Standard Aisle widths

[handyandi]

At a busy time like Christmas there is always a situation caused when venues with temporary seating (such as churches etc) try & fit more chairs in than they really should. Is there a defined or even legal width to an aisle between rows & also a dimension for the amount of leg room between rows of chairs. I want to try & plan our venue's seating options out to include these dimensions to ensure we are safe & comfortable but maximizing our space.

Thanks.

[Robin D]

The simple answer is no, there are no 'standards'. However there are building regs to define the widths of fire exits and paths. The Equality act also has an impact if you have people who are less able.

 

You venue may also have a licence from the local authority, and this should define the maximum number of people for various activities. Our village hall is 160 seated OR 200 dancing or standing.

 

Ideally each of these venues would do a proper risk assessment, but I suspect most churches don't. One Christmas eve, teh church was packed with standing room only, yet everyone was given a lighted candle and the main lights extinguished at midnight. Heaven knows what would have happened if someone had pushed a their candle onto the clothes of the person standing in front of them.

 

Best thing is to do a RA. That way at least you can prove you've thought about it.

[richard]

Actually there is a standard - ABTT's "Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment" (AKA the Yellow Book) is the key here. The legroom (known as seatway) and the ailse widths are relative to the number of seats in the row. The book isn't legally binding, however most Local Authorities use it as a reference when reviewing schemes.

 

Even if you are not legally bound by the Yellow Book it is worth using it when formulating the Risk Assessment for a venue or church as if you don't you may need to justify any deviation in court were something to go wrong!

[Brian]

Even if you are not legally bound by the Yellow Book...

Actually, many LAs have adopted complying with the Yellow Book as a condition of Premises Licences.

[Just Some Bloke]

I would normally consider a standard aisle as being 1.1m wide, but naturally there are a lot of factors that go into defining exactly what it should be. In a normal situation with decent fire exits and seats that are held together somehow in sensible lengths of rows (not too long), then if you go with 1.1m you should be OK most of the time. If you wanted to go with less than that then I'd expect a risk assessment!

[Robin D]

Yes, but churches (Places of worship) are exempt from the premises licence requirement.

Place of Worship (Schedule 1, Part 2 Exemptions) - Premises such as churches do not require a premises licence for activities, which would otherwise be classified as 'regulated entertainment' taking place at the church.

However a church hall does need one.

 

I don't know what the situation is when the hall opens out into the church and is used for additional seating. :o

 

If in doubt a good RA should cover it I would have thought.

[timsabre]

I don't know what the situation is when the hall opens out into the church and is used for additional seating. :o

 

Or what happens if a hired building is being used for a church service - does that make it a (temporary) place of worship?

My church meets in a school hall and another one nearby meets in a cinema.

[djw1981]

I think it is more a derivation due to pews often being fixed / structural components and thus to avoid having to butcher a 1.1m ailse where only a 0.9m one existed since construction....

[Dave m]

I sometimes go to a hall where there are 600 chairs.

Roughly 20 to a row, each metal framed chair locks together in the traditional hook under/over at the side, but the leg rook is pathetic. You have only about 12" and I don't know how they get away with it. A large punter trying to get to a centre row seat tends to fall over.

I wouldn't fancy my chances in a fire if in the slap bang centre

[Roderick]

For Australian viewers, the requirements can be found in the Building Code of Australia.

NSW has the most detailed specifications:

NSW H101.11 Seating in rows

This clause does not apply to continental seating or seating at tables.

NSW H101.11.1 Number of seats

Subject to NSW H101.11.5, where seating is arranged in rows, the maximum of seats in each

row must not exceed—

(a) 8 where there is an aisle at one end only of the row; or

(b) l6 where there are aisles on both ends of the row.

 

NSW H101.11.2 Chairs used for seating

Chairs used for seating must—

(a) where they have arms, be at least 500 mm from centre to centre; and

(b) where they do not have arms, be at least 450 mm from centre to centre; and

© have a minimum lateral clearance of at least 300 mm between—

(I) the front of each chair and the back of the chair in front; or

(ii) if a guardrail is provided in front of the chairs, between the front of each chair and

the guardrail; and

(d) have a distance of at least 950 mm between the back of each chair and the back of the

chair in front.

 

NSW H101.11.3 Chairs in auditoriums—Level floors

Chairs in an auditorium that has a level floor must be—

(a) securely fastened to the floor; or

(b) secured together in groups of not less than 4 and not more than 16.

 

NSW H101.11.4 Chairs in auditoriums—Sloping floors

Chairs in an auditorium having a sloping floor, or having stepped or inclined platforms, must be

securely fastened to the floor or platform.

 

NSW H101.11.5 Radiating aisles in seating areas

Where seating is securely fastened to the floor and arranged in rows of concentric circles, semicircles

or segments of circles, with radiating aisles—

(a) the number of seats in each row between 2 aisles must not exceed 24; and

(b) each seat must—

(I) have a minimum lateral clearance of at least 325 mm between the front of the seat

and the back of the seat in front; and

(ii) have a distance of at least 975 mm between the back of the seat and the back of

the seat in front; and

© the rows may be curved or straight.

 

NSW H101.11.6 Aisles and cross-overs

Where aisles and cross-overs are provided—

(a) each aisle must have a width of at least 1000 mm and each cross-over must have a width

of at least 1500 mm; and

(b) the floor of each aisle must not have a grade of more than 1 in 8 at any part; and

© if there is a step from a row to an aisle or from a landing to an aisle, the step must not

project into the aisle.

 

There is more detail about different configurations but this'll give you a starting point.

[the kid]

I would normally consider a standard aisle as being 1.1m wide, but naturally there are a lot of factors that go into defining exactly what it should be. In a normal situation with decent fire exits and seats that are held together somehow in sensible lengths of rows (not too long), then if you go with 1.1m you should be OK most of the time. If you wanted to go with less than that then I'd expect a risk assessment!

 

I have always understood it to be 120cm between seats

[pmiller056]

The ABTT yellow book is an expensive buy for a one-off. Most local libraries where I stay do not have access to a copy. There is good useful info (including seating layout, aisle size and exit design guidelines) in the free version of the 'yellow book' aimed at smaller, casual venues. It's a free download from http://www.rusafe.org.uk/ . You should use the info in this book as a guide to good practice.

 

One thing that happens frequently in (well meaning) temporary venues is that seating which is not secured to the floor, but set out in rows really should be secured together in the rows so that if the audience gets spooked or panics, there is little risk of having to deal with mixed pile of unhappy people and upended stacking chairs. All it takes is a fistful of cable ties. When the seats stay in rows, an evacuation is much more ordered and safe.

 

Peter

[kerry davies]

I think it depends on too many factors to be rigidly fixed and always used to err on the side of comfort, safety and generosity.

 

For me 1.2M would be bare minimum and four foot for preference because so much stuff I needed to carry down there is in four foot widths. Just my preference and all the "regulation" figures are minima anyway.

[Just Some Bloke]

From 'Fire precautions in Places of Entertainment' (Home Office publication):

 

7.10 Gangways should be of adequate width for the number of seats

served but should in no circumstances be less than 1.05m wide.

 

E2A

 

Place(s) of entertainment means such places to which people resort,

including places of recreation, whether as members of the public,

members of a club or otherwise.

[handyandi]

Thanks, some great resources suggested. Had found the free RUsafe guide & that does have the info that I need. We do have 2 forms of seating, older plastic style with locking side pins but the newer more comfortable padded seating does not lock together. I do see a fair number of trip incidents with chair legs so can see why whey advise locking them together.