Rank: New forum user 
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Can anybody please let me know where I can find guidance on the maximum number of people that can be in a room at any one time. My company has built a theatre style meeting room and I have been asked - what is the maxiumum number of seats for the audience that can be provided ?
Can any advise please. Thank you
Roger
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Rank: Forum user
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Roger, It may be more " how many can get out in the time you have to evacuate". It will also hinge on if the audience is seated and how the seating is arranged i.e. fixed or not texture. Are they able bodied sighted etc. the list goes on. All of these will be highlighted in the attached document, albeit for commercial theatres. http://www.communities.g...ents/fire/pdf/144845.pdf
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Rank: Forum user
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Yes deifnately driven by fire safety and the amount in the room i.e. space allowance then number of doorways and the calculation is around doorways (taking into account their size) and the construction material of the building to evaluate how many you can get out in the required time.
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Rank: Forum user
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From what I re-call of a similar query I had with our conference room Approved document B of the building regs will give you the floor space factor for your calculation, but as the other posters state the real crux for your numbers will be numbers of fire exits, their loaction and the door widths. You also need to know how many fire exit doors you need for the occupancy numbers, so the calculation covers a number of points.
You need to remember that if the room size dictates that the floor space factor allows say 500 persons, but the door widths only allow for 110 then the lower number will be your maximum occupancy.
Tigers link will give you the details but you shouold also check out the Buildings regs as well. Sorry I don't have a link.
Regards Lisa B
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Rank: Forum user
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Hi Roger
Just wanted to add my two pennorth. As already stated by the previous posters you'll be limited by fire exits (average single fire doors let out 40 persons per minute, doubles let out 80 and so on - usually calcluate for evacuation over 2.5 mins) HOWEVER, for capacity calculations you would have to imagine that the largest door was blocked and only use the remaining ones to calculate. You will also have to reduce the numbers if the doors are inwards opening...a really big limiter, although unless you have listed buildings this is not usually a deal breaker. You also have to reduce the numbers for furniture (fixed or otherwise) e.g. seated persons take up 1.5metres...depending on your limiter therefore (the room size or the doors) you can then calculate sensibly. If you have an old building which has very limited doors but an acknowledges function, e.g. churches, you might also decide to put in additional control measures as part of your fire risk assessment to safely increase (in your opinion) the maximum capacity. For instance, if all the doors open inwards, you might decide to have dedicated fire marshals seated near those doors and their role is to open immediately if the fire alarm sounds, to avoid possible crushing. Hope this helps.
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Rank: Forum user
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Get your hands on BS9999 if you can, it's quite thorough and as I remember, it gives you guidance on theatre style layouts. One thing I do remember is one entrance/exit, maximum 60 people.....although my memory isn't what it used to be!!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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It's not about how many you can get in it's about how many you can get out and how quickly you need to worry about.
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