Width of doors stairs and escape routes
The building regulations Approved Document B2, ‘Fire safety: Buildings other than dwellinghouses’, suggests that the width of:
- A door (or doorway) is the clear width when the door is open (see Diagram C1);
- An escape route is the width at 1,500 mm above floor level when defined by walls or, elsewhere, the minimum width of passage available between any fixed obstructions;
- A stair is the clear width between the walls or balustrades.
In the case of escape routes and stairs, handrails and strings which do not intrude more than 100 mm into these widths may be ignored (see Diagram C1).
The rails used for guiding a stair-lift may be ignored when considering the width of a stair. However, it is important that the chair or carriage is able to be parked in a position that does not cause an obstruction to either the stair or landing.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
CIOB photographic competition final images revealed
Art of Building produces stunning images for another year.
Major overhaul of planning committees proposed by government
Planning decisions set to be fast-tracked to tackle the housing crisis.
Strategic restructure to transform industry competence
EBSSA becomes part of a new industry competence structure.
Industry Competence Steering Group restructure
ICSG transitions to the Industry Competence Committee (ICC) under the Building Safety Regulator (BSR).
Principal Contractor Competency Certification Scheme
CIOB PCCCS competence framework for Principal Contractors.
The CIAT Principal Designer register
Issues explained via a series of FAQs.
Conservation in the age of the fourth (digital) industrial revolution.
Shaping the future of heritage
Embracing the evolution of economic thinking.
Ministers to unleash biggest building boom in half a century
50 major infrastructure projects, 5 billion for housing and 1.5 million homes.
RIBA Principal Designer Practice Note published
With key descriptions, best practice examples and FAQs, with supporting template resources.
Electrical businesses brace for project delays in 2025
BEB survey reveals over half worried about impact of delays.
Accelerating the remediation of buildings with unsafe cladding in England
The government publishes its Remediation Acceleration Plan.
Airtightness in raised access plenum floors
New testing guidance from BSRIA out now.
Picking up the hard hat on site or not
Common factors preventing workers using head protection and how to solve them.
Building trust with customers through endorsed trades
Commitment to quality demonstrated through government endorsed scheme.
New guidance for preparing structural submissions for Gateways 2 and 3
Published by the The Institution of Structural Engineers.
CIOB launches global mental health survey
To address the silent mental health crisis in construction.
Key takeaways from the BSRIA Briefing 2024
Not just waiting for Net Zero, but driving it.