Emergency Exit

[zappalot]

we own a condominium in a 34 floor-high building. our condo is in the 26th floor. just yesterday I noticed that suddenly the emergency exit to the roof platform is locked. the weeks before yesterday the door was never locked.

Before I complain to the office of this building I thought it would be a good idea to get some information about laws regarding emergency exits.

Just imagine a fire with a lot of smoke and the only way is up to the roof to escape respectively to get some fresh air into the lungs. then I run up eight floors (if I can make it) and the door there is locked.

I mean I know this is Thailand but for sure also here there are rules/laws.

any insights?

[Crossy]

By all means talk to the management, it can do no harm.

Is the roof door marked as an emergency exit? Roof access is usually prohibited for safety reasons, can't have people falling off.

The normal egress is down, get below the fire at all costs, if the stairwell is properly constructed and positive pressure it should remain smoke free. Once you get on to the roof where do you go from there?

Of course TiT

[Delight]

How have they managed to lock this door?. A conventional emergency door is opened from the inside only - a panic bar controls the latch

[trogers]

How have they managed to lock this door?. A conventional emergency door is opened from the inside only - a panic bar controls the latch

Some panic bars come with a cylindrical knob so that the door can be opened from the other side. Will not do well to be locked out on the roof platform 35 floors up.

Bylaw requires emergency access to roof platform, but after the incident of a japanese boy died falling off the roof of a school in Bangkok (went up, got locked out, and tried climbing the parapet wall), some buildings do lock the door to the roof, but should incorporate the key to the door lock into a box like those which we break the glass to activate the fire alarm.

[AyG]

Wasn't there a recent fire at a high end apartment block (possibly Le Rafinne) where people were rescued from the roof by helicopter?

[zappalot]

The normal egress is down, get below the fire at all costs, if the stairwell is properly constructed and positive pressure it should remain smoke free. Once you get on to the roof where do you go from there?

thanks for everyones input so far.

Sure, if possible it is best to get below the fire at all costs. But no one can predict what will happen in the future, right?

And with open doors and windows there won`t be positive pressure i guess...

Here is a pic of one of the locked emergency exits to the roof.

a little bit strange is that the boxes where the fire extinguisher is locked as well. I mean it would not be a big problem to smash the glass but it looks like that the glass need to be brought/smashed out completely as it does not look like safety glass. Could cost valuable time in case of an emergency.

Tomorrow i will enter the buildings office and first speak to them. Anyway i am ready to be persistant in this case. Even if a fire is probably unlikely no one can predict what will happen in the future. Better being prepared...

Edited August 20, 2012 by zappalot

[trogers]

Keep a crowbar handy...

[zappalot]

Wasn't there a recent fire at a high end apartment block (possibly Le Rafinne) where people were rescued from the roof by helicopter?

and yes, a quick research about Le Rafinne and the word fire and i found it: "People living on the 18th floor and up were told to move up to the top of the building to await airlift."

Just think about a bigger fire and then the door is locked...

[zappalot]

after i complained today the boss let me know that the door is locked just a little bit. in case of an emergency i can destroy the locker or even the door.

i told him mai daai. if come up with my last power and the air is full of smoke i do not want to need to destroy something first before getting to fresh air. there is a law and i just want him to follow the law. He say he know about the law but he want to lock the door anyway.

I told him mai daai, it is my live and he can not play the game with my and anyone else`s live.

I guess i have to issue a letter with a dead line and so on, followed by complaints to all the responsible authorities. I would even hire a lawyer to ask for my chances to force him to unlock all emergency exits or to keep closed (but not locked) the doors and windows to the emergency stairway...

[Naam]

By all means talk to the management, it can do no harm.

Is the roof door marked as an emergency exit? Roof access is usually prohibited for safety reasons, can't have people falling off.

The normal egress is down, get below the fire at all costs, if the stairwell is properly constructed and positive pressure it should remain smoke free. Once you get on to the roof where do you go from there?

Of course TiT

[transam]

Fortunately for you, the hasp and staple is for a rabbit hutch and the mrs can kick this open in one.