Is forced release of roller shutters on a window mandatory?

A few follow-up questions come to mind. What is a common room? Is it just the living area or also the sleeping area? What about a party room in the basement, or generally underground common rooms without windows?

The answer is provided by the building regulations, in NRW in § 2 para. 7:

(7) Common rooms are rooms intended or suitable for the not only temporary stay of people.

Whether a room has this suitability essentially depends on requirements regarding room size, room height (e.g. in the attic), lighting and ventilation. Corresponding regulations on this can be found further back in the respective building regulations.

I can explain from my job that any building work does not receive approval from the authorities if the second escape route is not ensured via a crank - when originally electric shutters are to be installed.

In Saxony-Anhalt, I know at least one real existing single-family house with two floors and electrically operated shutters all around without a fallback position (battery or manual operation). I am sure there are more such cases. At the moment, I cannot say whether the shutter and/or the electric operation played a role in the approval process. In any case, a building permit exists; it is not an illegal construction.

But I think the most important info is: "At least builders should be advised accordingly to take appropriate precautions to increase their own safety.

The question is, what precautions should those be. IMHO(!) a crank or strap operation is too slow in an emergency anyway (the strap might still be possible if you have strength, the crank not at all). Commercially available (plastic) shutters can, however, in my opinion, be pressed out quite well; one should just be careful not to fall out while doing so.

By the way, behavior in emergencies should always be practiced repeatedly (I do not know anyone(!) who does that privately).

Very anxious natures better leave the shutter off at the second escape route.

In Saxony-Anhalt, I know at least one real single-family house with two floors and electrically operated roller shutters all around without fallback position (battery or manual operation).

That may be so – I don’t work in Saxony-Anhalt, but comfortably right at my doorstep, and only for this area can I provide reliable information regarding the second escape route from practical experience. I find this different practice in Germany anyway far from ideal. If it were up to me, there would be uniform standards. Rhineland greetings

A few follow-up questions come to my mind. What is a common room? Only living area or also sleeping area? What about a party room in the basement, or generally underground common rooms without windows? If there's a fire on the stairs, you're lost. So why are basements even allowed?

With plastic roller shutters, you can get through in 2 seconds, no motor or crank is that fast.

We are currently in talks with a window manufacturer, I will inquire in that direction. Unlike Hesse and Hamburg, it is not clearly formulated for NRW.

In short: The term common room is clearly defined, just google it. A bedroom as well as an office is also a common room. A room in the basement is a common room if it has this 2nd escape route, a window of sufficient size, and heating. I believe the height of the room is also defined. Conversions carried out later internally, e.g. a storage room in the basement turning into a party cellar, do not automatically make the room a common room; the users of this room are acting negligently at their own risk.

If I take the party room, for example: 30 sqm, 2.35m ceiling height, connected to heating and ventilation, but lighting only artificial... the lighting could be the decisive point that it is not a living room.

Then there is the guest room: 12 sqm, 2.35m ceiling height, connected to heating and ventilation, "real" window combined with a slope. The only way from the basement to the ground floor is the staircase, there is no exterior basement staircase. For me as a layperson, that would now mean: this is a living room, the roller shutter there additionally needs manual operation or battery.

Or 2.35m ceiling height is fundamentally too low and the matter is settled.

For example, if I take the party room: 30 sqm, 2.35m ceiling height, connected to heating and ventilation, but lighting only artificial... the lighting could be the decisive factor that it is not a living room.

Then there is the guest room: 12 sqm, 2.35m ceiling height, connected to heating and ventilation, a "real" window combined with a sloping wall. The only way from the basement to the ground floor is the staircase, there is no exterior cellar stairway. As a layperson, that would mean to me: this is a living room, the roller shutter there additionally requires manual operation or battery.

Or maybe 2.35m ceiling height is fundamentally too low and the issue is settled.

Here in Lower Saxony 2.35m height is still sufficient – at least that’s what I remember, since in the bedroom and bathroom we only have this measure and I Googled it. How it is with you? No idea. Artificial lighting does not replace daylight lighting* And a real basement window with a sloping wall in front can be used as a 2nd escape route.

*I’m not entirely sure, I read it somewhere once, and now I don’t know if I remembered it all correctly