Fully opening window on first floor (safety issues)

[Possom]

There are obvious safety issues with regards to having windows such as those shown below on the first floor of a house.

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on safety issues? Should this type of fully opening window only be installed on the first floor if the bottom of the window is a minimum distance from the floor to give some additional deterrent from falling out? If so, what minimum distance from floor?

 

[aveatry]

You have got the safety issue the wrong way around in that they are opening like that as a safety measure --- its so you can get out in the event of a escape.

 

[Possom]

Thanks. Yes, well one window upstairs would have to open fully as a fire escape, though would this be restricted to one window upstairs?

Presumably people don't have fully opening windows such as this in a 1st floor bedroom that would be used by a child?

 

[RandomGrinch]

Presumably people don't have fully opening windows such as this in a 1st floor bedroom that would be used by a child?

If it's a children's room with a fire escape window, you may fit non-locking window restrictors.
Something such as...

 

[ronniecabers]

As Randomgrinch says , fit the restrictors if you are concerned. Double glazing companies generally don't fit them as standard but we do have a ' duty of care ' as we are deemed experts in our field ( i know right lol ) . Therefore if it were me then we'd be fitting them in lower level windows , first floor and above , and also in rooms where we see beds below windows.
The minimum gap required for a fire escape window , is a clear opening of 450mmx750mm , and is set at this , not for escape, but apparantly for a fireman/woman to access the property with breathing apparatus...or so I was told by a reliable source

 

[ronniecabers]

Presumably people don't have fully opening windows such as this in a 1st floor bedroom that would be used by a child?

Makes no difference if it's a child's bedroom or not , if you need to meet the minimum requirement and this is the way to achieve it then this style will be fitted. Any habitable room ( deemed by if a single bed will fit in the room ) upstairs has to have at least one means of ' escape ' . Bizarrely there is one exception , which is if you are not making the situation any worse you can replace like for like ( doesn’t work replacing upvc for wood as hinges work differently) , which any reputable double glazing company will try and talk you out of and get you to install Fire Escape windows

 

[Possom]

Any habitable room ( deemed by if a single bed will fit in the room ) upstairs has to have at least one means of ' escape ' .

Presumably the means of escape from any habitable room could be a fire escape window located in any one room of the 1st floor of a house, and not that each room on the 1st floor has to allow escape?

(I'm referencing only a standard 2-storey house).

 

[ronniecabers]

No each habitable room has to have a separate escape

 

[Possom]

No each habitable room has to have a separate escape

That's interesting. If I look around my local area I see many 1st floor bedroom windows in residential houses which have casement uPVC windows with top openers only and would not allow escape. As a result I'd just assumed that only one escape window was required on the 1st floor; I'd also assumed that those with such windows simply have their one escape window at the back of the house and consequently was not visible from the street.

I wonder due this regulation apply to England and Wales only?

 

[ronniecabers]

Could well.have been put in before the regs changed .. and now they would fall u der the stupid rule of not making situation any worse ( like for like)