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Question Title: Polystyrene Tiles - Fire Hazard
| Question: 14 |
| I am concerned that a new property that I have taken on has polystyrene tiles on the kitchen ceiling. Are there any regulations relating to fire safety in rented property that cover this issue ? The property is a self contained flat and not an HMO.
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| Answer: |
| Extensive use of these building materials should be avoided in rented property. The practice of fitting these types of tile is discouraged due to the poisonous fumes that they give off on combustion, (similar to the synthetic foams in modern furniture) and their propensity to burn and spread the fire. Polystyrene tiles are still available for sale, but the current products are, by law, legally required to contain fire retardant chemicals which reduce these dangers significantly. Older types of tile that do not conform to modern standards should be removed. Unfortunately, there is no obvious or easy way to tell whether a particular polystyrene tile is safe or not. It is likely that fire officers would request that they be removed from any properties let as a house in multiple occupation (HMO) because the risks from fire are higher in such properties.
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References:
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Pages:
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Hyperlinks:
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Letting Update Journal |
April 2004 page 29 |
letting-update-journal.html
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Letting Handbook |
Chapter 9 |
letting-handbook-and-factsheets.html
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For more information, discuss on the Forum
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