GENERAL
E6.1* In every building a room, a protected zone or an unprotected zone, including any ceiling or rooflight or surface mounted light fitting with diffuser of plastics material, must have wall and ceiling surfaces which adequately resist the surface spread of flame, and there must be no plastics panels or fabrics in fire resisting ceilings, except -
there are no requirements for plastics diffusers in surface mounted light fittings not forming part of the ceiling where the plastics diffusers are mounted so as to fall out of their mountings when softened by heat.
GALLERIES
E7.1 A gallery must be open above and below to the room or space into which it projects and must not give access to any other room or space other than a room or space with means of escape independent of the gallery, except -
a. it may be wholly or partly enclosed below; or
b. where it has at least 30 minutes fire resistance for loadbearing capacity and integrity from the underside and one escape route is by way of a protected zone.
Note: The requirements for enclosure of escape stairs from a gallery are given at E4.6b.
OPENINGS BETWEEN FLOORS
E7.2 In a building of purpose group 3 to 7 an opening in any floor, not being a separating floor or compartment floor (for these see D3.7), which may contain an accommodation stair, escalator or scenic lift (not being a lift within an enclosure) must be enclosed, at each storey above the lowest, by construction having at least 30 minutes fire resistance for integrity from both sides and any door in the enclosure must be a fire door (see Diagram A to this standard), except -
a. where the plan area, or the aggregate plan area where there is more than one such opening in the floor, is not more than 50 m2, and -
i. escape from any point on the floor within 4.5m of the opening is directly away from the opening; and
ii. escape from any point on the floor more than 4.5m from the opening does not pass within that distance of the opening (see Diagrams B and C to this standard); or
b. where the floor is a gallery, or
c. in the mall of an enclosed shopping centre on one or two storeys.
DIAGRAM TO E7.2: OPENINGS BETWEEN FLOORS
Diagram
ROOFTOP PLANT ROOMS
E7.3 In any building the distance to be travelled from any point to the exit within a rooftop plant room must be not more than 18m if only one direction of escape is available and not more than 45m if there is more than one direction of escape.
PLACES OF SPECIAL FIRE RISK
E7.4 In any building the distance to be travelled from any point to the exit within a place of special fire risk must be not more than 9m if only one direction of escape is available and not more than 18m if there is more than one direction of escape.
E7.5 A place of special fire risk must be separated from an escape route by any of the following -
a. a fire door if -
i. there is more than one escape route from that part of the building where the place of special fire risk is situated; or
ii. the escape route is the only one from that part of the building and is accessible only to maintenance staff; or
iii. the escape route is in a protected zone and serves no other part of the building; or
b. a protected lobby if the escape route is in a protected zone serving another part of the building; or
c. a room or circulation area if the escape route forms the only escape route from any other part of the building.
Note: The total travel distance from any point to the nearest protected door is given by the table to E2.6. See also D3.10.
MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEMS
E7.6* Where a mechanical ventilation system is provided -
a. the system must be of a suitable design and construction; and
b. it must ensure, so far as is practicable, that air movement is directed away from protected and unprotected zones; and
c. ducts within the system must be of a suitable design and construction; and
d. where in a building of Purpose Group 2 (other than a hospital designed with sub-compartmentation and the enclosure of fire hazard rooms) a ventilating duct serving sleeping accommodation penetrates walls between the sleeping accommodation, either above or below a ceiling, the duct must comply with D5.1 as if the walls the duct penetrates above or below the ceiling as the case may be were required to be fire resisting. Any automatic damper or shutter or other sealing device in the duct must be activated by smoke,
except -
these requirements do not apply to a mechanical ventilation system within a dwelling (see Part K).
EMERGENCY LIGHTING
E7.7* Suitable emergency lighting must be provided in accordance with the table to this standard (see E3.13) -
Table to E7.7: Emergency lighting
|
Purpose group or sub-group |
Part of building requiring emergency lighting |
|
1A other than a dwelling, 2-7 |
1.A protected zone or unprotected zone in a building with a storey at a height of more than 18m. 2. A room with an occupancy capacity of 60 or more or any room containing an inner room with an occupancy capacity of more than 60, and any protected zone or unprotected zone serving such a room. 3. An underground car park including any protected zone or unprotected zone serving it where less than 30% of the perimeter of the car park is open to the external air. 4. A protected zone or unprotected zone serving a basement storey. 5. A place of special fire risk (other than one requiring access only for the purposes of maintenance) and any protected zone or unprotected zone serving it. 6. Any part of an air supported structure, other than one ancillary to a dwelling. |
|
Purpose group or sub-group |
Requirements additional to 1-6 above |
|
2 (institutional and other residential) |
7. A room with an occupancy capacity of 10 or more and any protected zone or unprotected zone serving such a room. 8. A protected zone or unprotected zone serving a storey required to have 2 or more escape routes other than, subject to 1. above, a storey in a building not more than 2 storeys high with a floor area of not more than 300m2. 9. A protected zone or unprotected zone in a single stair building of 2 storeys or more with an occupancy capacity of 10 or more. |
|
4 (shops and commercial) |
10. In shop premises, a protected zone or unprotected zone serving a storey required to have 2 or more escape routes. 11. In an enclosed shopping centre with a mall on two or more storeys or having a total floor area in excess of 5,600 square metres, the mall and any protected zones or unprotected zones required to have 2 or more escape routes. |
|
5 (assembly) |
12. A protected zone or unprotected zone serving - a. a storey required to have 2 or more escape routes; or b. any storey in a non-residential school of more than one storey. |
|
6 (industrial) |
13. A protected zone or unprotected zone serving a storey required to have 2 or more escape routes. |
|
7A (high hazard storage) |
14. A protected zone or unprotected zone serving a storey required to have 2 or more escape routes, other than in a single-storey building with a floor area of not more than 500m2. |
|
7C open-sided car parks) |
15. A protected zone or unprotected zone serving any storey. |