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FIRE SERVICES ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1969 - SECT 11

1972 c.9

11.(1) Subject to subsections (3) and (5) every building exceeding twenty-five
feet in height used or intended to be used as an hotel or boarding house shall
be provided, on all the storeys of which the upper surface of the floor is
higher than twenty feet above the level of the street or road, with such means
of escape in case of fire for the persons dwelling or employed in, or
resorting to, such building as may be required in the circumstances of the
case by [the fire authority].

(2) Subject to subsection (5) a new building shall not be occupied for use as
an hotel or boarding house until the fire authority has issued a certificate
that the provisions of subsection (1) have been complied with in relation to
such building; and for the purpose of this section the conversion into an
hotel or boarding house of any building not originally constructed for such
purpose shall be deemed to be the erection of a new building.

(3) Until Parliament otherwise determines the Authority shall not require
means of escape in case of fire to be provided in any building which

(a)on the 1st June 1963 was being used as an hotel or boarding house; and

(b)does not provide sleeping accommodation in more than thirty rooms for
persons dwelling or employed in or resorting to the building; and

(c)has a primary and secondary means of escape from fire;

(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), a building shall be deemed to have a
primary and secondary means of escape from fire if it has

(a)two separate permanently fixed means of descent by way of staircase from
each storey, the upper surface of the floor of which is higher than twenty
feet above the level of the street or road, to a lower storey or to ground
level; or

(b)one such means of descent and also a permanent means of escape from each
such storey to an adjoining building;

(5) [Section 98 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (entry on
land)], as applied to the Authority and its officers by section 36, shall have
effect as if among the purposes therein specified there were included the
purposes of ascertaining whether it is necessary to exercise the power
conferred by subsection (1) of this section and whether any requirement under
subsection (1) or subsection (2) of this section has been duly complied with.

(6) The provisions of subsections (1) and (2) shall not apply in the area of
any local authority in which there is in force any enactment of a local Act
requiring means of escape from fire to be provided in the case of hotels and
boarding houses nor to premises with respect to which a fire certificate
issued under section 29(3) of the Office and Shop Premises Act (Northern
Ireland) 1966 is for the time being in force.


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© 1969 Crown Copyright

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