Blocked Fire Corridors

[Cat]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone might be able to give me a bit of advice.  I've noticed in work that a clearly marked fire corridor is constantly being half blocked by several metal storage cages.  They will usually be left there all day until usually me clears them up before I go home.  Recently I qualified as a fire warden and am the only one on the whole shop floor as far as I know (theoretically there should be 2 trained people, per department).

The managers know about this problem but won't do anything about it.  They seem to be taking a very careless approach to this even though I have mentioned it to them.  They know I am trying to get into the Fire service as a w/time Ff and they think I am just causing trouble.  I'm not, I am genuinely concerned.  I am also concerned that as a fire warden if anything should happen, touch wood it won't, I would get into trouble because I know that it should be kept free at all times.  What if anything can I do to try and sort this out.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[kurnal]

Hi Cat
To keep it brief the first concern is if the corridor is a protected route. Is it  a single storey shop or multistorey, and does the corridor form part of the escape from an upper floor?
Secondly if you stand at the back exit and walk all the way to the front exit how far do you have to  walk? Is it more than 90metres?  
Then theres the issue of a potential obstruction
How wide is the corridor and who would need to use it? Would the public need to use it or just shop staff? Is there a door at either end of the corridor- is the corridor much wider than the doors?  if a designated area was marked out for the trolleys and bollarded off would the remaining width available be at least as wide as the doors?
Theres a few ideas for starters- but your instinct is right-  the corridor most likely will be required to be kept free of combustibles or obstructions at all time. To obstruct an escape route is an offence- but as fire warden if you have reported the hazard to your employer you have shown diligence. Just keep telling them- and stick a sign up fire exit do not obstruct etc.

 Try and find out who is putting the trolley there and what is the underlying reason for them doing this - is it just bad habit and laziness or is there a need to re-organise space elsewhere?

[Cat]

Hi kurnal,

Firstly thank you for your help.  To answer your questions:

The shop is two stories high and the upstairs has its own escape route, although if there was a problem with that route, this would be the only other way out.
Yes you do have to walk more than 90m from the back to the front exit.

The corridor is about the width of a double fire door however because storage chillers are along this corridor, there are two guide rails for the doors either side of the corridor so it is slightly smaller in width.  If you put one storage cage in the corridor, there would only just be enough room for another cage to be wheeled past with the person in front of the cage not next to it.  The cages are approx.  2m high x 1m wide x 1m depth so i'm sure you get the ieda that the corridor is very small.

As to who would use this corridor, predominantly staff but if there are a lot of customers then they may be allowed to use it as long as someone like me was with them.

The corridor has storage chillers for 4 different departments and I know from my department that space is definitely an issue.  Currently we have to deal with waste stock in this corridor, we have no where else to deal with it.  The warehouse manager won't allow us to work outside because he feels that we make his warehouse look untidy.  Space definitely needs to be organised else where but I think some of it is "I can't be bothered, why should I" which unfortunately has been brought on through very, very bad management (No excuse though).

Would any of this information change anything or make it more important for the route to be kept free?  Thank you.

[Cat]

P.S I forgot, there is actually a sign up saying Fire Corridor do not obstruct, or somthing along those lines so people do know about it.