Change of use

[JC100]

All

The company i work for have just developed a building which was intended for sheltered residents. This building is a 2 storey containing 20 flats, a communal lounge, lift, 2 staircases and a mobility chair charging room. There is a fire alarm fitted throughout and all the flats have their emergency pull cords.

Due to funding issues, the building is now to be used as a general needs block, all residents will be over 55 though and are perfectly able.

Due to this use change, would you consider changing the alarm to stand alone smokes in each room or leave it as existing and see how it goes? If false alarms occur regularly then change.

I am suggesting to close off the communal lounge and the charging room as these will likely be used as 1) a dumping ground and 2) a way to steal the communal electricity by running extension leads through the building! Neither of these interfere with means of escape. The emergency pull cords to be disabled.

Any thoughts?

[Midland Retty]

When you say it will be used as a "general needs" can you expand a little?

Will care be provided to residents?

[JC100]

This is a housing association block. General Needs - normal, everyday people but not sheltered, supported, key worker. These are not short term tenants either.

The residents in this block will have no care whatsoever.

[Midland Retty]

To me this sounds like a standard block of flats essentially which will only available to anyone over the age of 55 ?

I would firstly recommend having stand alone smoke detection in each flat as you point out to avoid false alarm issues.

If built in accordance with current building regulations FLATS AND MAISONETTES don't need a fire alarm system covering the common areas.

However... that all depends as clearly you were intending to use the building as a sheltered scheme.

I therefore assume Building Control have dictated that a common fire alarm system be installed to probably L" standard?.

If that is the case then I'd also look at providing interlinked heat detection within each flat in addition to standalone smoke detection for added protection. Some of my colleagues here may feel that this is perhaps a little OTT. But I'd be thinking long term and how the health and mobility of residents may deteriorate.

With regard to the pull chord system my logic again is that as people get older, their health and mobility deteriorates. A monitored facility already in place to assist the resident in an emergency can only be a good thing in my opinion.

Secondly I would suggest that the common lounge could be converted into a charging room if required (complete with adequate F/R and detection of course).

I've never known of people of this age stealing electric from the communal supply, but if you were worried about that factor you could consider non standard electrical sockets or wired in spurs to stop illicit shannigans, have also known charging stations to be fitted with timers too.

With regard to using the room as a dumping ground, suck it and see, if it becomes a problem fit a lock, to which only residents with electric scooters have keys perhaps. I fthat doesn't stop it then you might consider warning residents that the room will be permanantly unavailable if unauthorised storage continues, and coupled with that try and establish why things are getting dumped in the first place - i.e do tennats need more storage space and if so can that be provided elsewhere somehow.

[Paul2886]

Change smokes to heat in the residents quarters and fit mains operated smoke detectors with battery back-up

[JC100]

To me this sounds like a standard block of flats essentially which will only available to anyone over the age of 55 ?

Correct

With regard to the pull chord system my logic again is that as people get older, their health and mobility deteriorates. A monitored facility already in place to assist the resident in an emergency can only be a good thing in my opinion.

The problem with this is that as funding has been pulled, they now cannot monitor this system due to high costs, the residents will not want to pay for something they don't need.

[nearlythere]

All

The company i work for have just developed a building which was intended for sheltered residents. This building is a 2 storey containing 20 flats, a communal lounge, lift, 2 staircases and a mobility chair charging room. There is a fire alarm fitted throughout and all the flats have their emergency pull cords.

Due to funding issues, the building is now to be used as a general needs block, all residents will be over 55 though and are perfectly able.

Due to this use change, would you consider changing the alarm to stand alone smokes in each room or leave it as existing and see how it goes? If false alarms occur regularly then change.

I am suggesting to close off the communal lounge and the charging room as these will likely be used as 1) a dumping ground and 2) a way to steal the communal electricity by running extension leads through the building! Neither of these interfere with means of escape. The emergency pull cords to be disabled.

Any thoughts?

When you say developed what do you actually mean? Renovated or new build?

[JC100]

Sorry, new build, its just been finished

[kurnal]

Will you leave the common areas fire alarm in place when you remove the smoke detectors linked to the main system from the flats? Do you have sufficient compartmentation, ventilation etc to justify removal of the common areas alarm?

 If you leave the common areas alarm in place would you be better served by placing a heat detector in the flats linked to the common areas alarm system in addition to the stand alone smoke alarm?

How much fire seaparation is there between the  disused communal lounge etc  and the flat escape routes from the flats?

[JC100]

I think changing the individual flats detectors to stand alone, leaving the communal alarm in place would be best option. This would cut down any false alarms but save money from removing the whole system.

In answer to your question Kurnal, compartmentation is good and the building has smoke vents fitted.

The communal lounge is on ground floor and fitted with FD30s doors and is situated at the beginning of the corridor. All residents can travel in either direction when exiting their flat to get to a fire exit.