ᐅ Is an emergency override for blinds on the upper floor strictly necessary?

Created on: 23 Feb 2020 15:37
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Golfi90
Hello everyone.

Today we visited our soon-to-be neighbors and took a look at their house.

I noticed a manual crank (in addition to the electric switch) on a shutter on the upper floor.

Our neighbor said that such an emergency opening is mandatory in Lower Saxony!

However, we have not planned for something like that. Or rather, our general contractor hasn’t!

Are there regulations on when such an emergency opening is required and when it is not?
Golfi9023 Feb 2020 16:18
No secondary emergency exit was ever agreed upon with us. Also, we have no way to manually open any kind of roller shutter...
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tumaa
23 Feb 2020 16:19
Golfi90 schrieb:

No second emergency exit was ever discussed with us. We also have no way to manually open a shutter in any way...

I was not asked about it; my window installer did it on their own initiative.
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hanse987
23 Feb 2020 16:22
Is the secondary escape route not shown in the submitted plan?
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Andre77
23 Feb 2020 18:07
In my building permit application, there is something mentioned somewhere – I believe in the fire safety section – about what constitutes the first and second escape routes. During planning, two windows in the attic had to be wider than the ones on the opposite side, specifically because they serve as the second escape route. So, on one side of the upper facade, I have floor-to-ceiling windows that are 1.01 meters (40 inches) wide, and on the other side, 1.26 meters (50 inches) wide.
Golfi9023 Feb 2020 18:17
Unfortunately, our building permit / planning permission application does not mention anything about emergency escape routes. I have just reviewed everything again.
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Andre77
23 Feb 2020 18:45
Also checked again. It is called "Statements on Fire Protection" in my case.

Not an official form. Just created on a computer.

The last paragraph reads as follows:

"The existing driveway of the property can be used as a fire department access route. The primary escape route should be the existing stairway. The secondary escape route consists of the terrace doors or windows; evacuation is possible with the help of the existing firefighting equipment."