Hi Blatchford......thinking like a fire safety officer they would say: So you have no fire stops between flats, floors or between flats and escape routes - hmm, a quick example.....battery powered smoke alarm goes off in the ground floor flat but occupants on either of the other floors can't hear it and therefore have no 'early detection' option. The fire travels through the GF flat, moving through the building upwards and into the corridor, blocking the only exit from the upper flats. The fire and smoke now travel into the upstairs flats. Not much use therefore having the early detection in each separate residence, without the compartmentalisation. Agree that critical. Hope this helps.

Blatchford - forgot to say welcome too!! PH2 has reminded me of my manners... ;)

Thanks for the warm welcomes... Messshaw - in answer to your questions: 1) I have seen it - the previous contractors didn't install the fire protection as per the fire strategy design drawings. There is a void above the ceiling where smoke/fire could travel throughout the building. The walls and ceilings are drylined (plasterboard ceiling) so this would offer some protection from the flats to the void, however, this dryling was not orignally installed as part of the fire protection measures - therefore there are vents and other "gaps" in the plasterboard that are not intumecently sealed. 2) You are right they are main operated with battery back up. They are not linked - so if there was a fire in one flat the alarm would only go off in that flat. 3) Yes - public libary with flats attached 4) I am the safety manager working for a main contractor that has taken over this project from another contractor who were kicked off the project. As per 1 above we have found many problems where the previous builder hasn't built to the design, however, in this case we are concerned that the solution being proposed will leave the flats in an unsafe condition.

Blatchford: Thanks for the answers: Key to this is the fact that the builders didnt install to the specifications on the drawing. It's the drawings that would have been approved by the LA & fire service, so any standard below that would require re submission. The fire detection system appears to be fore the residents of the individual flats and I cannot see how they can form part of the overall mitigation/fire strategy to allow less fire resistance in the compartments It sounds like a right mess. What do you intend to do, as I would be singing like a canary to the relevant authorties. This might well be fraud (if the builders have saved cash by installing less) as well as a fire safety issue

All, many thanks for your responses, the building is not yet occupied. It is difficult to see how the incorrect installation of the fire protection was not picked up before. From our point of view how we got to this situation is not relevent, my concern is installing fire protection to a recognised design that will meet the intent of the building regs (and so protects life in the event of a fire). It may be that the design team are currently working on a suitable solution and will produce this any day now.... we live in hope. Otherwise, we can only register our concerns with the relevent control authorities.

I wouldn't bet my house on that. Bob Lewis may have something to add with regard to Building Control also...