The LWF Blog

Fire Safety for Facilities Management Personnel – Fire Service Facilities – Part 264

August 5, 2024 11:03 am

Lawrence Webster Forrest (LWF) is a specialist fire engineering and fire risk management consultancy whose aim is to give information on best practice in fire safety for facilities management personnel through this blog series. In part 263, LWF talked about designing access for fire appliances and for firefighters. In part 264, we continue discussing the design and provision of access for firefighters.

When a firefighting staircase is provided in a building, it is not normally reserved for use by the Fire Service only. The stairs will likely be in use by the building occupants on a daily basis and will also form part of the means of escape. The firefighting staircase is differentiated from other staircases in the way that it is protected from smoke in a fire situation and therefore the most suitable route of ingress for firefighters. Equally, not every protected staircase in a building is designated as a firefighting staircase.

Similarly, a firefighting lift is not solely for the use of the Fire Service. It would usually be in use as a passenger lift under normal circumstances (but not a goods lift). It must be of sufficient size to carry fire and rescue service equipment and can be grounded quickly in the event of a fire and controlled by building management/Fire Service personnel. The power supplies provided should ensure it can continue to operate during a fire.

Firefighting shaft recommendations can be found in BS 9999 Fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings. Code of practice.  Some of the recommendations are:

• Firefighting shafts should be provided in all buildings exceeding 18 metres in height or 10 metres depth below ground. Each should incorporate a firefighting staircase, a firefighting lift and a firefighting lobby with rising (or falling) main.
• A firefighting shaft should be provided for a shop, factory or storage building exceeding 7.5 metres in height, with a floor area of any above-ground level exceeding 900 m². In this case, a shaft should contain a firefighting stairway, firefighting lobby and rising main. The same recommendation applies to buildings if there are two or more basement levels, each with a floor area exceeding 900 m².
• In a building of 11 metres height or more there should be provided an escape stair with (unventilated) lobby and a fire main to assist the Fire Service with firefighting operations. This type of building will have one or more storeys above the height of the ladders carried on most modern fire appliances due to its height.

 

In part 265 of this series, LWF will continue to discuss the design and provision of access and facilities for firefighters. In the meantime, if you have any queries about your own facilities or wish to discuss this blog series, please contact LWF on freephone 0800 410 1130.

Lawrence Webster Forrest is a fire engineering consultancy based in Surrey with over 35 years’ experience, which provides a wide range of consultancy services to professionals involved in the design, development and construction and operation of buildings.

 

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.