FDS Consult UK has devised a clever solution to a big fire safety challenge at 22-24 Uxbridge Road in Ealing.
As the development is comprised of both a hotel and an office which shared their secondary escape stair, this represented a real issue in relation to the building regulations as well as for the building owners regarding means of escape in the event of a fire.
Whilst each has its own fire fighting shaft as a Primary means of escape, the two accommodations had to share the secondary means of escape which presents both occupant safety and Building Regulations approvals issues.
FDS Consult UK addressed the challenge by designing an access control and fire detection systems that connected with the CCTV system into the staircase that meant only the accommodation affected by the fire would be un-locked – this ensures that the stairwell provides an adequate means of escape for the building occupants. The evacuation strategy devised by FDS Consult UK included guidance on simultaneous evacuation for the office occupants, whilst in the hotel only the affected level would be evacuated.
The system also addressed any potential security issues with occupants from one accommodation accessing the other.
For more information on this solution and other innovative system designs by FDS Consult UK please contact 01322 387 411.
