A3 Fire safety
A3.3 Escape in the event of fire
People need to be able to escape quickly from a house that is on fire. Houses need several safe exits through doors and large windows. While door locks and security screens are designed to give people security, the doors and screens should not prevent residents, especially children and elderly people, from escaping fires. Houses should be designed to prevent people being locked inside a house or room in the event of a fire.
Design and specification
Ensure:
- all door handles and locks, including bedroom doors, can be released from the inside of the room without a key
- door handles are located between 900 to 1100mm above the floor level and can be operated by one hand and are within easy reach for people with disabilities
- every bedroom has a direct escape to the outside of the house via a door or adequately sized window
- that where there are window screens, at least one can be opened from the inside of each room to permit escape
- latches and locks on windows and emergency escape screens are visible in poor light conditions and easy to operate
- there is more than one way to escape from living areas
- there is at least one escape route that does not go past the kitchen
- the BCA building classification 1B regarding fire safety and emergency escape is applied.
Consider:
- sizing all doorways and hallways on exit routes to comply with AS 1428.1 Design for access and mobility for people with disabilities
- devising ways to provide security and privacy without limiting the ability of residents to escape if there is a fire
- providing locks with emergency releases on bedroom doors to deter residents from fitting bolts and padlocks
- locating doors and passage ways for easy escape from fire
- a second flight of stairs for elevated houses.
Quality control
During construction and before making the final payment, check that:
- all doors can be opened from inside the house or room, even when locked, and handles are located at 900 to 1100mm above floor level
- doors, hallways and windows are large enough to allow escape, including for people with disabilities
- there is an external door or large window that can be used for escape in each bedroom
- there is more than one escape route from the house including a route that is not via the kitchen
- release catches and locks on screens are easy to see in low visibility conditions and easy to operate
- escape screens can easily be closed again after they have been used and cannot be opened from the outside.
Maintenance
As part of cyclical maintenance:
- test that release catches and locks on screens are working
- check that all doors including security screen doors have locks that can be opened from the inside
- if pad bolts or barrel bolts have been fitted to the outside of bedroom doors, talk to the residents about removing them.
| Escape in the event of fire is possible through: | Percentage of houses | Total houses surveyed | Change since 2003* |
|---|---|---|---|
| All external doors and all windows | 21% | 3,097 | + |
| All external doors and some windows | 34% | 3,097 | |
| External doors only | 45% | 3,097 |
* See ‘Changes in the condition of houses’ for an explanation of the symbols used in this column.
Standards and references
BCA, Part 2.3.2 Fire detection and early warning