Fire safety in blocks of flats | Design of escape routes

In last week’s blog about fire safety, we looked at the fire risk for blocks of flats and compared it to that of individual dwellings. Although it was established that high rise did not have to mean high risk, it points strongly towards the way construction of flats was approached.

In this blog, we will concentrate on how escape route design principles should guide the construction of the block and how this can limit and control the overall design of the building.

Front doors to flats

Front doors to individual flats must be fire resistant and self-closing. A closed and fire resistant flat door will help to keep fire from spreading into the common areas and will also help prevent smoke escape into the corridor.

Corridors and stairways

Each area of fire resistance within the common areas must be constructed so as to allow the safe egress of residents to the next area. It is therefore essential that corridors leading to stairways are built so as to enclose fire-resisting construction and that adequate ventilation is provided.
Stairways equally require fire- resistant construction enclosure and need to be separated from common areas by fire resisting and self-closing doors. External stairways require separation from the main building by fire resistant walls and doors.

Stairways must be kept clear of smoke and this can be achieved through openable vents (OV) or automatic openable vents (AOV), openable windows or in the case of staircases within an enclosed shaft, mechanical smoke ventilation. Where there is a single staircase provision for entry and exit, additional protection is required which might comprise permanent openings or automatic opening vents for smoke ventilation.

Open decks, balconies and communal areas

Open decks and balconies must be limited in scope, with the distance of any ‘dead end’ routes monitored and restricted as appropriate. In cases where there is only one route of exit, fire-resistant construction should enclose the area.

Any rooms, areas or risers within the building that open onto escape corridors and stairways must be fitted with fire resistant doors which are self closing or otherwise kept closed.

Building purpose

Most blocks of flats are constructed for general purpose, which might comprise a cross-section of the population including the able-bodied, those with disabilities and the elderly, and so it should be noted that fire safety provision must be made to encompass all elements of society. Although building regulations do not stipulate that additional precautions be taken to account for those who may not be able to evacuate so quickly, it is not considered acceptable to restrict occupancy of the flats on the basis of disability or age and so provision should be made for a diverse range of residents.

On those occasions where blocks are built to service the needs of a particular section of society – a common example is that of sheltered housing for the elderly – the fire safety provision will take into account reduced mobility, hearing etc.

Needless to say, it is often impractical to attempt to retrospectively add effective fire safety provision for those with special evacuation needs.

Next week’s blog will look more closely at compartmentation used within blocks of flats. If you have any queries about this week’s blog or wish to receive advice on your own project, please contact Peter Gyere on 0208 668 8663.

The Complete Fire Safety Management Platform is the only fully comprehensive online fire risk assessment and fire risk management platform. Our aim, at CFSM, is to make the process of becoming fire safe, straightforward and, to use our expertise in fire risk assessment and fire safety management to guide you through each step, resulting in your premises meeting all legal, insurance and ethical fire safety considerations.