Posted By David Edward Partington I have 18 blocks of 1892 housing stock. There is a designated fire escape route through the loft void.Up one staircase and down the other. This is signed and there is emergency lighting, therefore no problems, except; These sites are at Tower Bridge London and the area has a large number of crack cocaine users and sellers. They particularly like the void as they are out of sight and warm. Unfortunately they leave associated debris behind including used needles, faeces, bedding, products of robberies and they even break the lighting as they are photosensitive to the light due to the drugs. Therefore we are currently saying to our tenants in the event of a fire evacuate into a pitch black environment filled with faeces, needles, half used pregnancy test kits (really) and other debris. Therefore the Safety chap (me) looks at this - writes reports with suggestions, i.e. doors on mag lock - tied to a fire alarm attached to smoke detectors. Check this out with Building Control - they say I must install emergency door release systems - green boxes. Of course this will defeat the whole scheme, as the drug users will simply smash the glass... Their best solution is a positive pressure system that will keep the smoke in the flats. They have heard of it but do not know the cost or a supplier... Therefore does anyone know of a system for a residential site? Any other ideas that will keep BC happy? A copy of the excellent book Electrical Safety at Work by PC Buck to any suggestions used. Can't say fairer then that. Regards David. David.Partington@Southwark.gov.uk

Posted By Alec Wood Hi David, I don't have an answer to the door things I am afraid, but if all else fails, make the area less attractive for the druggies. One very good way of doing this is with light. Seek out some vandal resistant lighting and flood the area with intensely blue/violet light. Not only does the blue light play hell with those suffering photosensistivity, but it also makes it nigh on impossible for them to find a vein. Alec Wood

Posted By David Edward Partington Thanks for this Stuart. Any idea of cost? My origional scheme was £140k. The Pos PA scheme must be similar in addition to £140k. If a sprinkler system could be employed for twenty housing units per stairway X 18 then I would not need the fire escape in which case I could simply padlock these voids and therefore mag-locks not needed etc. One could use frangable units therefore fail safe is in-built. Good idea. Any idea of cost? Regards David Partington David.Partington@southwark.gov.uk You seem to be the winner of the book. If cost is ok.

Posted By David Edward Partington Laurie, apparently this is very common amongst the squemish, they simply cannot await the results and run away ☺ I should have said the pots were half filled with urine. Regards David.

Posted By Stuart Nagle Not too sure on costs, but then you did'nt expect to have someone else do all the works for you, did you?..... No doubt you will be able to get some detailed quotes from the miriad of providers available... Stuart

Posted By Stuart Nagle David. Address mailed to your email address... Regards... Stuart