Fire Escape Staircase Projects
Fire Escape Staircases
Our Fire Escape Staircases
We survey, design, manufacture and install fire escape staircases across the South of England. Through years of experience across a broad range of residential and commercial applications, we will be able to advise you of the core requirements required to meet all the required regulations.
You will find a wealth of information about staircases on this page but should you have any questions about our fire escape staircases, please feel free to use our contact form or to call through to our offices.
Finishes for External Fire Escape Staircases
There are a number of finishes available for your fire escape project, the most common is a galvanised finish which is simply a zinc coating that provides very long-lasting corrosion protection. Generally, we recommend galvanising to external metal staircases as a standard.
Further finishes include wet painted finishes and powder coating. We generally recommend powder coating as it is a more durable finish than most wet paint systems.
Spiral Fire Escapes
Spiral staircases are commonly used as a means of escape. One of the reasons for doing so is the footprint area that a spiral staircase takes vs traditional staircases
Regulations for fire escape stairs are covered by various documents, including:
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005:
What is a Fire Exit?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005, which came into force in October 2006, charges the responsible person(s) in control of non-domestic premises with the safety of everyone, whether employed in or visiting the building. Under Article 14 of the RRFSO, this duty of care includes ensuring that “routes to emergency exits from premises and the exits themselves are kept clear at all times” (14: 1) and that these “emergency routes and exits must lead as directly as possible to a place of safety” (14: 2: a). In other words, the entire escape route up to and including the final exit from a building must remain unobstructed at all times, while the distance people have to go to escape (the travel distance) must be as short as possible.
In terms of fire safety, the final exits on an escape route in a public building are known as fire exits. They may or may not be located on the usual route of traffic when the premises are operating under normal circumstances. The final exit doors should open easily, immediately and, wherever practicable, “in the direction of escape”, i.e. outwards into a place of safety outside the building. Sliding or revolving doors must not be used for exits specifically intended as fire exits. The emergency routes and fire exits must be well lit and indicated by appropriate signs, e.g. ‘Fire Exit – Keep Clear’. In locations that require illumination, emergency lighting of adequate intensity must be provided in case the normal lighting fails, and illuminated signs used. This is because, as noted in the HM Government publication “Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Offices and Shops” (May 2006): “The primary purpose of emergency escape lighting is to illuminate escape routes but it also illuminates other safety equipment”.