It depends on what you mean by competent, this is described in the Fire Safety Order as a person with suitable experience and/or qualifications and training to perform the task. You would need to...

Hi M,

The flat front door would need to be a 30min fire door, with a self closing device and intumescent strips and cold smoke seals (FD30s) door.

A commissioning cert is normally issued when a new system is installed or added to and is issued once. The FA and EL systems should be maintained every 6 months by a competent qualified engineer...

Hi there,

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advocates a proportionate, risk-based approach to the maintenance of portable electrical appliances within the workplace. This guidance is simple...

The removal of the kitchen door will really depend on the internal layout of the flat. If there is a fire in the kitchen would this allow fire, smoke and toxic fumes to fill the corridor preventing...

I am sure most on the forum will be aware of the Lakanal House and Shirley Towers fatal fires. These tragic and very sad incidents have had a major impact on housing providers and social landlords...

Hi there I assume you are meaning a fire alarm system in the common areas of flats or HMO? The company installing the alarm should be able to commission the system and issue you with a commissioning...

In domestic type property smoke alarms should be tested every month and the battery changed every year if not the 10 year battery type.

In a B&B where a fire alarm is fitted (i.e. with call...

1. In flats, no
2. Single domestic house, no
3. Debatable, LACORS would say a dry powder and fire blanket in the kitchen but the general principle in domestic type premises has always been "get...

Yes that would be fine in my view, just consider the comments about smoke detection in the common stair as this may cause confusion.

Hi Anne,

A few questions and observations and then hopefully the answer for you!

If the flats are purpose built and the doors to each of the flats are fitted with good, sound fire doors then...

Blocks of purpose built flats may be argued differently if the compartmentation is suitable for a stay put policy where only the occupant whose flat is on fire need evacuate. It could be said...

This would seem like a reasonable approach to the LA to me.

The concept of doors being “readily available without the use of a key” really comes from the likely human behaviour of people in fire situations. In real fire situations people panic and haven’t...

Generally keys in boxes are not accepted on final exits doors as keys can be miss placed and locks altered and the key when required no longer fits the lock. This would obviously cause a delay in...

I think you must mean a home fire risk assessment as the fire service can't conduct a FRA for you and also enforce the legislation, however they can give advice.

You can conduct one yourself if you consider that you are competent or employ an assessor to do one for you.

It wouldn't be a requirement as LACoRS is not the Law. Also as I understand the body LACoRS no longer exist? So I'm not sure now the value of the guidance within LACoRS?

As long as they can get to the door and open it easily and quickly and whatever you put in place is robust that should be fine. If you provide a hook for a key, the occupants can still misplace the...

This would depend on where the stairs are in the house. Could a fire on the ground floor cut off the escape for occupants that would prevent them from getting to the front door? If so they could...

1. The new mixed system is new work and therefore should conform to current guidance which would be to link the 2 detectors in the flat (smoke detector in the hall, heat in kitchen)

2. I would go...

I take your points, but if we applied the fire safety guidance to this situation as a HMO then we would end up with a dry powder extinguisher on each floor, a mixed fire system, fire exit signs,...

Don’t get too bogged down with the 1991 building regs date (came in to force 1992). The LACoRS guide uses this date for any conversion before 1992 to define as a HMO. If we look back further to the...

Ok, long question with lots of detail and to be honest much easier to answer over the phone, but I get told off for not providing some detail on the forum for the benefit of everyone, so here goes!
...

Yes, as stated above the Fire Safety Order applies to the common areas. Quite unusual to have a Notice served on flats though and I would be interested to know the details. Do you know the exact...