HTM 05:02 or Approved Document B

[harley]

A local LIFT scheme is incorporating a health centre with a community facility.
Healthcare will be provided on the first floor, with health admin on the second floor.
The ground floor will be given over entirely to the local authority. The 3 storey building is 70m x 45m and a large atrium is incorporated into the design.
The local LIFT contend that ADB should be followed rather than HTM 05:02, basing their argument on para 1.5 of 05:02 which states;

1.5 Health Technical Memorandum 05-02 should be used as guidance on fire safety in all parts of healthcare buildings including departments or areas providing ancillary services which are planned as an integral part of a healthcare building. However, in
certain buildings it may be more appropriate to apply the provisions of Approved Document B of the Building Regulations rather than to follow this guidance. Examples include:
• surgeries, clinics, health centres, walk-in centres;
• buildings used purely as offices (that is, to
which patients have no access);
• ambulance stations/workshops.
See also paragraphs 1.15–1.16.

Their argument centres on the phrase 'it may be more appropriate to apply the provisions of Approved Document B'.
But of course it says' may be' rather than must be.
I feel that patient care area on the first floor wold be better protected by 05:02.

I would welcome any opinions please.
Thanks in advance.
Harley

[wee brian]

It all ties back to dependancy.

The HTM is drafted with the assumption that some of the occupants of the building will be incapacitated in some way (in bed wired up to a machine that goes "ping" etc)

If you have a health centre where they dont carry out any teatment involving anaesthetic then it may be reasonable to use ADB.

[kurnal]

Wee B is right.
I think you should confirm with the end users how dependent the persons using the first floor may be (using the HTM 05 02 definitions) and provide a MOE strategy accordingly.
There will be  higher proportion of building users with special needs than the average building to which ADB is applied and in my opinion the arrangements for means of escape should recognise this.

[AIsRUS]

The regs here are clear. LIFT is a day care centre and ADB applies. The HTMs bring into play progressive horizontal and are geared more for hospitals. If you feel that there are likley to be more ambulant disabled or wheelchair users then try and work some progressive horizontal lines into the scheme. They will be half hour and not the hour as for hospitals. Breaking the building up like this will give those managing each clinical area more time to facilitate assited evacuation to those who need it. Would like to see some vidio footage of a fire in one of these places (or any other in-fact) probably notice that a lot of so called ambulant disabled will be pretty quick to scramble out without needing assistance if it came to it. Good luck