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Smoke seals and intumescent strips fitted to electrical cupboards in Purpose Built blocks of flats
Rank: Forum user
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Hi All,
I would like to gauge your views on the fitting of smoke seals and intumescent strips to service intake cupboards which open out onto a common escape route serving a purpose built block of flats.
One viewpoint is that they should not be installed, as given that there is not going to be a communal fire alarm system in most purpose built blocks of flats, people within the building are likely to become aware of a fire within a service intake cupboard at a later stage if smoke seals etc had been installed, i.e. once the compartment is breached.
The purpose built flats (Colin Todd) guide do not set out that smoke seals should not be installed onto service intake cupboard doors for this reason. In fact it appears to indicate in section 62.12 that current benchmarks would dictate that doors opening on to a protected escape route (which I interpret to include dooors to service intake and riser cupboards) should be fitted with smoke seals.
The only guidance which I can find which appears to support not fitting smoke seals to fire resisting doors in Lacors (section 21.3) where it recommends that where a communal detection system only is in place smoke seals should not be fitted to fire resisting doors opening out onto the escape route - which I find understandable.
I would appreciate views and references to any further guidance on this.
Ps... please do not reply by saying 'just do your risk assessment'. Part of a risk assessment is gathering info from a range of sources - which is what I am doing now.
Thanks
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Rank: Super forum user
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I really like your comment about the 'Do a risk assessment' replies;- They are mostly of little use!
I'd put the guides down if I were you and get back to basics. Away from the fire alarm & fire separation issue, it's all about giving punters enough time to get to a place of safety isn't it?.
So if the flats are low rise and/or have more than one vertical MOE, I go along with not bothering too much about strips and seals. If it's a reasonably tall single staircase building - and flats can be very tall - then I would consider fitting S&S
Is it purpose built or a conversion? Is the fire separation in good nick (as far as you can see), and is the property generally well maintained
The occupancy type (old/young), rented, housing associated or leaseholders - plus the general state of the place may also need to be considered.
The guides are, well guides. Whilst I accept that you must have due regard to them, sticking to them rigidly can cause 'guide blindness', where common sense decisions are overtaken by prescriptive, guide-led ones. That is not what this RRO/FRA business is about
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Smoke seals and intumescent strips fitted to electrical cupboards in Purpose Built blocks of flats
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