HMO fire safety guidance - Harlow Council

12. Inner rooms
12.1 A room where the only escape route is through
another room is termed an ‘inner room’ and poses
a risk to its occupier if a fire starts unnoticed in the
outer room (sometimes termed an ‘access room’). This
arrangement should be avoided wherever possible.
However, where unavoidable it may be accepted where
the inner room is a kitchen, laundry or utility room, a
dressing room, bathroom, WC or shower room.
12.2 Where the inner room is any other type of habitable
room (for example a living room, sleeping room,
workroom or study) it should only be accepted if:
• the inner room has access to a suitable door
opening onto an alternative safe route of escape,
or it is situated on a floor which is not more than
4.5m above ground level and has an escape window
leading directly to a place of ultimate safety;
• an adequate automatic fire detection and warning
system is in place (see paragraphs 22-25); and
• a fire-resisting door of an appropriate standard is
fitted between the inner and outer rooms (typically
FD30S standard for non-high-risk outer rooms).
12.3 Escape windows are only acceptable if they meet the
requirements of paragraph 14.
12.4 In addition to the precautions outlined in paragraphs
12.1-12.3 above, in all cases the following additional
requirements must apply for the arrangement to be
acceptable:
• outer rooms should be under the control of the
same person as the inner room;
• nobody should have to pass through more than one
outer room while making their escape; and
• ideally the outer room should not be an area of high
fire risk, but if this is impracticable and there is no
other option it could be accepted in this situation as
exit via an escape window provides an alternative.
Figure C3 (below): Inner rooms
13. Galleries
13.1 Gallery accommodation has become popular in
open plan studios and elsewhere where space is at a
premium. To be acceptable a gallery should:
• ideally be provided with an alternative exit leading
to a place of safety; or
• where the gallery platform is not more than 4.5m
above external ground level it should have an
escape window leading to a place of safety. Escape
windows will only be acceptable if they meet the
requirements of paragraph 14.
13.2 Where an alternative exit or suitable escape window is
not possible, the gallery should comply with all of the
following:
• at least 50% of the floor area of the room should be
unobscured by the gallery;
• the distance from the foot of the egress stair
from the gallery to the room exit should not be
excessive (approximately three metres is a suggested
reasonable maximum); and
• any cooking facilities within the room should be
enclosed within fire-resisting construction or be sited
remote from the room exit and gallery egress stair.
housing – fire safety 15