In short
What fire safety rules apply to offices in France that do not receive the public?
Those of the French Labour Code. At design stage, the client sizes the escape routes according to headcount, in exit units of 0.60 m (0.90 m for one unit, 1.40 m for two), and complies with distances: 40 metres at most to reach a staircase, no dead end longer than 10 metres (art. R4216-5, R4216-8 and R4216-11). During occupation, the employer provides at least one 6-litre extinguisher per 200 m² and per floor (art. R4227-29) and, above 50 people usually present, displayed fire instructions and drills at least every six months (art. R4227-37 to R4227-39).
- Fewer than 20 people: one escape route; from 101 to 500 people: two escape routes, with 3 to 6 exit units (art. R4216-8).
- These rules do not apply to high-rise buildings; the stricter rules for buildings open to the public (ERP) come on top if the offices receive visitors (art. R4216-1).
- A reconfiguration (partitions, densification) is checked on plan before it is fixed: dead ends, widths, distances.
Which rules apply to offices without visitors?
The Labour Code deals with fire in two parts. The first is addressed to the client (maître d'ouvrage) who builds, alters or converts workplaces: articles R4216-1 et seq. (fire prevention and evacuation). The second is addressed to the employer who uses the premises: articles R4227-1 to R4227-41 (escape routes, extinguishing equipment, alarm, instructions), according to the regulatory overview published by INRS (the French national occupational health and safety institute).
Two limits of scope: these design rules do not apply to high-rise buildings (immeubles de grande hauteur), which have their own regulations, and they do not override the stricter provisions for buildings open to the public (art. R4216-1). If your offices receive clients or visitors, see offices open to the public.
Escape routes: number and width by headcount
Each escape route has a minimum clear width proportionate to the total number of people expected to use it, calculated in exit units of 0.60 m; where a route has only one or two units, its width is increased to 0.90 m and 1.40 m respectively (art. R4216-5).
The number of escape routes and exit units depends on the headcount (art. R4216-8):
| Headcount | Escape routes | Exit units (total) |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 20 people | 1 | 1 |
| 20 to 50 people | 1 + 1 secondary route, or 1 only (see below) | 2 |
| 51 to 100 people | 2, or 1 + 1 secondary route | 2 |
| 101 to 200 people | 2 | 3 |
| 201 to 300 people | 2 | 4 |
| 301 to 400 people | 2 | 5 |
| 401 to 500 people | 2 | 6 |
| Beyond the first 500 people | + 1 per 500 people or part thereof | + 1 per 100 people or part thereof |
Between 20 and 50 people, a single escape route is enough if the route to the outside is no longer than 25 metres and the premises are not below ground. A secondary route may be, among other things, an exit, a staircase or a quick and safe circulation route at least 0.60 m wide. In an existing building, during refurbishment or fit-out works, the 0.90 m width may be reduced to 0.80 m (art. R4216-8).
Distances to comply with
- 40 metres at most to reach a staircase from an upper floor or a basement (art. R4216-11).
- Less than 20 metres between the foot of a staircase at ground level and an exit to the outside (art. R4216-11).
- No dead end longer than 10 metres on escape routes (art. R4216-11).
What a reconfiguration can change
These rules are checked at every reconfiguration, even without a building permit, because a partition layout changes them directly:
- enclosed offices or meeting rooms lined up along a corridor can create a dead end or lengthen the route to the staircase;
- a piece of furniture, a partition or a reception desk can reduce the width of an escape route below the required number of exit units;
- densification can move the headcount into the next row of the table, with one more escape route or exit unit (for the number of desks, see office space per employee).
The check is done on the plan, before the layout is fixed, not once the partitions are up.
During occupation: extinguishers, alarm, instructions, drills
- Extinguishers: at least one portable water-spray extinguisher with a minimum capacity of 6 litres per 200 m² of floor area, and at least one per floor; premises with particular risks, electrical ones in particular, are given extinguishers whose number and type suit those risks (art. R4227-29).
- Alarm: the general audible alarm is governed by articles R4227-34 to R4227-36 (INRS).
- Fire safety instructions: in establishments where more than 50 people are usually employed or gathered, or where flammable materials are handled (INRS), written fire instructions are drawn up and displayed very visibly, in each room of more than five people and, in other cases, in each room or in each escape route serving a group of rooms; in other establishments, evacuation instructions are drawn up (art. R4227-37). The instructions name, among other things, the extinguishing equipment, the people in charge of using it, those who direct the evacuation, the arrangements for disabled people, the means of raising the alarm and the emergency number (art. R4227-38).
- Drills: the instructions provide for periodic tests and inspections of the equipment and for drills; drills and tests take place at least every six months, and their date and any observations are recorded in a register kept available to the labour inspectorate (art. R4227-39).
- Signage: evacuation signs installed since 1 January 2014 must comply with standard NF EN ISO 7010 (amended order of 4 November 1993, according to INRS).
The design rules (escape routes, distances) are dealt with in the fit-out project; the operating obligations (extinguishers, instructions, drills) remain the employer's after handover. The layout must make them possible: extinguisher locations, display points, clear routes.
In an office project
In a fit-out project, the fire check is part of the layout: headcount used, number and width of escape routes, distances, dead ends, then, for operation, the location of emergency equipment and signage. It is done from the space planning stage, before the plan is fixed. If the building is a high-rise or the offices receive the public, other rules apply and are checked separately. Office design and fit-out · Describe your project.
Frequently asked questions
How many extinguishers for 300 m² of offices on a single floor?
At least two portable water-spray extinguishers of at least 6 litres: the rule is at least one per 200 m² of floor area and at least one per floor (art. R4227-29). Suitable extinguishers are added for premises with particular risks, electrical ones for example.
Do offices need two fire exits?
It depends on the headcount. Below 20 people, one escape route is enough. From 20 to 50 people, you need one escape route plus a secondary route, or a single route if the way to the outside is no longer than 25 metres and the premises are not below ground. Above 100 people, at least two escape routes (art. R4216-8).
Are evacuation drills mandatory in offices?
Where fire safety instructions are required (more than 50 people usually present, or flammable materials handled), the instructions provide for drills and tests at least every six months, recorded in a register (art. R4227-37 and R4227-39).