Third floor apartment, should it have a fire escape?

ARGINITE

I live in a third floor apartment, it has one exit at the front of the apartment. The bedrooms are at the back of the apartment. Both bedrooms have windows but the apartment is on the third floor, so any attempt at escaping from either of these windows would lead to injury as it is quite a drop to a concrete patio.
Should their be a proper fire escape [ladder, etc] from one of these windows?

Ste.phen

Probably not, but the stairs out in the common area have some fairly strict rules regarding their fire safety ratings, as far as I know.
It was mentioned here before. I know any apartments I've seen haven't had their own fire escapes, but the common areas had high ceilings and little-to-no flammable materials. They also had a fire escape at the bottom of the stairs.
Maybe someone here has an idea of the regs?

ARGINITE

Thanks, I have been looking for an answer for this for a while.

GeturGun

I used to live next door to someone that bought one of those ladders that you hook onto the ledge hang out the window - her own personal fire escape.

Mikros

It really depends on the height, design and layout of the building, but there is no mandatory requirement to have a second fire escape. The regulations your looking for are the Building Regulations Technical Guidance document B. And also specifically for flats/apartments British Standard 5588:1990 part 1 contains guidance on passive fire protection.

Most apartment blocks work on the principal of compartmentilisation, where each room and apartment is considered a separate compartment that is designed through fire resisting walls/doors to limit the spread of fire and smoke. This allows enough time for evacuation in conjunction with a (working) fire detection and alarm system.

As I said it depends on the particular building. But this would be looked at when a fire certificate is awarded so unless its an old old building its probably ok.

GalwayDocksGirl

I am abit concerned about fire safety at our apartment, it is 4 stories high and I am on the top floor. Some of the windows in the other tenant's rooms do not open fully as the key got lost (a previous tenant probably took it) and the landlord hasn't been able to find a new one. An agency has now taken over and I asked about fire safety but they referred me to the structure of the building and the Management company. We have fire detectors but nothing else, just a dark staircase with six flights of stairs, and one door at the bottom. There are no fire exits. Obviously they want us to use the windows in case of emergency, I suggested a step ladder (it's a long way down, concrete underneath!) or something but have not got any reply. There is carpet in the staircase and no fire blankets or extinguisher in the kitchen or house.
Before I go out and buy all these things to protect myself I would like to know if I am entitled to more support from the landlord or his agency. Thanks

Victor

There are certain minimum standards for (a) apartments (b) rented properties.

Talk to the housing department and fire brigade of your local council and explain what you have said here.

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Provided the main staris complies with the regulations, there is no absolute need for a separate fire escape.

godtabh

The strucutres are generally desinged for a certain fire rating i.e 30mins 60mins which gives you time to escape. Fire routes are specd so that no flamable materials are along the route and that each unit of the aparment block is isolated to prevent the spread of fire.

There is a lot of infomration in the building regs

xt40

dont trust your life on the assumption that some builder followed some iffy fire regs.
in your position, i would follow a previous posters advice and obtain an escape ladder

godtabh

xt40 wrote: »

dont trust your life on the assumption that some builder followed some iffy fire regs.
in your position, i would follow a previous posters advice and obtain an escape ladder

Why are the iffy fire regs?