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Original poster

DC staying in windowless room/fire safety?

36 replies

HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 13:40

Can I get some thoughts on this please? We are close to BIL & SIL (who are child free & a lot older than my DH). They have bought an older property (small barn conversion) and are currently converting a part of the house into a guest room for our DC to stay in during regular visits, which is lovely of them. They had planned to add an external window but this was going to be difficult (structurally and needing planning etc) so they decided not to add one. The room is being properly converted by tradespeople incl new stud walls/joinery/electrical work etc. There will be a smoke alarm fitted. I have just discovered that the electrical circuit box (not new but being boxed in) is in the room, beside the door.

DC1 has significant SEN, DC2 & DC3 are young (toddler/preschool). BIL/SIL bedroom is on a different floor in a different part of the house. AIBU to think that this is a significant fire safety risk, as if there is an electrical fault they could be trapped with no alternative escape route?

YANBU - I wouldn't feel safe with my DC staying in that set up.
YABU - You're overreacting.

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Kevinscousin · 27/06/2023 16:44

Can I just say as well, studies have showed that children don't respond to smoke alarms sadly.( This was done after the Horrific deliberate Phillpott fire) . Something to do with their hearing when sleeping. I would be the same as you ,OP. If you feel cautious, don't put them in it!

Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 16:36

@reallyworriedjobhunter It's because the house is a mainly open plan conversion with little scope for adding on rooms, it was the only space that could easily be sectioned off to form a guest room. They moved to it partly to be closer to us/more involved with the kids (they're the only family in the UK on DH's side) we mentioned when they looked at the house that it wasn't ideal for having having the kids to stay, but they were confident they could make it work...

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reallyworriedjobhunter · 27/06/2023 15:55

I can't imagine anyone wanting to spent much time in a room with no air or light. How would it work during the summer? It sounds like a very odd choice to make in terms of renovations.

LeilaRose777 · 27/06/2023 15:44

I don't think you're being unreasonable - that kind of safety check shows that you're very aware of the potential issues, and good for you. They can't do much about the lay-out of the house so my suggestion is that you work out a fire drill with your children and the in-laws. It's more important that they know how to exit a fire than where a fire might potentially start (they can start pretty much anywhere). Crawling rather than walking, making sure all in the room are awake and exiting, alerting the adults etc. are good things to teach children. Plus put a smoke and CO2 alarm right by the consumer unit. and never close the door fully. The small glass over the door should probably be converted to a ventilated louvre system which is always open a bit. You can't mitigate every risk, but you can reduce them. Your in-laws sound lovely btw.

JaukiVexnoydi · 27/06/2023 15:30

It would be fine to use a windowless room for occasional guest accommodation if there was some means of ventilation, if there wasn't also a significant fire hazard in the room (the electric switch box)

It would be fine to have the electric switch box in a guest bedroom if there was also a fire-escape

Both things at once - nope.

But fire escapes do not have to be windows. I stayed in a holiday home once where one of the bedrooms had a tiny window, that only opened a few inches. There was an area of wall marked out in glow-in-the-dark paint which, in a fire, would apparently, according to the instruction manual, be very easy to kick through with minimal force and would lead to a fire escape.

Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 15:21

@Chersfrozenface thank you, that's a good idea, (although I think they probably wont be too pleased if we suggest it!)

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Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 15:19

We are definitely more on the hypervigilant end of the parenting scale, which was why I wanted to know what others thought or if I was overreacting..!

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Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 15:18

There is no added ventilation that I'm aware of...

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Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 15:17

The new room is on the ground floor but set back a bit in a large hall space. They have put in a (very solid) door with an upper (probaby shatterproof/firedoor?) glass panel to allow some light in, but the circuit board/fuse box is inside right by the door, so if it caught fire (no idea how likely this is to happen) it would block the only route into/out of the room. The only other proper bedroom (BIL/SIL room) is upstairs at the other end of the barn, not miles away but along a long ish passage and through another room then upstairs. I'm kicking myself for not paying more attention to what they were planning/building - I've been wrapped up dealing with DC1 significant difficulties and thought it was lovely they were putting so much effort into making a bedroom suitable for DC to visit. It hadn't occurred to me to worry about it. DH is very reluctant to upset them/tell them we aren't letting DC use the room at this late stage, but we can't risk our kids safety for that.

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Knockon · 27/06/2023 15:09

I’d be more interested in ventilation - 3 kids in one room is gonna be hot, stuffy and probably a bit smelly!

Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 15:05

*space not pace!

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Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 15:03

The circuit/fuse box is located low down at floor level, the room was previously a small workshop/utility room pace which was why I'd never noticed it being there. They have had it boxed in, although not sure if that is childproof (I doubt it but I wouldn't let DC2 stay there unless I knew it was). I was more worried about an electrical fire in the circuit box trapping them in to the room.

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Hoxipo · 27/06/2023 14:59

I'm with you, OP, wouldn't let anyone stay in a windowless room. Stupid, stupid idea.

Flossiemoss · 27/06/2023 14:57

I wouldn’t be happy with this set up for dc.
then again I couldn’t sleep in a room with no window. That’s one very dark and stuffy room at night when the door shuts. It’s more like a cupboard .

Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 14:56

Sorry by child free I should have said they do have children but their DD's have grown up and left home years ago. DH's DB is significantly older than him (more like an uncle/parent figure). They are very kind people but have a noticeable lack of child safety awareness (eg leaving medication around that looks like sweets/sharp knives etc) which is why they haven't had my younger DC to stay yet, and I'm hesitant to start that at their house yet... (They have looked after them at our house a couple of times). My eldest DC is very sensible but as I say in the event of a fire DC1 wouldn't necessarily be able to think straight to know what to do.

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Aaron95 · 27/06/2023 14:56

BiscuitsandPuffin · 27/06/2023 14:31

I don't think it's sensible to have a distribution board in a child's bedroom, but I've just gone to look it up and can't find anything about it either way, maybe because no one has ever been stupid enough to house children and a distribution board in the same room before? Accident waiting to happen.

If you have ever stayed in a hotel, chances are there is a consumer unit in your room. Nowadays they tend to be individual to each guestroom.

There is no rule around where a consumer unit is sited other than not in a bathroom or anywhere damp. Normally they are mounted somewhere accessible such as a cupboard or garage or at the top of the wall, far out of reach of a child. Is it out of reach? If so, and you are still really concerned about it, box it in.

Thereoughttobeclowns · 27/06/2023 14:53

In this scenario, my only concern was there is an adequate fire strategy. Are there smoke detectors that are interlinked?

No one is going to die because there’s no opening window, but they need to alerted to fire or smoke.

The regs state you can escape via another bedroom window if it doesn’t involve crossing the stair enclosure.

FlounderingFruitcake · 27/06/2023 14:49

BIL/SIL are lovely people but aren't used to thinking about child safety.
Irrespective of the window/electrical issues I wouldn’t be happy leaving toddlers in the care of people who don’t think about child safety, even if it’s not malicious or anything, just that it’s very understandably not on their radar. I know it’s awfully tempting when you’re keen for a break but my view would be that it’s best left until they’re older. Older DC could still go and sleep on the living room sofa bed to avoid the windowless room if you think he’s fine and sensible though?

Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 14:47

I haven't mentioned it yet, I didn't realise how far the work was progressing (it's nearly finished) and I originally thought they were adding a window. I found out and wasn't too keen on it not having one but until now I had no idea the electrical circuit box was also in the room! They love our children, I'm so grateful they've gone to all this trouble to accommodate them, but DH finds it hard to talk to them about "awkward" subjects...this is not going to go down well. I wish we'd realised and said sonething before it got this far. The kids safety obviously comes first though!

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Lakeyloo · 27/06/2023 14:38

YANBU. Have you raised this with BIL and SIL ?
I don't have children and wouldn't have considered the things you mentioned, but they make perfect sense. It sounds as if they love your children dearly and may well be horrified to realise the set up will be far from ideal, dangerous even, and that you are really worried about it.

Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 14:37

@BiscuitsandPuffin yes same here. I had no idea the board was in the room till today, was hoping to find some very clear legislation that states its a real no-no. BIL/SIL are lovely people but aren't used to thinking about child safety.

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Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 14:34

@FlounderingFruitcake Thats true. I think my thought was that worst case scenario an adult can hopefully get in by breaking a window. Oldest DC1 is nearly 13 and sensible, although is ND with other SEN so would panic or freeze in an emergency. I was going to ask BIL or SIL to sleep on the sofa bed in the nearby living room if they have younger DC so they can't wander far. The electrical work is just moving sockets/lighting. The rest of the electrics in the house are about 15 years old I think (including the fuse box in the new bedroom). There are no building regulations checks or anything being done as it is just minor/non structural work-dividing a room with stud walls etc.

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BiscuitsandPuffin · 27/06/2023 14:31

I don't think it's sensible to have a distribution board in a child's bedroom, but I've just gone to look it up and can't find anything about it either way, maybe because no one has ever been stupid enough to house children and a distribution board in the same room before? Accident waiting to happen.

Chersfrozenface · 27/06/2023 14:27

Does the Fire Service in the area where your BIL/SIL live offer home safety checks? My local service does. It might be worth persuading BIL/SIL to arrange one.

As well as the configuration of the bedroom, they might well get advice on using extension leads etc.

Original poster
HereIAmThereYouAre · 27/06/2023 14:24

That was meant to be in reply to @Coffeaddict

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