NSW: Can residents use fire stairs for everyday access in NSW apartments?

This article discusses NSW apartment fire stair usage regulations and the risks of wedging open fire doors in strata buildings.

Question: Residents of a large strata building demanded to know if fire regulations govern whether they could use the fire exit for normal egress?

I manage a large strata complex in Sydney. Residents have been using the fire stairs on their floor to walk down to exit on the ground floor, instead of waiting for the lift.

Is this permitted under apartment fire exit regulations? My concern is that the fire exit doors are being used much more than they normally would be in emergencies only, and sometimes residents keep the fire door on the ground floor slightly open which is also a security breach.

The residents demanded to know what apartment fire door regulations governed whether they could use the fire exit for normal egress.

Answer: There isn’t a requirement that restricts the use of the stairs for emergency only. However, the big issue with your question is that people are wedging open the fire doors (I assume to sneak back up the stairs).

There isn’t a requirement that restricts the use of the stairs for emergency only. However, the big issue with your question is that people are wedging open the fire doors (I assume to sneak back up the stairs). Yes, this may be a security problem but it also creates a HUGE fire risk.

A fire door is designed and installed to close automatically to prevent the spread of smoke and fire into an area. Fire doors must always be closed unless they are held open by a device that is connected to a system that allows for the door to close automatically in the event of fire / smoke being detected.

Part of the testing of a fire door is that the closer is in place and that the fire door automatically closes and latches. In this case, having these doors held open would allow smoke and fire to enter the stairwell which is designated for emergency egress.

This post appears in Strata News #477.

Chris Chatham
LINKfire
E: Chris.Chatham@linkfire.com.au
P: 1300 669 439