Houses in Multiple Occupation fire safety guidance

AFD (see appendix B for more detail)

Automatic fire detection and warning system. A system of interlinked smoke and heat detectors with integral or linked alarm sounders. The AFD system is designed to provide a reliable and constant means of detecting smoke or fire at the earliest possible stage and to sound an audible warning to occupiers, enabling them to escape before the fire develops to a dangerous stage. The sophistication and coverage of the system varies depending on risk. Design, installation and maintenance of AFD systems for premises covered in this guide are laid down in BS 5839 or equivalent.

Area of high fire risk

Room or other area which, because of its function, use or contents, presents a greater risk of fire occurring and developing than a standard risk room or elsewhere - for example kitchens, boiler rooms and large storerooms

Competent person

A person suitably trained and experienced so as to be able to properly examine, test and undertake any remedial action and to present the information in a report.

FD30 / FD30s

Purpose designed and built fire-resisting door and frame with a minimum fire resistance of 30 minutes. The 30 figure indicates the door's performance time in minutes. A letter 'S' after the figure denotes a requirement for smoke seals to be fitted so as to restrict the passage of smoke, including cold smoke. Tested to either British or European standards.

Final exit

The termination of a protected escape route from a building giving direct access to a place of safety such as a street, passageway, walkway or open space, and sited to ensure that persons can disperse safely from the vicinity of the effects of fire.

Fire risk assessment

An organised and methodical look at a premise, the activities carried on there and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm to those in and around the premises. The aim is to identify and eliminate or reduce hazards of risks associated with fire and to help you decide what fire safety measures are needed within the premises. A requirement in premises to which the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) applies.

Flat in Multiple Occupation

A self-contained flat occupied by persons who do not form a single household.

Intumescent strip

A strip of special material fitted around the edges of a fire door which swells to several times its original volume when subjected to heat. During a fire it will expand to fill the gap between the door and the frame providing a fire, heat and smoke resistant seal, thereby improving the door's fire resistance.

Person having control

The person who receives the rack rent of the premises (whether on his own account or as an agent or trustee of another person) or would so receive it if the premises were let at a rack rent (Housing Act 2004, section 263). "Rack rent" means a rent which is not less than two thirds of the full market value of the premises. If the premises are unlet or let at less than a rack rent (e.g. at a ground rent) it is the person who would receive it if the premises were let at a "rack rent". The key points to note are that to be the person having control you must receive rent but you can receive it in your own right or as agent (or Trustee) for another. Thus, a managing agent who collects rent will be the person having control as well as the landlord. More than one person can be the person having control at the same time.

Person managing

The person who, being an owner or lessee of the premises:

(a) Receives (whether directly or through an agent or trustee) rents or other payments from

(i) in the case of a house in multiple occupation, persons who are in occupation as tenants or licensees of parts of the premises; and

(ii) in the case of a house to which part 3 applies (see section 79(2)), persons who are in occupation as tenants or licensees of parts of the premises, or of the whole of the premises; or

(b) Would so receive those rents or other payments but for having entered into an arrangement (whether in pursuance of a court order or otherwise) with another person who is not an owner or lessee of the premises by virtue of which that other person receives the rents or other payments; and includes, where those rents or other payments are received through another person as agent or trustee, that other person.

Protected escape route

A protected route out of a building offering a degree of protection from fire and smoke emanating from rooms opening onto it. In premises covered by this guide it will typically be the usual staircase, landings and hallway of the house leading to a final exit. A protected escape route will provide varying degrees of protection from fire and smoke in accordance with risk (a 30-minute protected route, for example, will be enclosed with construction giving 30 minutes of fire resistance and containing 30-minute fire-resisting doors with smoke seals (FD30S)). Higher risk premises will have protected routes offering a higher standard.

The objective is to prevent fires from spreading into the route, thereby allowing occupants the opportunity to escape unassisted from any point in a building to a place of safety, clear of the building.

Relevant persons

Relevant persons include anyone lawfully on the premises and those in the vicinity of the premises who would be affected by any fire at the premises.

Responsible person

The responsible person for the purposes of fire safety provision and maintenance at residential accommodation is the person having control, i.e. the landlord or person managing.

Risk room

A room with a function, use or contents presenting a risk of fire occurring and developing; typically kitchens, shared living rooms, bedsit rooms. On risk assessment may include bedrooms in some cases. Excludes bathrooms and WCs containing no fire risk. See also 'area of high fire risk'

Smoke seal/strip

A rubber or synthetic strip fitted around the edge of a fire door to restrict the passage of smoke between the door and the frame. Doors requiring a smoke seal have the letter 's' after their performance time in minutes in their designation (for example FD30s). The smoke resistance of the door when fitted with the strip will have been tested to standards in BS 476: part 31.1, 1983.

Storey

In this guidance only for the purposes of fire safety, when counting the number of storeys the reader should count all floors from the level of the final exit to the topmost floor (include mezzanines as storeys). Where the final exit is located on the ground floor (or raised ground floor) any lower ground floor/basement/cellar should not be counted. Therefore, a house with a basement, ground and two upper floors with its entrance/final exit at ground floor level should be counted as a three-storey house. Note: this is a different convention to that in the HMO licensing definition (which counts cellars/basements) as this guidance is considering the distance of travel to the final exit as a factor in determining fire risk.

Underdrawn

Means to line the underside of a structure, such as a staircase with plasterwork, boarding, or the like to ensure adequate (i.e.30 minute) fire resistance.