What are the requirements for a fire exit?

What is a fire exit?

  • Lead directly as possible to a safe place, such as outside or into a protected stairwell.
  • Be quick and easy to open and never locked or fastened in a way that prevents an immediate evacuation.
  • Open in the direction of escape.
  • Not be a sliding or revolving door.

How many fire exits does a building need?

The government guideline states that for up to 60 persons 1 fire exit is needed, for up to 600 persons 2 fire exits are needed and in cases of more than 600 people there must be at least 3 fire exits.

Where should a fire exit be placed?

Each exit discharge must go directly outside the building, an open space with access to the outside, or a refuge area. Each exit discharge must be large enough for the number of people likely to use that exit route.

Do fire exit doors need to be self closing?

In most residential settings, a fire door is legally required to be self closing. This means that they have a fire door closer fitted to the top of the door, to ensure they are closed at all times – which is vitally important in the event of a fire.

Do all buildings need two exits?

More than One. If possible, more than one fire exit is recommended. All fire exit doors need to be completely independent of each other, with distinct escape routes that provide multiple opportunities to evacuate the building. In any building, the distance to a fire exit needs to be as short as possible.

How many fire exits should each room have?

Answer: Normally, a workplace must have at least two exit routes to permit prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an emergency.

What is the maximum distance to a fire exit?

In any building, the distance to a fire exit needs to be as short as possible. In a structure with multiple fire exits, nobody should be more than 60 metres away from a fire exit. If your business premises is used for industrial work that has a high risk of fire, that maximum distance drops to 25 metres.

Can a fire exit door be used as an entrance?

We’re sometimes asked, incidentally, whether a designated fire exit can also legally be used as a regular entrance/exit door i.e. for every day use. The answer is yes it can – indeed the fact that it is in daily use makes it ideal as an escape route as its location is well known.

Are fire door inspections a legal requirement?

Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO/FSO) makes it a legal requirement to ensure that fire resisting doors and escape doors are correctly installed and adequately maintained in order for them to be fit for purpose.