1.8 Small Premises (Offices and Shops)

Small premises are generally limited in size and in number of occupants. When a premises is undivided, all of its parts are likely to be clearly visible to occupants. Occupants of small premises should be able to reach an exit quickly in an emergency, and a reduction in the number of exits and stairs is therefore acceptable.

This subsection applies to offices (Purpose Group 3) and shops (Purpose Group 4(a)). A small premises should meet all of the following provisions:

(a) It should be single occupancy; and

(b) It should not comprise more than a basement floor, ground floor and first floor; and

(c) No storey should have a floor area more than 280 m2; and

(d) Any kitchen or open main cooking appliances should be at the extremity of any dead end remote from the exits.

Where the above provisions are satisfied, Paragraphs 1.8.1 to 1.8.3 may be used in place of similar provisions contained in S ubsection 1.4 and Subsection 1.5.

This Subsection does not apply to units in a shopping centre (Purpose Group 4(b)). Minimum widths of escape routes should conform to Table 5.

1.8.1 Construction

Except for kitchens, ancillary offices and stores, floor areas should be undivided so that exits are clearly visible from all parts on the same storey. Inner rooms should meet the provisions of Para 1.4.3.4

Store rooms should be enclosed with fire-resisting construction (see Appendix A).

Where a basement is part of the small premises, the floor between the basement and the ground floor need not be a compartment floor (see Para 3.4.4.5).

1.8.2 Travel Distance and Number of Escape Routes

Escape routes should be sited so that the travel distance from any point of a storey to the nearest storey exit does not exceed the distance given in Table 10 (see Diagram 38).

Travel distance in a small premises with an open stairway may be measured to the foot of the stair in a basement or to the head of the stair in a first storey.

Where there are two or more exits or stairs, these should be located so as to give effective alternative directions of travel from any point in a storey.

Table 10 Maximum Travel Distances in Small Premises
Storey	Maximum travel distance (m)	Maximum direct distance (m)
Ground storey with a single exit	27	18
Basement or first storey with a single stair	18	12
Storey with more than one exit / stair	45	30

1.8.3 Escape Stairs in Small Premises

1.8.3.1 Protected stairways

A single protected escape stair should be provided in all small premises (see Diagram 38 (a), except where Para 1.8.3.2 applies.

1.8.3.2 Open stairways

An open stairway may be used as a means of escape in a small premises, where:

(a) The stair connects a maximum of two storeys; and

(b) The stair delivers at the ground storey no more than of 3 m from the final exit (see Diagram 38 (b); and

(c) Either

(i) the storey being served by the open stair is also served by a protected stairway; or

(ii) the floor area of any single storey is a maximum of 90 m2.

Where a small premises contains three storeys, a stair serving one of the storeys may be open, however the stair serving the other storey should be constructed as a protected stair (see Diagram 38 (c)).