The Community Spaces Guide

Community spaces host a wide variety of risks—from high-voltage stage lighting and theatrical pyrotechnics to temporary catering and elderly luncheon clubs. Our assessments are designed to cover this "flexible use."

What we check: Maximum safe occupancy levels for different layouts (e.g., "theatre style" vs. "banquet style"), clear signage for visitors, and the accessibility of final exits for those with mobility aids.

The Law: RRFSO 2005. If you hire your hall out to third parties, you must have a valid, documented FRA to ensure their safety and protect your committee from liability.

In a building with no "permanent" staff, fire safety relies on clear procedures.

The Requirement: We assess your "Hirer’s Agreement" to ensure that whoever rents the space knows their fire safety responsibilities, where the extinguishers are, and how to lead an evacuation.

Many community spaces are located in older or converted buildings that do not meet modern "Approved Document B" standards.

What it covers: We create bespoke strategies that allow these buildings to remain operational, justifying alternative safety measures where the physical structure cannot be changed (common in listed buildings or heritage places of worship).

The Law: Approved Document B (Volume 2) and BS 9999.

These plans are vital for showing the local authority and insurers how the building is protected.

What they show: Fire-rated doors that protect the main hall, the location of emergency lighting, and "Fire Action Notices" at every entrance.

The Benefit: Having clear drawings makes it much easier to train volunteers and show the Fire Service that you are in control of the building's safety.

In a packed village hall or church, the speed of evacuation is critical.

The Benefit: We use modelling to prove that even with a mix of elderly occupants and young children, your exit routes are wide enough to clear the building in the "Available Safe Egress Time."

This can help you justify higher occupancy numbers for popular events.

For large, high-ceilinged community spaces or those with mezzanine galleries.

What it does: It proves that smoke will "reservoir" in the high ceiling space, staying above head height long enough for people on a mezzanine or balcony to escape.

The Benefit: This can save thousands of pounds by proving that expensive mechanical smoke extraction isn't necessary.

For heritage community spaces undergoing energy-efficiency upgrades.

The Focus: We ensure that adding new insulation or "draft-proofing" doesn't create hidden fire paths or moisture issues that could damage the building's structural fire integrity.