Office
A converted mill office in Ashkeld
Three floors of brick and timber, one wedged door and a cupboard under the stairs that had become a store.
Town
Ashkeld
Floors
3
Floor area
820 m²
Occupancy
About 45 staff
Assessed
Review date
What we found
Three findings, marked on the photograph.
1
Fire door wedged open
Act now
Take the wedge away and fit a hold-open that releases when the alarm sounds.
2
Storage under the stairs
Within a month
Empty the cupboard of cartons and cleaning supplies and keep the door shut.
3
Exit sign lit
Next review
Keep the sign lit and clear of new fittings.
What changed
The same place after the work.
A hold-open now lets the door close when the alarm sounds, and the cupboard under the stairs is empty and shut.
The building is a former mill with an open stair at its centre and about forty-five people working across three floors. We visited on a Thursday morning, when most desks were full.
The ground-floor landing was the first place we photographed. The heavy door to the main office was held open with a wedge, which is a common habit in a building where people carry coffee and boxes all day. Under the stairs, an open cupboard held flattened cartons and cleaning supplies. Above the back door, the exit sign was lit and easy to see.
None of this was careless in the way it can sound. The office manager told us the wedge had been there so long that nobody saw it. The cupboard was the same. Things go in for a week and stay for a year.
The report set out two actions and two things done well: the exit sign, and an alarm tested every week with a complete log. The wedge went the same day and the cupboard was cleared inside a fortnight. The next walkround is booked for the review date.
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