fire exits

[crunshiepunc]

iwould like to ask can people use fire exits to relieve congestion or to simply leav a pub club e c t

[Postdog]

Dunno the legalities, but I know of a few clubs where the fire exits are unlocked (as they should be) but opening them automatically cuts off the music, I assume so that if there was a genuine emergency, the people would be aware. Obviously club owners don't want these opened for no good reason.

[Peter Pedant]

No I did the other way around

went up to an exit and found it locked

actually it was at Equus with Colin Blakeley - now dead whenever that was, and when I protested - pointing out that locking an exit is against the law, I had C Blakeley's dresser throwing a screaming fit at me.

Yes that was the night I would have died if there had been a fire. The production wasnt bad either.

[Annlinda]

Quite often you see fire exit above normal entry/exit doors. If a door is a designated fire exit it is illegal to lock it. It may have a bar on it that can be pushed from inside the building to allow people to leave the building, it is quite legal for the exit to be used as a normal exit even if there is no fire

[factor-fiction]

Hello crunshiepunc.
Are you asking whether it's legal for an establishment to let people leave via a fire exit ? If so, I'm wondering why you mightthere's anything wrong with allowing people to leave via this exit. If a fire broke out while people were leaving then everyone else would have to leave too- so in effect everyone would leave, which is what we want with a fire. If no fire occurs while the exit is being used at closing time then what's the problem.

[bushbaby_de]

Quite often the planning permission or premises license will state that the fire doors can only be opened in case of emergency, to prevent noise nuisance to nearby occupiers if customers or staff kept using the fire doors for entry and exit, and a breach of either of these conditions can lead to legal action.