d) MCPs should be located on escape routes and, in particular, at all storey exits and all exits to open
air that lead to an ultimate place of safety (whether or not the exits are specifically designated as
fire exits).
Those located at storey exits may be sited within the accommodation or on the landing of a
stairway to which the storey exit gives access (see Figure 6). In multi-storey buildings with
phased evacuation, in which only a limited number of floors are evacuated at one time, only
the former option applies; under these circumstances, MCPs should not be located on stairway
landings, as persons travelling down the stairway might operate an MCP several floors below
that on which a fire is located, resulting in evacuation of inappropriate areas.
e) Distribution of MCPs should be such that no one need travel more than 45 m [except where
20.2f) applies] to reach the nearest MCP, measured along the route that a person would actually
follow taking into account the layout of walls, partitions and fittings. If, at the design stage, the
final layout of the premises is unknown, the maximum straight line distance between any point
in the building and the nearest MCP should not exceed 30 m [except where 20.2f) applies]; after
final fit out of the premises, the limit of 45 m should still then apply.
NOTE 4 These distances are arbitrary, but reflect the maximum acceptable distances between any point and
the nearest storey exit commonly applied to many premises.
f) The figures of 45 m and 30 m recommended in e) should be reduced to 25 m and 16 m,
respectively, in the following circumstances: