Fire Escape Design, Fabrication and Installation
A fire escape condemned by a structural engineer is not a problem you can defer. If the structure does not comply, you cannot leave tenants in the building. That means empty units, lost rental income and the cost of emergency replacement — all while the clock is running on your legal obligations under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. There is a second consequence that does not get discussed enough. A fire escape that moves under load in a real emergency does not just fail structurally. It causes panic. And panic in a building fire costs lives. We design, fabricate and install bespoke fire escapes for commercial, industrial and residential buildings across Mansfield and Nottinghamshire. Every structure is built to BS EN 1090 EXC2 — the structural steel certification required for fire escapes as part of a building’s structure — and signed off by building control. From initial site survey to the certificate handed over on completion, one company handles everything. Enquire Here
What We Design and Build
Fire escapes come in more configurations than the standard straight-run staircase. Most buildings have constraints — walls, doors, limited footprints, ground-level obstructions — that make a straight run impossible. We design around those constraints from the outset.- External straight staircases
- 90-degree turned staircases where space or obstructions prevent a straight descent
- Bespoke landing structures and platforms where exit points sit above obstructions
- Access ladders for lower-risk or maintenance access applications
- Replacement fire escapes for condemned or end-of-life structures
- Multi-staircase projects for larger or multi-tenanted buildings
Why Off-the-Shelf Does Not Work for Most Buildings
Standard kit fire escapes are built around a set of assumptions: flat ground, unobstructed straight descent, simple fixing points. Most real buildings do not meet all of those conditions. Walls interrupt the run. Doors sit at the base of exit points. Ground slopes. Available footprint is tight. “The area wouldn’t take an off-the-shelf design. They need to be shaped to suit the environment they are being used in.” Every fire escape we build starts with a full site survey, not a product catalogue. We model the space in SolidWorks 3D design software, engineer the staircase to fit precisely within the available area, and produce a general arrangement drawing for customer approval before a single piece of steel is cut. “We draw out the layout of the area in a 3D model and then make the stairs fit in the area on the design.” The 3D model is not a sales tool — it is how we solve the design problem before fabrication begins. What looks straightforward from the outside often reveals constraints in the model that would cause serious problems on site. Better to find them in SolidWorks than mid-installation.
How It Works
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1Initial enquiry — contact us by phone or email with as much detail about the building and requirement as you have. We will tell you what else we need.
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2Initial site visit — Ian visits to survey the location, understand constraints, assess fixing points, and take preliminary measurements.
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3Quote — a detailed quote is prepared and sent. No hidden additions.
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4Order placed — customer confirms and places the order.
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5Full site survey — a thorough second survey double-checks all dimensions and constraints before design begins. This is a non-negotiable step built into our process.
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6Capacity assessment — the building owner, landlord or managing agent commissions a risk assessment establishing how many people the fire escape will serve. This determines the required width and load specification. We advise on this as part of the process.
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7Design — the fire escape is drawn up in SolidWorks 3D modelling software. A full 3D model and general arrangement drawing is produced. Customer approves the design before manufacture begins.
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8Manufacture — the fire escape is fabricated in-house at our workshop on Old Mill Lane Industrial Estate, Mansfield.
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9Surface coatings — hot-dip galvanising applied as standard for outdoor use. Powder coating available over galvanising for aesthetic finish.
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10Delivery and installation — a three-person crew arrives with a Genie lift and scaffold tower as required. Typical installation time is two to three days on site.
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11Sign-off — building control inspects and signs off the completed installation.
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12Certificate issued — customer receives a BS EN 1090 EXC2 certificate confirming the structure meets the required structural steel standard.
What Makes Advantage Engineering Different
Fully bespoke 3D designEvery fire escape is modelled in SolidWorks before a piece of steel is cut. Walls, doors, steps, limited footprints — all designed around in the model. Customer approves the design before manufacture starts.
BS EN 1090 EXC2 certified Fire escapes form part of a building’s structure and legally require this accreditation. Without it, a fire escape can be condemned or removed — creating legal and insurance consequences for the building owner. Not all fabricators hold this standard.Full in-house serviceDesign, fabrication and installation all handled by Advantage. One company, one point of contact, one certificate at completion. No handoffs between separate contractors.
Double-check survey as standard Every project runs two site surveys: an initial visit for the quote, and a full second survey before design begins. A lesson built into the process from experience — catching a discrepancy in the workshop is a minor inconvenience; catching it mid-installation is a costly delay.Honest about the stakesA fire escape that moves under load in an emergency does not just fail structurally — it causes panic. Our approach to fixings, bracing and structural integrity is built around that reality, not around keeping costs to a minimum.
Building control sign-off on every installation The process is not complete until building control has inspected and signed off the structure. The certificate issued at the end is the building owner’s evidence of compliance — with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and with BS EN 1090 EXC2.
Project Example
Two Condemned Fire Escapes — Knitwear Factory, Mansfield
Client: Commercial landlord, knitwear factory, Mansfield
Scope: Full replacement of two condemned external fire escape staircases
Challenge: Both staircases required bespoke solutions — neither could be a straight run
Finish: Hot-dip galvanised throughout
Completion: Approximately two months from order to sign-off
An old knitwear factory in Mansfield had two external staircases condemned by a structural engineer. Years of exposure had corroded the steelwork to the point where they were no longer structurally safe. Without compliant fire escapes in place, the building owner faced having to close the units to tenants.
“Without fire escapes, they would have had to close. We kept the building in use.”
Both replacements had to be bespoke — the building’s layout made a standard straight-run impossible on either staircase. Each presented a different problem.
Staircase One — 90-Degree Turn
A wall obstructed the straight descent. The staircase had to turn 90 degrees mid-run to fit within the available space. We modelled the exact dimensions of the area in SolidWorks and engineered the turn precisely — every stringer angle, landing dimension and fixing point resolved in the design before fabrication began. What would have been guesswork on site became a controlled build from a confirmed model.Staircase Two — Landing Over a Door
The exit point sat directly above a door. A standard staircase landing would have blocked it. We designed a bespoke landing frame with legs set 2.5 metres apart — clear of the two-metre door opening — braced back to the wall and to the staircase structure. The door opens freely beneath it. The landing is structurally sound above it. Neither would have been possible without working through the geometry in 3D before cutting any steel. Both staircases were finished in hot-dip galvanising. The full project — two bespoke staircases with two distinct structural challenges — was completed in approximately two months. The building owner kept the units in use throughout the build.Capabilities
| Types | Straight staircases, 90-degree turned staircases, access ladders, bespoke platforms and landing structures |
| Primary material | Mild steel — hot-dip galvanised as standard for outdoor use |
| Aesthetic finish | Powder coating over galvanising where required |
| Specialist environments | Stainless steel available for hygienic or marine environments |
| Treads | Galvanised steel or GRP (glass reinforced plastic) non-slip treads — GRP recommended for UK outdoor environments; comparable cost to steel, significantly better grip in wet and frosty conditions |
| Handrail height | 1,100mm from floor to centreline of top rail (standard) |
| Design software | SolidWorks 3D modelling — full 3D model and general arrangement drawing produced for every project |
| Installation team | Three-person crew with Genie lift and scaffold tower |
| Typical installation time | Two to three days on site |
| Typical project turnaround | Three to five weeks from order to installation (standard bespoke). Complex multi-staircase projects: longer — confirmed at quote stage. |
| Accreditation | BS EN 1090 EXC2 (Cert No: 20203, Exc Class 2). Safe Contractor accredited. BS EN 1090 certificate issued to customer on completion. |
| Legal framework | Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 |
| Coverage area | Mansfield and Nottinghamshire |
FAQ’s
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No — but you or your managing agent are responsible for commissioning the capacity assessment. This is a competent person’s risk assessment that establishes how many people the fire escape needs to serve. That figure determines the required width and load specification. We advise on this as part of the process and can point you in the right direction.
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Galvanising is the recommended finish for any outdoor fire escape — it provides significantly longer protection than paint alone in exposed conditions. Paint-only is not recommended outdoors. If aesthetics matter, powder coating can be applied over the galvanised finish. You get the longevity of galvanising with the colour of your choice on top.
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Both galvanised steel and GRP (glass reinforced plastic) non-slip treads are available at a similar price. For outdoor fire escapes in the UK, GRP treads are recommended. The rough, high-grip surface performs substantially better in wet and frosty conditions — which matters on a structure that may need to be used in an emergency at any time of year.
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Three to five weeks from order to installation for a standard bespoke fire escape. More complex projects — multiple staircases, significant design constraints — will take longer. We confirm timelines clearly at quote stage.
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If a structural engineer condemns your fire escape, you have a compliance problem that needs resolving quickly. Depending on your building and tenants, closure of the affected units may be the only legally defensible position until a compliant replacement is in place. Get in touch as soon as you have the engineer’s report — the sooner we survey, the sooner we can move.
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Clean the galvanised surface annually using a mild water-based detergent — avoid abrasives that could scratch the finish. A detailed structural inspection should be carried out every five years, though frequency may vary depending on building type, usage and exposure. Your building’s fire risk assessment should specify the inspection schedule.
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Yes. Fire escapes form part of a building’s structure. Building control inspects the completed installation and we provide full BS EN 1090 EXC2 certification on completion. That certificate is your documented evidence of compliance — both for the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and for any future structural inspection or insurance query.
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In most cases, yes. The knitwear factory project in Mansfield ran for approximately two months while the units stayed in use throughout. We plan the installation sequence to minimise disruption to the building and its occupants.