Firefighting shaft ........................................................................................................................................

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 Firefighting shaft

Description

A firefighting shaft is a protected enclosure provided for attending firefighters containing a

firefighting stair and firefighting lobby. If a lift is provided, this may or may not be a firefighting lift.
These features are provided to assist attending firefighters in their operational duties.

General considerations

Firefighters need to be able to reach a fire quickly, with their equipment, to assist the fire service in
protecting life, protecting firefighters, reducing building losses, salvaging property and goods and
minimising environmental damage.

Firefighting shafts are likely to be provided in tall buildings, buildings with deep basements, and
buildings with large floor areas. In general terms buildings with a floor at more than 18m (or 7.5m
in buildings used as shops, factories and storage) above the fire and rescue service vehicle access
level, or with a basement at more than 10m below fire and rescue vehicle access level should be
provided with firefighting shafts. Some buildings, with storey heights between 11m and 18m, may
be served by an escape stair fitted with a fire main.

A firefighting shaft is commonly provided with means of ventilating the firefighting lobby and
firefighting stair.

In large complexes with a variety of uses, firefighting shafts may serve separate parts of the
complex. For example, in a complex consisting of high-rise offices over a shopping centre, the
offices may be provided with a dedicated firefighting shaft that does not serve the shopping centre.

Firefighting shafts should be located such that they allow access to every part of every storey that
they serve and should wherever possible be sited against an exterior wall. If this is not possible the
route from the fire service entrance to the firefighting shaft should be as short as possible and
should be protected by fire resisting construction, commonly a fire resistance period of not less
than 120 minutes, to ensure that fire does not affect the route or cut off the means of escape for
the fire and rescue service or other personnel within the building.

The firefighting lobby at fire service access level should be large enough to act as a command post
or control centre that could be used by the fire and rescue service.

A firefighting shaft incorporating a firefighting lobby at each level approached via a firefighting stair,
and where provided with a firefighting lift should provide:

Means of final approach to the fire floor

Floor-to-floor movement during firefighting operations

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 An assured and safe route of egress (generally provided by the stairs serving every storey
served by the firefighting lift)
A safe area on a floor below the fire floor, where firefighters and firefighting equipment can
be assembled before commitment to firefighting operations

A firefighting lobby should be of sufficient size to enable the fire service to lay out firefighting hose
and connect it to the outlet from the fire main, if provided, without undue congestion.

A firefighting lobby should be clearly and conspicuously marked, although this is not always the
case in residential premises.

Inherent benefits

Pre planning visits will yield the greatest benefit to be gained from firefighting shafts
Firefighting shafts offer a greater period of fire resistance
The housekeeping and maintenance within the firefighting shaft may provide an indication of
fire safety compliance

Inherent hazards

Firefighting shafts may commonly be used as an emergency escape where evacuating

occupants may cause an obstruction

Associated documents

England:

Approved Document B Volume 1 - Dwellinghouses

Approved Document B Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwellinghouses

Wales:

Approved Document B Volume 1 - Dwellinghouses

Approved Document B Volume 2 - Buildings other than dwellinghouses

Scotland:

Technical Handbook Domestic - Fire

Technical Handbook Non-Domestic - Fire

Northern Ireland:

Technical Booklet E - Fire safety

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