TRAINING QUESTIONS FOR BUILDING REGULATIONS IN ENGLAND & WALES

September 1999

Protection from falling, Collision & Impact,
Parts K1/ K2/ K3/ K4/ K5
Building Regulations
Building Act Sections 33, 34, 73, 74, 75, 76, 79

Approved Documents

Part K1, Stairs, ladders, and ramps

1. A construction firm is refurbishing a police station. The station has an external staircase leading to the first floor. They ask at what height should they install the handrail at the landing of the staircase provided that the handrail height of the stairs should be between 900mmand 1000mm?
2. An architect telephones you to ask where if there are any restrictions in the width of the stair to a house loft conversion?
3. A designer asks you if a stair in a new small office building that is being designed can have a riser of 190mm between treads? If the office had a lift to all storeys would your answer be different?
4. An designer asks if the height of handrail to a stair would be high enough if placed 900mm above the centre of the tread of the stair?
5. A new stair is being installed in an existing office to make access to the basement easier. The stair is to be installed in a ground floor room near an exit door to the outside. This exit door opens in to the room from the outside for security reasons. How close a distance to the open door can it be to the top of the stairs? (i.e the length of the top landing that does not have any door opening across it). Would it make a difference if the door was at the bottom of the flight of stairs?
6. A small 2 storey house is to have a loft conversion to form one room and a bathroom. As space is very tight in the stair area, it is proposed to use an alternating tread stair with a handrail one side. Is this OK? Would it make any difference if there were two habitable rooms?
7. A Factory is to have a new plant room accessible by ladder. How high should the ladder be before safety hoops need to be installed?
8. A new house is proposed to have ranch type rails to the stairs and landings. Why is this not a safe construction?
9. A shop has a change in floor level of 350mm between the front part and the lower part. A couple of steps are provided for access between the levels for part of the length. Otherwise it is proposed to put some plants in pots to indicate the small drop. Does guarding have to be provided to the sides of the steps and along the edge of the floor? Would it make any difference if the change in floor levels was 380mm?
10. A designer telephones to say that he is planning to open-up the basement area of an existing shop by installing a new stair. Assuming that the risers would need to be a maximum 170mm high, there would be 18 risers in the flight. The Approved Document appears to limit the number to 16 but that would mean 190mm risers. Is that acceptable? What advice could you give?

Part K2, Protection from falling &
Part K3 Vehicle Barriers and Loading Bays

11. A factory is to have a new mezzanine floor installed along with open sided access stair. The new stair is to have a mid-flight landing. On this landing what height should be:-
    1. The Guarding, and
    2. The handrail?
12. A new theatre with an upper circle is to be built. The Architect is concerned that if the guarding to the edge of the upper circle is 1100mm off the floor, then the first upper circle row seats will have a restricted view. How could you advise the Architect to overcome this issue?
13. A new block of flats has openable windows with a sill level of 650mm above floor level. You are concerned that someone might accidentally fall out of the window? What could be done to avoid this?
14. A new wheelchair access ramp and stairs is to be installed to a church ramp. The design includes for a balustrade at right angles to the flow from the exit doors. What design load should the guarding be designed to take?
15. A replacement stairs is being constructed of reinforced concrete to the rear of a small block of flats. It is proposed to construct the guarding at the sides of the stair in 4 inch (102.4mm) thick brickwork. Would this be strong enough?
16. A 100 mm thick block wall separates offices from a factory. It is proposed to bring vehicles into the factory so that they will park next to the wall to the offices. Is vehicle guarding needed to this wall?
17. A loading bay is being designed for a factory. How long can it be before provision needs to be made to avoid people being struck or crushed by vehicles? Does guarding have to be provided to the edges of the loading bay?
18. A house basement is to be made into habitable space. As part of the works a light well is constructed to a basement window. Does the new lightwell have to be provided with guarding 1,100mm high?

Part K4, Protection from collision with open windows, etc

19. A new building is to have windows that open outwards to project about 150mm in front of the face of the building. On the sides of the building where people move along what could be done to prevent collision?

Part K5, Protection against impact from and trapping by doors.

20. Do all doors accross corridors (and other circulation routes) have to have vision panels between 900mm and 1500mm above floor level?

Building Regulations

21. An existing large house was converted in the past to be offices. It is now proposed to convert to a place of worship. The existing stairs has the original balustrade that was built only to take the light domestic loads of a house. Does the Building Regulations require that the guarding be strengthened to take the increased loads?

Building Act 1984

Section 33

22. It is suspected that a bolt is not of adequate strength. Does the Local Authority Building Control have the right to take the bolt for testing? If the bolt was subsequently found to be of adequate strength who pays for the test?

Sections 34 and 73

23. A new block of flats is being built next to an existing block of flats on an adjacent property. The existing flank wall is about 1.7m away from the new buildings flank wall. The new building is to be a storey higher than the existing. The existing lower building has a chimney 1.0m above its roof. Can the Local Authority serve a Notice requiring the chimney to be raised? If so on whom would the notice be served?

Sections 74 and 75

24. If a housholder wants to build a cellar that would be below the normal subsoil water level, can the Local Authority impose conditions as to water-proofing and pumping?

Sections 76

25. If a building appears to be so defective that it is prejudicial to health or a nuisance can the Local Authority serve a notice stating that they intend to remedy the defects? What could an owner do if served with such a notice? Would the Local Authority be entitled to reimbursement of their expenses?

Sections 79

26. If a building appears to be in a ruinous or dilapidated condition to the detriment of the neighbourhood, can a Local Authority serve a notice requiring that the owner executes such works of repair or restoration or demolition including removal of the demolition material from site as is necessary in the interests of amenity.

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