Smoke Control Systems
Approved Document B 2006 of the building regulations states that all common parts within residential buildings require a means of removing smoke and harmful gases from the escape areas of a building.
Single Stair Buildings
If a building is no more than 11m high, has no more than 3 storeys and is not connected to a covered car park then it is only the staircase itself that will require ventilating with a corridor limited to 4.5m.
This travel distance can be extended to 7.5m if the corridor is ventilated also.
Large Apartment Buildings
In all other apartment buildings the travel distance is limited to 7.5m with a single staircase however this is extended to 30m if escape is in two directions. Any lobby or corridor that opens on to a staircase should be ventilated.
Operation
In a building with only one escape route the systems is required to be operated by automatic smoke detection, if a building has more than one escape stair case then these may be manually operated.