| It is important for the residential as well as the commercial buildings to have a fire escape staircase |
Ninety-nine per cent of residential blocks do not have a secondary means of escape.
Around 99 per cent of residential blocks of flats have no secondary fire escape, says the head of a residential development company. Roger Southam, managing director of Chainbow, told Investors Chronicle that, because the regulations for residential blocks are not as stringent as those for commercial buildings, many are underprepared for fire.
Mr. Southam told the news provider: "The basic problem is that 99 per cent of residential blocks do not have a secondary means of escape." Under current law, residential blocks of flats do not need a secondary fire escape, such as outside stairs, whereas commercial blocks do.
However, Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders is attempting to introduce the Fire Safety (Protection of Tenants) Bill, which would require all rented properties to have a working smoke detection and warning system at the beginning of any tenancy agreement.