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.