Protecting buildings and those in them from fire and smoke is our mission at Coopers Fire. We design and manufacture life-saving fire curtains for a huge range of industries and building types.
Our expertise has led us to become a world leader in fire safety. For more information on our non-intrusive, life-saving fire and smoke protection, or our educational training courses, call us on or email info coopersfire. More than One If possible, more than one fire exit is recommended.
Create a Protected Means of Escape with Fire Curtains Fire curtains can be used to protect a means of escape, which could prevent the catastrophic loss of life and even reduce structural damage, business downtime and financial losses. Saving Lives and Protecting Businesses from Fire Protecting buildings and those in them from fire and smoke is our mission at Coopers Fire.
Everyone on your premises should be able to follow this route without the aid of the fire and rescue service, and it must follow the shortest distance possible. The fire exit regulations recommend that there are at least two escape routes from every part of premises that are completely independent of each other.
Every door on an escape route should open in the direction of escape and be easy to open without the use of a key. However, there are guidelines you need to follow to comply with fire safety regulations. The general rule is that people should be able to turn their back on a fire, wherever it may start in a building, and move away from the fire to a safe place. Usually this means outside the building and a safe distance from it in case the fire grows i.
Where there are two or more escape routes, care should be taken to ensure that smoke and flames cannot affect more than one escape route at the same time. Escape routes should be kept clear of all obstructions. Generally, escape routes should be at least one metre wide. The escape route should lead to a place of safety, normally outside and away from the building. Doors on escape routes must always be available for use without the use of a key.
Depending on the risk, push pads or panic bar devices should be used. Security should never take precedence over safety. Many devices are now available that satisfy both safety and security requirements. Where there are roller shutters or security grills fitted on an escape route, these must be open when persons are on the premises. When considering the escape routes from a place of work, an employer must be sure that that he has evaluated the entire journey to a place of safety.
All routes must be kept clear, including areas outside the premises that are included in the escape route. Employees must be made aware of all possible escape routes and emergency drills should be used regularly to practice using them as part of emergency routines. All premises should have an escape plan that clearly identifies the action that employees and others should take in the event of a fire.
This may include duties for employees to check areas are clear, close doors and assist others. If there are disabled persons on your premises then their needs must be taken into account when planning an evacuation strategy. A wide range of possible disabilities may need to be considered, including persons who have less mobility simply because of age.
Further information is available from BS Part 8. This code talks about inclusive design and outlines that accessible means of escape, and the associated fire safety strategy, should be considered as an integral part of the design process, and not as a separate issue.
Where a building is designed and managed inclusively to provide access for all users, the facilities provided should, where appropriate, be used to improve egress arrangements. Section 46 of BS expands this in detail and discusses strategies to deal with people with different types of disabilities including.
When specific escape routes are provided that do not form part of normal circulation routes it is important that employees are made aware of these. A management system should be in place to ensure these routes and exits are kept clear and usable. Consider how the evacuation of the workplace will be arranged in the light of the risk assessment and the other fire precautions that are in place. These arrangements will form an integral part of the emergency plan and must be included in the instruction and training for employees.
Account must be taken not only of the people in the workplace employed or otherwise who may be able to make their own escape, but also those who may need assistance to escape, e. In most workplaces, the evacuation in case of fire will simply be by means of everyone reacting to the warning signal given when the fire is discovered and making their way, by the means of escape, to a place of safety away from the workplace.
This is known as a 'simultaneous' evacuation and will normally be initiated by the sounding of the general alarm over the fire warning system. What Is A Fire Exit? A fire exit is not simply a final escape door, it is much more than that but primarily is made up made up of 2 parts: Part 1 — The escape route which is the route from any part of the building leading to a final exit, includes the unprotected and protected escape route.
It should fulfil six criteria: The escape route leading to the exit must be as direct as possible The evacuation must allow persons to evacuate as safely as possible from immediate danger The quantity, size and locations of exits must take into account the occupation, use and size of premises Fire doors and exits should open in the direction of travel No doors along the escape route should be locked or secured such that persons escaping the building cannot release them quickly and safely Escape routes and exits should be adequately lit and have the correct signage The minimum width, quantity and maximum travel distance of escape routes and exits from a room, or storey, is typically based on the number of occupants.
Standard Practices A workplace would generally have at least two fire exits, however, under certain circumstances 1 exit may prove to be sufficient such as a limited quantity of occupants. These are the main requirements to consider: Fire doors must be capable of being manually unlocked from the inside Fire doors should be side hinged and open in the direction of travel Exit routes should have a ceiling at least 2 metres in height, excluding doorways, and remain clear at all times Fire exit routes should have a level floor and be kept free of obstructions and flammable materials The minimum accepted width in a new building is mm and mm in an existing building Staying Compliant With UK Fire Safety Regulations It is the duty of the responsible person for a building to manage any fire risk on the premises which includes as far as reasonably practical ensure that everyone on the premises can escape safely in the event there is a fire.
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