SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

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Building Regulations: Technical Standards

E3 Design for horizontal escape

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR escape routes AND EXITS

E3.1* An escape route in a building of purpose groups 2 to 7, and in those parts of a building of purpose sub-group 1A which are not dwellings (eg an access balcony or an escape stair) must give access to a place of safety, or to another compartment (see E2.8) -

a. directly; or

b. by way of a protected zone or unprotected zone; or

c. by way of an unprotected zone to a protected zone; or

d. by way of a flat roof as allowed by E3.2, or an access deck; or

e. by way of an exit to an external escape stair (see E4.6); or

f. in the case of escape from an inner room not containing sleeping accommodation or not intended to be used as sleeping accommodation, by way of one other room, other than a place of special fire risk; the escape route from that other room must comply with a, b, c, d or e above; or.

g. in the case of escape from an inner room containing sleeping accommodation or intended to be used as sleeping accommodation, in a hospital designed with sub-compartmentation and the enclosure of fire hazard rooms, by way of one other room, other than a fire hazard room or a place of special fire risk: the escape route from that other room must comply with a, b, c, d or e above.

E3.2 Where more than one exit is available from a storey one exit from that storey may give access to an escape route across a flat roof (see Table 2 to D2.1, item 8) provided that -

a. it serves a building of purpose group or sub-group 1A, 1B, 3, 6 or 7 or part of a building of purpose group or sub-group 2B, 4 or 5 to which the public has no access; and

b. there are no exhausts of any kind within 2m of the escape route; and

c. any wall, including a door or a window in the wall, within 2m of the escape route must have at least 30 minutes fire resistance for integrity from the inside and no unprotected area is permitted below a height of 1.1m measured from the level of the escape route; and

d. any roof hatch or roof light forming part of the roof within 2m of the escape route has at least 30 minutes fire resistance for integrity from the underside; and

e. there is a wall or protective barrier at least 1.1m high on each side of the escape route.

E3.3 An escape route must be free of any obstruction or barrier, except -

a. any door which can be easily opened without the use of a key and be hung so that the swing of the door in any position does not reduce the required width of escape route (see E5.3); and

b. the minimum width of an escape route may be reduced where there is a requirement for a doorway across the escape route provided the clear opening width is no more than 150mm less than the minimum width of the escape route, except -

i. where the number of people using the escape route is not more than 225 it may be reduced to 850mm

ii. where the number of people using the escape route is not more than 100 it may be reduced to 750mm

E3.4* An escape route must not be by way of -

a. a lift, except -

i. a suitably designed and installed evacuation lift with a refuge for disabled people at each storey served by the lift. Both the lift and the refuge must be situated within a protected zone which must provide access to a place of safety. The evacuation lift, if provided, must be in addition to the means of escape for disabled people required by E2.2; and

ii. a fire-fighting lift; or

b. a passenger conveyor, or

c. a turnstile other than a suitably designed and installed turnstile unit with an emergency pressure operated facility enabling the entire unit to open in the direction of escape; or

d. a shutter, other than a shutter which is installed for security purposes across a shopfront and which does not close automatically in the event of fire, but not a shutter across an opening between a protected zone and a place of safety; or

e. a revolving door, an automatic sliding door or an automatic door other than one of suitable design and construction; or

f. a sliding door, other than one to which the public does not have access and which is clearly marked on both sides with a suitable sign; or

g. a fixed ladder, other than a suitable fixed ladder constructed of non-combustible materials providing access to a plant room other than a place of special fire risk which is normally unoccupied except for maintenance purposes.

CLEAR HEIGHT OF escape routes OR CIRCULATION AREAS

E3.5 An escape route or circulation area must have a clear height of at least 2 metres, except -

in a doorway it may be reduced to not less than 1.9 metres.

WIDTH OF escape routes

E3.6 a. The aggregate unobstructed width in mm of all escape routes from a room, storey or space must be at least 5.3 x the occupancy capacity of the room, storey or space.

except -

in an enclosed shopping centre with a mall on one or two storeys, where —

i. the aggregate unobstructed width in mm of all escape routes from the mall must be at least 2.65 x the occupancy capacity of the entire shopping centre (that is the mall and all shops, except those over 1300m2 where the means of escape has been designed independently of the mall); and

ii. the aggregate unobstructed exit width in mm from each shop to the mall (except those except those over 1300m2 where the means of escape has been designed independently of the mall) must be at least 5.3 x the occupancy capacity of the shop; and

iii. the aggregate unobstructed exit width in mm from each shop to a route which does not enter the mall (except those which comply with the specification for kiosks in E8.24) must be at least 5.3 x the occupancy capacity of the shop.

b. The unobstructed width of each individual escape route from a room, storey or space must be at least 1200mm,

except -

i. where the room, storey or space is inaccessible to wheelchair users the width may be reduced to not less than 1100mm, and

ii. where the occupancy capacity of the room, storey or space is not more than 100 and it is inaccessible to wheelchair users the width may be reduced to not less than 1000mm.

c. An escape route must not narrow in the direction of escape, but may pass through a wider circulation area leading to a narrower circulation area provided the latter is of a width at least that required for the escape route.

d. The unobstructed width of each individual exit from a mall in an enclosed shopping centres must be at least 1.8m wide.

e. In enclosed shopping centres with a mall, if service corridors are used for means of escape directly from a shop or shops, the unobstructed width must be based on the total number of occupants of the largest shop that evacuates into the corridor, plus, except at column positions, an additional width of one metre.

f. In enclosed shopping centres with a mall, if service corridors are used for means of escape directly from a shop or shops, such service corridors must not be used for any form of storage.

E3.7 Where more than one escape route is required from a room, storey or space -

a. the unobstructed width in mm of each escape route must be not less than that required by E3.6; and

b. the occupancy capacity of a storey may be apportioned unequally between the escape routes from that storey when determining the width of the escape routes (see E4.2).

MEANS OF ESCAPE IN STORAGE AREAS WITH FIXED OBSTRUCTIONS

E3.8 In any building the width of any gangways and stairways within a storage area containing fixed obstructions (including fixed racking or shelving and high-bay storage) must be not less than 530mm, except -

in a store for the bulk storage of spirituous liquor gangways may be reduced to 400mm.

MEANS OF ESCAPE IN A ROOM OR SPACE WITH FIXED SEATING, FIXED TABLES AND OTHER FIXED OBSTRUCTIONS

E3.9 In any building, in a room or space or part of a room or space with fixed seating and any fixed tables or other floor fixtures there must be access to an exit by way of a gangway or a seatway, or a circulation area subject to E3.9d. -

a. in any building or part of a building with fixed seating or fixed seating and fixed tables the width of a gangway, or a seatway (measured between seats, or table and seat), must be not less than the minimum in the table and diagram to this standard; and

b. escape from any point shall be by way of a gangway or from a seatway by way of a gangway to an exit or from a seatway directly to an exit; and

c. where the room or space is an auditorium and requires more than one exit -

i. at least one exit must be provided not less than two-thirds of the distance from any stage, screen or performing area to the back of the room or space, and

ii. a gangway must be provided at each end of any row of more than 12 fixed seats; and

d. in a building of purpose group 4 where the room or space or part of the room or space has an occupancy capacity of more than 100 the minimum width of a circulation area must comply with E3.6 as if the circulation area were an escape route.

Table to E3.9: Minimum width of gangways and seatways in rooms or spaces with fixed seating

Note: 1. May be reduced to 900 where the occupancy capacity of the room or space is not more than 60.

DIAGRAM TO E3.9: MINIMUM WIDTH OF GANGWAYS AND SEATWAYS IN ROOMS OR SPACES WITH FIXED SEATING (Dimensions in mm)

Diagram

ESCAPE ROUTES: DIRECTION OF ESCAPE

E3.10 Every escape route from a room, storey or space must be independent of any other escape route from that room, storey or space, and where more than one escape route is required they must provide alternative directions of escape in accordance with E2.11.

E3.11 Where more than one exit is required from a storey or space, access from any point within the storey or space must be provided to not less than 2 exits from the storey or space, except -

a. from a room on the ground storey of a building which room is required to have only one exit and from which room the travel distance to the nearest exit giving direct access to a place of safety complies with E2.6 as to the maximum travel distance related to one direction of travel from any point within the storey.

b. exits from a room or space with an occupancy capacity of not more than 100 may be to an unprotected zone which provides escape in 2 directions as required by E2.11.

E3.12 Where 2 or more escape stair enclosures are required from a storey or space, it must be possible to reach at least 2 such enclosures without passing through either of them or any other escape stair enclosure or any place of special fire risk.

LIGHTING OF escape routes AND CIRCULATION AREAS

E3.13 Any part of an escape route from a door to a flat or maisonette or from a door to a room in a building of purpose group 2-7 other than a building to which Part 1 of the Cinematographic (Safety) (Scotland) Regulations, 1955 applies, must have artificial lighting providing a level of illumination not less than that provided by suitable emergency lighting supplied with electric current -

a. by a protected circuit; and

b. if it serves a protected zone, by a separate circuit from that supplying any other part of the escape route, except -

a protected circuit is not required where suitable emergency lighting is installed in accordance with E7.7.

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