Inner Rooms and should one hug the codes?

[Tom Sutton]

We have a small office within a room (a partition separates them) which then leads into the main office on the ground floor in effect 3 rooms. The inner office is used by one officer. Is this satisfactory in terms of somebody using the inner office? The ground floor accommodates 10 persons in total and two escape routes are provided on each side of the office. It would take you, seconds to travel from the inner small office to the outer one and finally into the main office which is approximately 2metres from the protected stairwell and final exit to outside.
 
The inner office has a smoke detector and glass panel in the door, the next room also has a smoke detector and fire alarm sounder together with a glass panel door which leads into the main office. The small main office has smoke detection and sounders. All are hard wired into/ linked to the fire panel. All the glass panels are fire rated.

I received the above question recently and I have replied to it.

I am aware it did not conform to the CLG guide, an inner room and two access rooms. Assuming the information is accurate and the fire risk is normal for an office. Then in my opinion, considering the vision panels, the AFD and the limited travel distance the layout would have been acceptable, does anybody disagree with this assessment?

[kurnal]

I am aware it did not conform to the CLG guide, an inner room and two access rooms. Assuming the information is accurate and the fire risk is normal for an office. Then in my opinion, considering the vision panels, the AFD and the limited travel distance the layout would have been acceptable, does anybody disagree with this assessment?

Yes. I mean no. I dont disagree. Specially if the outermost room is staffed.

[CivvyFSO]

TW

When detection is present like you describe I fail to see the big deal about inner-inner rooms in offices.

Statistics-wise, I suppose you have doubled your chance of a faulty detector at the time you need it, but I still wouldn't lose much sleep about it. Unless I was sleeping in it of course.

[nearlythere]

Why not.
Northern Ireland legislation contains the following:-

Taking of measures under Article 25 or 26: considerations
     27. —(1) Paragraph (2) applies where under Article 25(2)(b) or (3)(b) or 26(2)(b) or (5)(b) a person is required to take any fire safety measures.

    (2) The person shall implement the fire safety measures on the basis of the considerations specified in paragraph (3).

    (3) The considerations referred to in paragraph (2) are–

(a) avoiding risks;

(b) evaluating risks which cannot be avoided;

(c) combating risks at source;

(d) adapting to technical progress;

[jokar]

This is a perfrectly safe scenario.  AFD and the vision will give early warning and the travel distances are so small, in theory, to be negligible.

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks you all for your reassurance I thought it was a relatively straight forward situation but I have seen question posed on this forum which appeared to be simple and turn into a very complicated thread.