Internal fire doors?

[Andyk78]

BCO visited today although a different officer who is normally looking after our build as the other was off work. He checked over our recent work and all ok until..... He then started asking questions about what had been checked so far by other BCO and said could he have a quick look around, as he did he asked if we was putting a door in between the utility room and hallway. I said no and was leaving it open plan so it leads from the entrance hallway right through to kitchen at the back. He the sid could he pop upstairs, he proceeds to the front and rear bedrooms in extended side and said the windows installed arent wide enough (they measure 410mm wide at each open section)
He said they need to be min 450mm for fire escape and we would eithe FHA e to remove the Windows's or other option is to for fire doors, he then said we can't really have the open plan walk through downstairs and would a door there and also that would need to be a fire doors and also a fire door on our downstairs coat room as this has no window and also a couple of other doors to.....does this sound right?
It's just that when the other previous BCO visited and we was buying the house our solicitor sent him an email and he replied and copied me in stating that all the windows and doors in the property meet current building regulations....and he never mentioned any of these requirements on previous visits... I'm lost on this one as dont have the time of money to start replacing windows and adding multiple expensive internal fire doors!! Help.

 

[jeds]

The windows probably did meet current requirements under the original layout. You either need a protected escape route to the external down the stairs and out. (which is what you had originally) Or you need protected doors to the bedrooms and compliant egress windows. An egress window has a minimum clear opening area of 0.33m² and is at least 450mm wide and at least 450mm high. (note: that does not mean a window 450x450 - those are minimums) The sill must also not be more than 1100mm above the ground.

 

[^woody^]

Don't have time or money for life safety measures?

 

[Andyk78]

Not when the original BCO said everything was fine and now its apparently not?? Should they not be more consistent on approving stuff? it's like building a house and having it signed off and then calling back to say oh sorry its not.
May be all well and good to know this but doesn't make it any easier when you have already had someone tell you it's right and gone off and spent your money elsewhere only to find out that you now need to change things and spend more money to put right another inspectors f£ up!!! Not happy

 

[luisdesign]

Bear in mind the ortogonal officer would have been checking the work that you had some... He may have assumed that you simply hadn't got around to putting on your fire doors on yet. Remember, your work is not technically "OK" until you have a completion certificate from the BCO.