Inner room definition
Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 1 Dwelling houses, defines an 'inner room' as a:
'Room from which escape is possible only by passing through another room (the access room).'
An inner room is at risk if a fire starts in the other room (the access room - that is, a room through which the only escape route from an inner room passes).
This situation may arise with open-plan layouts and galleries.
Such an arrangement is only acceptable where the inner room is:
- A kitchen.
- A laundry or utility room.
- A dressing room.
- A bathroom, WC, or shower room.
- Any room on a storey that is a maximum of 4.5m above ground level which is provided with an emergency escape window as described in paragraph 2.10.
- A gallery that complies with paragraph 2.15.
A room accessed only via an inner room (an inner inner room) is acceptable when all of the following apply:
- It complies with paragraph 2.11.
- The access rooms each have a smoke alarm (see Section 1).
- None of the access rooms is a kitchen.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Approved documents.
- Automatic release mechanism.
- Door energy rating.
- Fire detection and alarm systems.
- Fire door.
- Fire Door Inspection Scheme.
- Fire Prevention on Construction Sites.
- Fire protection engineering.
- Joint fire code.
- Separating floor.
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- Unprotected escape route.
- Visual alarm devices - their effectiveness in warning of fire.
Featured articles and news
Conservation and transformation
Reading Ruskin’s cultural heritage. Book review.
Renovating Union Chain Bridge.
AI tools for planning, design, construction and management
A long, continually expanding list, any more to add?
Robots in the construction industry
From cultural characterisations to construction sites.
Empowering construction with AI integration
New horizons with a human touch.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government.
A Better Hiring Toolkit for construction
Tooling up to hire under best practice standards in the sector.
Recharging Electrical Skills in Wales
Step by step collaborative solutions.
Ireland budget announcement 2025
CIOB responds with positivity, criticism and clarity.
The continued ISG fall out, where to go?
Support for ISG contractors, companies and employees.
New HES national centre for traditional building retrofit
Announced as HES publishes survey results which reveal strong support for retrofit.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Expected to become one of the largest activities in the global construction industry.
Scope determination appeals and the Building Safety Act
Process explained following release of appeals guidance.
The ECA industry focus video channel
Keeping update with the industry session by session.
Over 25 recorded informations sessions freely available.
AT Awards 2024 ceremony East London October 25th.
Revisiting the AT community at the 2023 awards evening.