Hello everyone, My first question is regarding inward opening fire doors and how many people can safely use and exit a room? We have a large room which is approximately 360 sq metres, there are two exits from the room both of which are inward opening doors. The measured opened distance between the narrowest parts of the door is 1200mm, in general usage one side of each of the doors is bolted closed so in reality each door as an available exit of 60cm. I believe that using a modern inward opening door that meets the latest standards and is wider, the number that can access it is 60? However this door is older and much narrower. If we applied the rule of discounting one of these doors in case it was blocked and worked on there being only one door available how many people could safely use the room? Some additional information the room is used by art students as their studio for painting so there will also be furniture and associated painting material including some flammable items which are often not stored properly but being left by the students in their workspaces. I am guessing the doors were fitted many years ago, hence their size and inward opening, if we were to change them to outward opening I believe we would need to widen them in line with latest regulations? My other question is about viewing windows in doors and what they are designed for also in new builds are they sufficient or should a viewing panel be cut through an adjoining wall? We are having a purge at the moment on door viewing windows that are blocked by people hanging coats etc across that obscures the view through the window, I believe the window is there so that the person inside the room is able to look out to make sure that they are not leaving a place of safety and entering into a more hazardous area? The message that is coming down to us is that the windows are for wardens to look through so as to check the room is clear in an evacuation. I cannot disagree that this is a valid statement but the emphasis seems not to consider the first option. If anyone has any comments on this I would appreciate it. Finally we are having some new offices built that would be considered as a room within a room and I would like an opinion on whether a viewing panel in the door is sufficient or should there be a larger window put through an adjoining room as in the picture in the Fire Safety Risk Assessment guide, page 72. Which talks about a panel that gives adequate vision, What would be considered adequate? Thank you for you time and thoughts on this. Ian

Fit a detector in the access room also use part B building regs instead of the book you are using available here http://www.planningporta...tb/bcapproveddocumentsb/ Part B building regs Inner Room 3.10 A room from which the only escape route is through another room is called an inner room , it is at risk if a fire starts in the other room called the access room Such an arrangement is only acceptable if the following conditions are satisfied A The occupant capacity of the inner room should not exceed 60 (30 in group 2a) B The inner room should not be a bedroom C the inner room should be entered directly off the access room (but not via a corridor) D the escape from the inner room should not pass through more than one access room E The traval distance from any point in the inner room should not exceed the traval distances in table 2 of the document F the access room should not be a place of special hazard and should be under the control of the same occupier and ONE of the following should be made 1 the walls or partitions should be stopped at least 500mm below the ceiling OR 2 A suitable sited vision panel not less than 0.1m2 shjould be located in the door or walls of the inner room to enable occupents of the inner room to see if a fire has started in the outer room OR 3 The access room should be fitted with a suitable automatic fire detection and alarm system