S.I. No. 249/1985 - Fire Safety in Places of Assembly (Ease of Escape), Regulations, 1985.

S.I. No. 249 of 1985.

FIRE SAFETY IN PLACES OF ASSEMBLY (EASE OF ESCAPE), REGULATIONS, 1985.

The Minister for the Environment, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 37 of the Fire Services Act, 1981 (No. 30 of 1981) hereby makes the following Regulations:—

1 Citation.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Fire Safety in Places of Assembly (Ease of Escape). Regulations, 1985.

2 Commencement.

2. These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of September, 1985.

3 Interpretation.

3. In these Regulations—

"escape route" means a route by which a person may reach a place of safety and means in relation to any point in a building, a route from that point;

"place of assembly" means a building or any part of a building put to any of the following uses that is to say, as an—

amusement arcade

bingo hall

bus or train passenger station

casino

cinema

concert hall

dance hall (including discotheque)

ecclesiastical building

exhibition hall

funfair building

grandstand

gymnasium

indoor bowling alley

indoor games court

non-residential club

premises licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor other than an off-licence

radio or television studio to which the public are admitted

restaurant, café, canteen

riding school

skating rink

sports pavilion

stadium

swimming baths (including any swimming pool, changing rooms, or similar facilities)

tent or marquee to which the public are admitted

theatre.

"place of safety" means a place in the open air at ground level in which persons are in no danger from fire and which, if it is an enclosed space, has a means of egress to an unenclosed space by an exit or exits having a width or aggregate width not less than the width of the exit or exits leading from the building to the enclosed space.

4 Precautions to be taken by persons having control.

4. Every person having control over a place of assembly shall take the following precautions that is to say, he shall ensure that, while the place is in actual use as a place of assembly—

(i) subject to paragraph (ii), all escape routes are kept unobstructed and immediately available for use,

(ii) doors, gates and other like barriers across escape routes are not secured in such a manner that they cannot be easily and immediately opened by persons in the place of assembly,

(iii) all chains, padlocks and other removable fastenings for securing doors, gates or other like barriers are removed and kept in a place where they may be readily inspected by an authorised person for the purposes of section 22 of the Fire Services Act, 1981 ,

(iv) no hanging or drape is placed across or along an escape route in a manner which would impede or obstruct escape,

(v) no mirrors are placed across or along an escape route or adjacent to an exit in such a way as to confuse the direction of escape.

5 Duty of persons in a place of assembly.

5. A person in a place of assembly shall not prevent or obstruct the person having control over the place of assembly from complying with these Regulations.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Minister for the Environment,

this 29th day of July, 1985.

LIAM KAVANAGH,

Minister for the Environment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

These Regulations provide for specified places of assembly, that certain fire safety precautions related to escape routes and exit doors should be taken by every person having control over a place of assembly and that a person in a place of assembly shall not prevent or obstruct the person in control from complying with the Regulations.