Fire Safety in blocks of flats | Fight fire with fire safety

When considering what fire safety measures are needed in a purpose-built block of flats, or a renovated new purpose block, it is essential to be sure you are fulfilling all fire safety requirements required by law and to preserve life safety within the building.

Each building should have a fire prevention design as individual as the build itself and while it is not possible to advise specifically through this medium, this blog will attempt to give an overview of some of the potential fire safety measures which may help make a building fire safe.

Escape Routes

Adequate illumination of escape routes is particularly important when you consider how disorientating smoke and fire in building can be. Additional light that is triggered by a fire protection system to help highlight the exit route is essential in the majority of purpose built blocks of flats. Emergency escape lighting is not always required in two-storey blocks, if sufficient natural light and/or street lighting can be proven to be sufficient.

In cases where the fire escape route is different from the normal point of exit of the building, illuminated fire exit signs are also a requirement. Unfamiliar surroundings can cause problems during evacuation even for those familiar with the building when the fire exit route is not one that is routinely travelled. In buildings where there is only a single stairway, illuminated signs are not normally a necessity.

Fire fighting equipment

It would not be usual to provide fire fighting equipment, like fire extinguishers, in communal areas of blocks of flats. The addition of such equipment in plant rooms or if there are staffed areas is usual, however. It is generally considered impractical and undesirable to have fire extinguishers provided in common areas for resident use as this may interfere with the evacuation process and have an implication for life safety.

Fire blankets and fire extinguishers may be owned by individual flat occupiers and this should not be discouraged. Appropriate fire safety action taken on the part of a resident to subdue and extinguish a small domestic fire can avert a full-scale disaster on the premises. While it may not be appropriate to provide fire fighting equipment for residents, encouraging them to take responsibility for fire safety within their own units, through the provision of information, can help to educate and keep safe the building occupiers and the building itself.

Facilities for fire fighters

It is usual in high-rise developments for facilities to be installed to aid the fire service in a situation where fire develops. These may include suitably protected lobbies and staircases, to allow access to higher levels within the building while ensuring fire fighter safety. Specially designed lifts can also be installed which will operate even when a domestic service elevator would have stopped working for the purposes of safe evacuation. Additional fire mains are often installed to ensure there is access to water at higher levels of the building.

If you would be interested in knowing more about appropriate fire safety measures in blocks of flats, would like to know more about how the CFSM platform can help you meet all necessary fire legislation or would like a fire engineer to visit, 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.