The standards can not cover every eventuality, and to apply one solution to all scenarios would be madness. The standards at present neither encourage or discourage the use of the firefighting lifts in these circumstances, so do we automatically assume it is the wrong thing to do? Surely we should look at the practical issues that could arise, and address any risks we identify.
Do you have any particular concerns about using the firefighting lift for refuse transportation?
I agree with most of your statement, though I would say that BS 5588:5:2004 guidance in Clause 7.2.4 says - 'NOTE The lift may be used in normal times as a passenger lift by the occupants of the building but, in order to prevent the risk of the entrance being obstructed when the lift is required to go into the fire-fighting mode, it is essential that it is NOT used for moving refuse, nor for moving goods. In buildings provided with a single lift, its use for the transport of goods needs to be avoided unless essential, lift lobbies need to be kept clear, and when used for moving goods it is essential that the doors are not propped open.'
It depends on which 'guidance' you read and how you interpret it!
With regards to your question; my concerns about the use of fire fighting lifts are that by accepting a 'relaxation' of 'accepted' practices, we are creating a trend, and going back to your statement, 'to apply one solution to all scenerios would be madness.'
The tendancy (in my humble opinion) would then be to submit designs based on the 'relaxation', which may not have taken into account the same evaluation processes.
This may lead to a gradual erosion of 'minimum standards'.
Another concern is that, these 'relaxations' always seem to be about cost. At some point during the design stage of any building (I would have thought earlier rather than later), surely, the designer assesses the 'minimum' requirements and designs them into the build, but from my experience, it seems that things like refuse management (for example) are a nuisance item, given little consideration until the consultation stage, when 'it would very difficult and costly to alter the design now as that would mean completely redesigning the layout of the building'. (As another point of interest here, it is worth noting that Approved Document H gives guidance on standards for the removal of waste, which if considered early on in the design process may have addressed the fire safety issues, but this is not within my remit to comment on, but should be taken into account by the BCOs).
As I said in my first post, I am open to discussion on the matter, and at the end of the day it is a BCOs decision to accept the proposals, but I was keen to to get feedback from others who may have had similar experiences.
