Inner room definition
Approved document B, Fire Safety, Volume 1 Dwelling houses, defines an 'inner room' as a:
'Room from which escape is possible only by passing through another room (the access room).'
An inner room is at risk if a fire starts in the other room (the access room - that is, a room through which the only escape route from an inner room passes).
This situation may arise with open-plan layouts and galleries.
Such an arrangement is only acceptable where the inner room is:
- A kitchen.
- A laundry or utility room.
- A dressing room.
- A bathroom, WC, or shower room.
- Any room on a storey that is a maximum of 4.5m above ground level which is provided with an emergency escape window as described in paragraph 2.10.
- A gallery that complies with paragraph 2.15.
A room accessed only via an inner room (an inner inner room) is acceptable when all of the following apply:
- It complies with paragraph 2.11.
- The access rooms each have a smoke alarm (see Section 1).
- None of the access rooms is a kitchen.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Approved documents.
- Automatic release mechanism.
- Door energy rating.
- Fire detection and alarm systems.
- Fire door.
- Fire Door Inspection Scheme.
- Fire Prevention on Construction Sites.
- Fire protection engineering.
- Joint fire code.
- Separating floor.
- The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
- Unprotected escape route.
- Visual alarm devices - their effectiveness in warning of fire.
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