Means of escape
Requirement B1 of the building regulations requires that when there is a fire, there is both:
- Satisfactory means of sounding an alarm.
- Satisfactory means of escape for people.
Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 2, Buildings other than dwellinghouses, defines ‘means of escape’ as:
‘Structural means that provide one or more safe routes for people to go, during a fire, from any point in the building to a place of safety.’
The approved document defines an escape route as ‘The route along which people can escape from any point in a building to a final exit.’ where a final exit is ‘The end of an escape route from a building that gives direct access to a street, passageway, walkway or open space, and is sited to ensure that people rapidly disperse away from the building so that they are no longer in danger from fire and/or smoke.'
NOTE: Windows are not acceptable as final exits.
The approved document sets out ways that means of escape can be provided in commonly-occuring situations.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Automatic release mechanism.
- Building evacuation.
- Controlled fitting.
- Emergency lighting.
- Escape route.
- Evacuating vulnerable and dependent people from buildings in an emergency FB 52.
- Exit passageway.
- Fire.
- Fire detection and alarm systems.
- Fire door.
- Fire Door Inspection Scheme.
- Fire protection engineering.
- Fire resistance.
- Fire safety design.
- Fire separation.
- Firefighting lift.
- Inner room.
- Installing fire doors and doorsets (GG 86).
- Protected escape route.
- Protected stair v escape stair.
- Storey exit.
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- Unprotected escape route.
- Visual alarm devices - their effectiveness in warning of fire.
- Vomitory.
- Wayfinding.
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