Escape route through a kitchen

[stewbow]

A guest house I am dealing with has had an extention built onto the back 10 years ago.
The 1st floor is owners accomodation, the ground floor is a Dining Room and Kitchen.

The route from the front to the back of the building is as follows:-
Front door
Hallway (with stairs going up)
Fire Door to
Bar
Double Doors (not fire doors) to
Dining Room
Fire Door to
Kitchen
Back Door

If you are in the Dining Room and a Fire broke out in the Bar, the only way out would be the through the Kitchen.

2 questions?

Is it ok to use the Kitchen as a means of escape, and if not, why was this not picked up when the extention was applied for, and built?

[kurnal]

How many people may need to use the route?
Is there any liklihood of a fire affecting both routes at the same time?
Kitchens should not generally be used as an escape route and are certainly unsuitable for large numbers of people, eg from a function room. Theres too many hazards in a kitchen to make it a good exit route. But where theres no alternative for reasonably low numbers of people it should be ok.

[stewbow]

I would have thought that upto 18 people could be in the Dining room at any one time, a new L2 fire alarm is being installed so early warnings will be in place. I think the chances of both exits being blocked would be very small indead.

[kurnal]

So provided travel distances are within reasonable limits say no more than 30m from the nearest final exit,provided the route through the kitchen is clear, no trip/slip hazards, well signed and lit and the door is straightforward with no additional fly screens etc to negotiate there should not be a  problem. It would also help if there is a vision panel on the door between kitchen and dining room so people can see if the fire is in the kitchen, without openng the door.

[stewbow]

thanks. that's really helpfull

Stuart