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safezone  
#1 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:21:38(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
safezone



Just wondering what programs people use to draw floor plans i.e MS word for basics drawing etc.


I am about to do one but can see it being a bit fiddly and wondered if there was an easy program to use.


Thanks
Jane Blunt  
#2 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:24:19(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jane Blunt

I use Corel draw, as this is what I was originally given. It does a good job, but I wouldn't necessarily describe it as easy to use!
leadbelly  
#3 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:26:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
leadbelly

I get somebody else to do mine; they are quick and cheap!

LB
safezone  
#4 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:36:31(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
safezone



How much do they charge,


I have spoke to someone who gets charged in the region of £600 per CAD drawing ?!
safezone  
#5 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:43:55(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
safezone

Also is there a place where you can download icons such a extinguishers etc ?

And what program would they be easy to incorporate into ?

Thanks
leadbelly  
#6 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:49:16(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
leadbelly

It is probably unfair to quote costs on here but it is a lot less than £600.

LB
ahoskins  
#7 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:55:23(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
ahoskins

I use MS Visio, but only because it is available to me at the educational price, otherwise I think it might be a little too expensive.

There are a whole host of other cheaper software packages available. Check out http://home-design-softw...eview.toptenreviews.com/ for some comparisons. All US though and I haven't experience of using any of them.

What is most useful about this type of software is that it contains pre-drawn walls, doors, windows, toilets, etc.

Alan
Blest31834  
#8 Posted : 18 August 2010 10:59:43(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Blest31834

I use MS Visio for basic diagrammatic not to scale floor plans as this comes with some ready to use icons.

You can do scale plans with it, but this obviously involves taking accurate measurements which is time intensive.

I also found on a certain well known 'e' auction site companies selling CD's with the relevant pictogram/ ideograms (wmf/jpeg) which I found easy enough to import into Visio.

If I want full scale plans, I normally have to talk nicely to the relevant property departments!

Brgds Rod
PhilBeale  
#9 Posted : 18 August 2010 11:05:13(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
PhilBeale

You don't need to produce floor plans for a fire risk assessment. i think it is a nice to have but i have carried out plenty of FRA without using floor plans. luckily on some of the larger FRA i have carried out they have floor plans or even just basic room numbering helps when identifying issues. certainly if they cost in the region of £600 that's often more than i charge for a FRA in the first place.

I do however use photographs to identify key safety issues and also to prove what was in place at the time of the FRA. i think agreeing what rooms are to be called or using a room numbering system is adequate. I think specifically producing plans just for the FRA is over the top in most cases and just makes it more expensive for the customer.

Phil
Jane Blunt  
#10 Posted : 18 August 2010 11:13:31(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jane Blunt

Phil makes a valid point, but I use the floor plans for lots of other safety related purposes.

I use pictures from a number of places, such as
The Clipart in Word
Photographs that I have taken and then cut down
Pictures that I have drawn or 'copied' by drawing over a scanned picture on screen.

Pictures can usually be imported from one software product to another if they are in a format such as jpg.


Ron Hunter  
#11 Posted : 18 August 2010 13:51:39(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Ron Hunter

Perhaps your Asbestos Risks Register/Written Plan will have something suitable?
messyshaw  
#12 Posted : 18 August 2010 20:35:45(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
messyshaw

Phil is spot on - Plans are not legally required

Unless there is some specific information you cannot get across by any other means, I wouldn't bother. Why include stuff that's not required??

I have used photos grabbed from Google maps in order to show locations of assembly points, but detailed plans? Never.

They are generally included by (dare I say it?) greedy consultants in an attempt to pad out their reports with pages of superfluous nonsense - and perhaps to justify their huge fee.
Betta Spenden  
#13 Posted : 18 August 2010 21:04:50(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Betta Spenden

I find excel is basic, simple to use and fits the requirement. One square can equal one square metre.

Thick lines or dotted lines and colour changes can indicate walls with fire protection of 30 mins or 60 mins as required.

For open doors I use / or \.

I use letters to ID classes of fire extinguishers etc.

Not hard and once done, they are done and easy to update.
David Bannister  
#14 Posted : 18 August 2010 23:20:34(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
David Bannister

What's up with a pen and paper for those occasions when a plan is needed?
Jane Blunt  
#15 Posted : 19 August 2010 07:52:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Jane Blunt

stuff4blokes wrote:
What's up with a pen and paper for those occasions when a plan is needed?


Complexity, mainly. On a site with several hundred rooms, I start with a floor plan and annotate it with a pen or pencil. The idea of actually drawing the site each time is a non-starter!
David Bannister  
#16 Posted : 19 August 2010 10:32:56(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
David Bannister

Jane I'm with you 100% for larger sites where a plan is already available, but for a simple site if a plan is necessary a simple line drawing can suffice.
My comment was only half in jest; we sometimes have an automatic response by seeking a software tool when basic principles can still work effectively. That said, my sliderule is very dusty!
martinw  
#17 Posted : 19 August 2010 11:23:42(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
martinw

Why not use the drawings which are/may be in place as part of the emergency pack for fire services if they are attending your premises? Two birds?
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