Installing an electrical switch gear in a protected stairwell

[p10164]

Hi, I wonder if anyone can advise me.  My work is having a switch gear/electrics for a sump pump moved from a garage which is being demolished in to a protected stairwell which is used for emergency evacuations.  The electrics will be in a 30mins fire resistant casing but is this sufficient or even allowed?  The staircase accomodates 4 floors although it is not the main staircase in to/out of the building.  There is automatic detection but this is at the top on the 3rd floor.

Any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks
Paul

[kurnal]

If theres other  staircases serving the upper floors it is not such a problem. In a single staircase building you would be right to insist on a proper fire resisting enclosure seperate with detection in the enclosure.

Even in a building with more than 1 stair the fire resisting  enclosure needs to be fit for purpose and capable of containing smoke as well as fire.
Putting the pump in a room off the staircase or in a proper storeroom to which you can then fit a proper FD30S door would be best.
There really shold be detection at every alternate floor level and at the top.

[slubberdegullion]

Make sure that this isn't obstructing the exit route in any way and that it isn't occupying a space that would otherwise be used as a disable person's refuge.

Also, ensure that there are no people in the building who have no choice other than using this staircase.  If there are then kurnal's suggestions become very important.

Finally, if there are hundreds of people in the building you may have to re-assess the capacity of the staircases in the building.

Stu

[Wiz]

......There really shold be detection at every alternate floor level and at the top.

What Professor K means is 'In enclosed stairways, fire detectors should be sited at the top of the stairway and on each main landing' i.e at least at each floor level but not on half-landings (unless there are other reasons for making these necessary)

[kurnal]

Dear Dr Wiz
Welcome back- you have been quiet for a long time- thought you had gone the way of Lucky.

Thanks for your most tactful correction of my latest faux-pas. But really there is no need for tact- as I have said before I do talk out of my back side sometimes and appreciate being put right.

On this occasion I had mentally drifted back to the 88 edition that spoke of a max 10.5m vertical spacing between detectors in stairwells. Funny how as you get old its easy to remember the things you were first taught and forget the more recent stuff.
As a quick  aside- off topic - our village green christmas lights have been condemned - 230 volt festoon bulbs fed from 30ma RCD protected supply. Apparently there was nothing wrong with them but the sparks doing PAT testing said 230v lights were not allowed for outdoor use any more. But I still see them for sale? Is he right do you think? He suggested swapping bulbs for 110 v and buying a transformer.

[Ken Taylor]

He can't be right in saying that they aren't allowed - provided that they are installed in accordance with the 'Wiring Regs'/BS. 110v or less would be better outside but the risk assessment should find the risk to be low provided that they are properly installed (earth-fault and overcurrent protection, safe position, adequately supported, etc).