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Posted By Jason Cox
I have recently reviewed welfare arrangements in a woodworking machine shop, where staff are either eating their lunch at their work benches or weather permitting outside the unit which is in a very busy industrial estate. Clearly not suitable, the only viable alternative is to convert the mezzanine above the office into a canteen, but this has only one set of stairs - is this sufficient I'm concerned about fire exits and as ever cost is an issue - I would be most grateful for any advice more experienced safety professionals could give me
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Ian_P
Hi!
It's a bit of a myth that you should have two exits from every possible location.
Your fire risk assessment should detail whether an additional fire exit is required. In some occasions it is not necessary.
Advice on this is given in the governments guide to fire risk assessment ISBN 978185112816-7 (£12) which is well worth a read.
The main points of it are:
1: Is the area at a high risk of fire? i.e. flammables stored nearby,
2: Distance to an external exit
3: Fire proofing / materials used etc. in construction of the mezzanine.
If you are in a low hazardous area, the mezzanine is small and will only be seating 5-10 people, and there is an external exit nearby then one set of stairs might be o.k.
On the other hand, if you are working in a dynamite factory and the canteen will be used by 50 workers, the nearest exit is 50 metres away - a secondary fire exit will be needed!!
This is what your fire risk assessment will uncover! Hope I've made sense.
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By MT
Is there room outside? If so, maybe a small portacabin could be considered as a canteen/welfare area? Or if there are other businesses nearby which have adequate facilities, perhaps you could come to an arrangement with one of them for your staff to use their kitchen?
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