Control room evacuation routes

[karl]

Our venue started life as a chapel and was extensively altered to form a theatre about 70 years ago.

 

The control room is accessed by means of a staircase leading up from the foyer with doors at the top and bottom. These stairs rise about 4m. Whilst the two doors look pretty solid I don't think they have any modern fire rating.

 

Other than the stairs there is no exit route from the control room (except jumping from the window into the auditorium which would be a bad plan!). Somebody has claimed that this arrangement is illegal and that we need to install an additional evacuation route. Ignoring technicalities about the use of the word illegal, I've been trying to work out whether our current arrangement meets requirements and guidelines. The more I've read in the Technical Standards the more confused I've got and I'm wondering if anybody has come across a similar situation and can provide any info. Given that the walls of the room are brick/stone and the floor and ceiling are reinforced concrete would replacing the existing doors with 2 hour fire doors be an acceptable alternative?

 

Also, to put in an additional exit would involve punching through the very thick external wall of a listed building, installing a walkway over the roof of a single storey extension and then finding a suitable, safe way of getting down either onto the street or the council owned car park at the rear. Whilst this isn't impossible it also wouldn't be a simple or elegant solution. I've seen another venue which was more recently converted which had an escape route which consisted of a trap door and a ladder which slid down into the foyer. I'm wondering if something like this would be possible (although in our case it would drop into either the main auditorium or one of the boxes).

[Dave m]

All I can say is that every theatre control space that I have worked in ( been in more but not really thought about exits) have had alternative exits.

But one had both exits into the theatre auditorium and maybe because of that(?) had steel shutters on explosive bolts that would cause the windows to be shuttered automatically, closing it off from the auditorium . That said, the was a way of getting into the roof space, above the grid, and then onto the roof. But I wouldn't have fancied that.

Tricky question, as temptation is to ask the fire officer but you might not want to hear the reply.

Better knock a hole than be dead.A fire resistant safe place might be best? Can't remember the correct name but we have them at our place with a special alarm system to attract attention

[themadhippy]

(except jumping from the window into the auditorium which would be a bad plan!)

 

would an emergency ladder help http://www.safelincs.co.uk/kidde-fire-escape-ladder/

[Junior8]

Ask the fire officer - it's as simple as that. His opinion will be based on both the regulations and the perceived risk. That being said a brief scan of the Yellow Book seems to indicate that the current arrangement would be allowed subject to the construction of the stairway the materials used and the efficiency of the two doors as it forms a stairway enclosure with access to a final exit - at least I assume the Foyer is a final exit. I have to say though that like Dave M all those rooms I've worked in have had two exits - though one had a panic door that debouched onto a flat roof with no means of getting to ground level.

[Tregilibob]

The newly built tech box in the school I work at has 1 exit, but then 3 options at the bottom, 1 unglazed into auditorium, then 2 glazed down a corridor to one side of the building and into a second space. Building inspector wanted the extra doors, creating options out, and a max of 10 on the tech box level.

[Jivemaster]

1/ Was the complainant actually knowledgeable?

2/ Listing trumps everything, if it's listed then you cannot just cut it about.

3/ two foot thick stone walls probably don't have a fire RATING because they would never have been TESTED, they may well be better performing than modern walls. Likewise vintage oak doors could well be at least as good as modern doors -but the one you have is listed so you cannot just swap it out.

4/ How many people will you have in your tech area?

[Brian]

...altered to form a theatre about 70 years ago...Somebody has claimed that this arrangement is illegal and that we need to install an additional evacuation route....whether our current arrangement meets requirements and guidelines.

 

It might not meet current guidelines/standards BUT there is no requirement to make any alterations unless you are changing something else. If you do any other building work, or apply for change of use, or make changes to your Premises Licence, then you may well be asked to bring other parts of the building up to spec but otherwise you'll be OK.

[MarkBarl]

The escape ladder in conjunction with a modification to the window in the control box (i.e. one that slides open) would sound like a sensible precaution that would not negatively impact the building. Taking other sensible precautions such as ensuring that there are no flammable materials kept in the stairwell would also be wise.

[kitlane]

What does the fire Risk Assessment say?

[kerry davies]

What does the fire Risk Assessment say?

And today's winner of the internet with his latest smash hit; "Huzzah and Pip Pip for the Regulatory Reform Act", is kitlane.

[Shez]

Time to display my ignorance again :) Are control rooms routinely treated differently to other rooms? Back in the days of carbon arc projectors / celluloid films etc I can understand having very specific arrangements but most now contain the equivalent of a few computers. Numbers of emergency exits are otherwise based on room capacities - up to 60 people I seem to recall is OK with only one exit. Having just moved offices, my yellow book is of course nowhere to be seen.

[karl]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

would an emergency ladder help http://www.safelincs.co.uk/kidde-fire-escape-ladder/

The escape ladder in conjunction with a modification to the window in the control box (i.e. one that slides open) would sound like a sensible precaution that would not negatively impact the building. Taking other sensible precautions such as ensuring that there are no flammable materials kept in the stairwell would also be wise.

 

That certainly sounds like an interesting option providing an additional exit route in the, hopefully unlikely, event that the main route is blocked. The stairs are of concrete construction with brick walls either side and nothing, flammable or otherwise, is stored on them.

 

Ask the fire officer - it's as simple as that.

 

As far as I know we've never asked that specific question but the fire service do carry out regular inspections (usually in the middle of performances) and have seen the control room in use. They haven't raised any concerns in any of the recent visits.

 

1/ Was the complainant actually knowledgeable?

...

4/ How many people will you have in your tech area?

The complainant has had involvement in H&S in industrial settings but I don't know what, if any, qualifications/training he has. Usually the room has between one and four occupants during performances (depending on technical and followspot requirements).

 

What does the fire Risk Assessment say?

As far as I know there's never been a formal assessment. I can't say that when I've been in there I've ever felt that I'm working in a death trap. There's pretty much nothing flammable in the stair well and from the bottom there are two possible routes across the foyer (180 degrees apart) to reach the outside. Short of a fire suddenly erupting outside the door at the bottom of the stairs it should be possible to escape (and we have fire extinguishers in the control room).

 

My gut feeling is that we don't need to install a new fire escape but that having a backup plan (like the escape ladder) wouldn't hurt.

 

Anyway We'll do a formal risk assessment (and run it past the fire service) then take it from there.

 

Once again, many thanks.

[johnlinford]

I'd echo Shez's comments... The upstairs office here only has one fire escape and is full of computers and the like - for the 8 people who use it this seems fine.

 

The risk assessment is key - what actual risk is there of a fire starting in the control boxes? Unless you have followspots or lighting fixtures in there, which becomes another matter. I presume there are a couple of powder and CO2 extinguishers in there?

 

From past experience while having building work carried out on the theatre I used to manage, the fire officer agreed that an emergency rope ladder (properly secured) in to the auditorium was a valid escape route.

[Dave m]

Where are your dimmers?Are they in a rack room or (like ours) inside a cupboard inside the control space? I guess that in theory ours could go bang and block one exit ( spiral staircase to auditorium inside an enclosed spaceSo we would then use the door at the other end.

[kerry davies]

As far as I know there's never been a formal assessment.

I really cannot believe that anywhere that has access by members of the public, especially entertainment venues, has never had a formal fire risk assessment. That's just mind blowing.

 

Lots of reading, starting here, and then here, seems the order of the day.

If your venue holds more than 300 then this guide is for you.

Smaller venues should use this guide.