enter a place of safety.
Obviously this is much higher than the recommended 25m for a low risk area {occupants are small and familiar with the premises, no combustibles in corridor and all doors leading onto corridor are fire doors, there is good visual awareness}.

Would you have a temporary fire exit route through the hoarding and through the building site as the building site would be a safe place of work [relevent SSW in place, good communication}. The contractors will keep the route clear of obstructions at all times. Relevent PPE would be available for staff to use to access the building site.

Or would you feel the risk of slip,trip etc would be to great and instead have a permit to work for the store area and isolate any hot works that might be requested during the building works period.Making the area 'sterile'.

Your thoughts please

[Frankie C]

Hammer,
Ask yourself the question: Which is more dangerous, a slip, trip or fall or being trapped in a basement area where the means of escape exceeds the accepted distance?
Personally I would go for the temporary escape route onto the building site but insist on it being checked daily to see that the rouite is clear.
Frankie C

[redjolley]

Hammer,

If what you describe is correct, the means of escape is already comparative safety, protected escape route.

If this is short term and is well managed and you control entry to the area and reduce remove all potential ignition sources. I would lend my self to going with escape in one detection. It is imperative that this escape route has fire doors in place (serviceable) free and accessible at all times and is protected with automatic fire detection.

The trouble with a building site is that to manage it (if it is not in your full control) would be extremely difficult. Remember that to provide a suitable escape from fire it should be free and accessible at all times, lead directly to a place of safety, well illuminated and suitably signed. If this cannot be achieved via the building site you are increasing the risk.

Think of a high rise office in London. There can have escape routes (travel distances) above and beyond the minimum recommendations. But they create comparative safety (protected routes) with the above mentioned.

Please note that this is my thoughts without actually seeing the building / area concerned. You must conduct a full fire risk assessment of the area including a fire evacuation drill and then base you recommendations on these results.

Hope this helps.

Redjolley

[hammer1]

Thanks for your thoughts.


Just started the FRA process today and I am leaning towards what redjolly has advised. Having put recomendations of controlling the area concerned and removing all sources of ignition.
We have had previous struggles with contractors in the past {more sub contractors really } .
But have also advised if these recomendations cannot be put in place then we will have to request a meeting with the contractors controlling the building site.

Its always good to get others point of view on situations

[Ashanti]

I would go along with Red's single means of escape with the precautions he lists rather than trying to police a building site unless you have somebody who can be standing their full time