Author Topic: 'Rescue points' from purpose built flats above shops  (Read 2826 times)

Offline Mar62

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'Rescue points' from purpose built flats above shops
« on: May 27, 2018, 11:04:56 AM »
Came across something the other day. Looking at purpose built flats above shops built somewhere around the 60's i think. there are several entrances. Each entrance leads to a single staircase leading to 4 flats. no access between staircases. All brick / concrete construction. On each level (first and second) of each staircase there is a very small balcony area with various types of doors but the original doors are full length fully glazed. One resident made a minor complaint to the council and without anyone even visiting the place, a council official has declared the balconies as 'rescue points', and insisted that FD30's are installed between the staircase and the balconies. What is puzzling is that over the years, the council planners have allowed all the shops etc to build various structures, extensions and large restaurant extract ducts to the rear of their shops which would prevent any form of rescue anyway!! So if they were designed as rescue points surely planning wouldn't have allowed such structures?? Has anyone ever come across so called rescue points? I'm inclined to tell client not to fit the doors. There are other issues which are going to be dealt with though.
Each and every day is a learning curve and today is one of those days?

Offline nearlythere

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Re: 'Rescue points' from purpose built flats above shops
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2018, 09:27:10 AM »
Came across something the other day. Looking at purpose built flats above shops built somewhere around the 60's i think. there are several entrances. Each entrance leads to a single staircase leading to 4 flats. no access between staircases. All brick / concrete construction. On each level (first and second) of each staircase there is a very small balcony area with various types of doors but the original doors are full length fully glazed. One resident made a minor complaint to the council and without anyone even visiting the place, a council official has declared the balconies as 'rescue points', and insisted that FD30's are installed between the staircase and the balconies. What is puzzling is that over the years, the council planners have allowed all the shops etc to build various structures, extensions and large restaurant extract ducts to the rear of their shops which would prevent any form of rescue anyway!! So if they were designed as rescue points surely planning wouldn't have allowed such structures?? Has anyone ever come across so called rescue points? I'm inclined to tell client not to fit the doors. There are other issues which are going to be dealt with though.
Could the balcony hold 2 families? Anyway, sounds a load of council balcony to me. Why would you have a rescue point from a stairway enclosure? If you can get to the stairway then the stairway must be clear of the effects of a fire.
We're not Brazil we're Northern Ireland.

Offline Mar62

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Re: 'Rescue points' from purpose built flats above shops
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2018, 03:05:19 PM »
Glad someone is thinking same. You could fit about 4 slim people on there at a squeeze. I agree that its sounds like a load of rubbish especially as no one from the council actually visited. Just based on a call from a tenant. I dont know how to post a picture on here but i really cannot see how anyone in their right mind would see these as a point from where rescue could be made. An ALP wouldn't be able to get around the back anyway so it would have to be made from ladders with persons moving across unknown roof structures.
Each and every day is a learning curve and today is one of those days?