When is a stay put policy acceptable When is a stay put policy acceptable? Emergency Evacuation Seminar 11th October 2018 Howard Passey BEng(Hons) MIFireE FIFSM Principal Consultant THE UK’s NATIONAL FIRE SAFETY ORGANISATION Protecting people, property, business and the environment

THE UK’s NATIONAL FIRE SAFETY ORGANISATION Protecting people, property, business and the environment

Occupant safety

Evacuation You must not rely on the fire and rescue service There is a duty of care towards building and/or service users Their safety is the responsibility of the responsible person / duty holder There must be a strategy for evacuating the building The plans need rehearsing with all who may require assistance The HM Guidance documents clearly state: “ The evacuation plan should not rely on fire and rescue service involvement for it to be effective”

Stay put / defend in place Principal evacuation strategy adopted in blocks of flats, sheltered and extra-care housing This strategy is undoubtedly successful in an overwhelming number of blocks of flats, regardless of whether these are general needs blocks or specialised housing. In 2014-2015, of over 7,000 accidental fires in purpose-built flats, only 32 fires necessitated evacuation of more than five people with the assistance of the fire and rescue service (HO Fire Stats)

LACORS ‘Blocks of flats which were constructed or converted in compliance with the Building Regulations 1991, approved document B or equivalent may adopt a different approach such as ‘stay-put’ as the level of compartmentation means there will be a low risk of fire spreading beyond its unit of origin.’

Lakanal House Built mid 1960’s Refurbished in 2006/2007 14 storey 98 maisonettes Fire in July 2009 6 people died including 3 children

Lakanal House Dan Daly, London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner “If buildings are built and maintained correctly, walls, floors and doors in flats and maisonettes give you protection from fire – a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes – so, if there is a fire elsewhere in the building but not inside your home you’re safer staying in your flat unless heat or smoke is affecting you. Stay put and call 999.”

Lakanal House Neither the client nor contractors submitted a Building Control notice of any sort, or sought advice or consultation on Building Regulations. Building Regulations or fire protection of any kind barely featured in their discussions, except in relation to options on fire-rated kitchen doors. Failure to engage with building control meant there was no inspection of the works or building control presence on site that might have spotted the historical problems.

Historical problems A weakness in fire compartmentation dating from the installation of central heating in the 1980s – when the fireproof ceiling in the common parts was breached. Problems with the cross-ventilation strategy. A section of the flats’ internal timber staircase juts out into the corridor, and had been inadequately fire protected in the 1980s, leaving a direct route for fire to travel from flats to the corridor.

What a difference a day makes Properties constructed or converted in compliance with the Building Regulations 1991 or later (and which still comply) will not require additional fire safety measures unless occupied in a manner other than intended under the original construction or conversion. Where a building did comply but has deteriorated through lack of maintenance, damage or other alteration then it may require additional measures.

Grenfell Firefighters and residents have described the extent of smoke logging in the stairwell. Subsequent investigations focused on the flat front doors undertaken by consultants to the Metropolitan Police have identified that although rated to 30 minute fire resistant standard, they provided only 15 minutes fire resistance when tested.

Stay put Compartmentation in supported housing is not normally adequate to support a ‘stay put’ strategy, so it is normally necessary to evacuate all residents when fire occurs (unless in a purpose built block of flats). Stay put approach may be essential to ensure that existing escape routes can be used effectively to prevent overcrowding on staircases, especially where the building has only one!

Do fire doors work?

Tenant modifications

Overcladding Dudhope Court – Dundee Example of enclosure of balconies From reclad residential tower block in London

External Fire Spread The external façades of blocks of sheltered and extra care flats should not provide potential for extensive fire spread. When assessing existing blocks, particular attention should be given to any rain screen or other external cladding system that has been applied and to façades that have been replaced. The use of combustible cladding materials and extensive cavities can present a risk, particularly in some taller or complex blocks. Restrictions are normally applied to the nature of such materials and, in particular, their surface spread of flame characteristics. Cavity barriers are also required in some circumstances. Assistance from specialists may be required to determine if the external surfaces of walls are satisfactory and if there is adequate provision of cavity barriers

Management controls London Fire Brigade

What does a fire risk assessment look like?

Assessment Types LGG Guide Fire safety in purpose built blocks of flats Type 1 – Common parts only (non-destructive) Type 2 – Common parts only (destructive) Type 3 – Common parts and flats (non-destructive) Type 4 – Common parts and flats (destructive)

People and Fire Some misconceptions must be addressed, for example: - Do people just leave the premises when they suspect a fire or when a fire alarm sounds? Why would they suspect a fire had started? If they did what would they do? What do they think if a fire alarm goes off?

Evacuation Planning Human Behaviour Dealing with the fire Evacuation time Recognition time Response time Dealing with the fire Building characteristics Occupant characteristics Evacuation protocols and procedures “ The evacuation plan should not rely on fire and rescue service involvement for it to be effective”

Detection and alarm Several significant considerations BS5839-6 – in flats BS5839-1 – in communal areas Mixed systems Minimisation of false alarms Single stair buildings, limited capacity Frequency leads to complacency High integrity detection Test and maintenance

Suppression

Avoid surprises!!

Thank You When is a stay put policy acceptable? Emergency Evacuation Seminar 11th October 2018 Howard Passey BEng(Hons) MIFireE FIFSM Principal Consultant hpassey@thefpa.co.uk www.thefpa.co.uk www.frmjournal.com www.riscauthority.co.uk THE UK’s NATIONAL FIRE SAFETY ORGANISATION Protecting people, property, business and the environment