You may not be aware that but new fire safety regulations have been introduced under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, and implemented from the 23rd January 2023.
If you are a responsible person you are required by law to ensure the new regulations are adhered to, and that the building Fire Risk Assessment takes into account the new Laws.
Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022”). You will have such responsibilities if, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (“the Fire Safety Order”), you are a “Responsible Person” (or a person who has some responsibilities) on whom the Fire Safety Order imposes various duties in relation to fire safety in a residential building, such as a block of flats or student accommodation.
Because Grenfell Tower was a high-rise block, much of the focus of the recommendations of the Public Inquiry and subsequent new laws includes measures to ensure the safety of residents in high-rise blocks of flats.
However, the regulations are there to ensure that residents of all residential buildings, ie two or more flats with a shared area such as a hallway, are as safe as possible from fire and that they feel safe from fire hazards.
When having a Fire Risk Assessment on you will need to check:
Is the building a residential building containing two or more sets of domestic premises (ie flats)?
Building Height
Is the Building height:
- Under 11 metres ( up to four storey)
- Between 11 meters and under 18meters (five and six storey buildings)
- Above 18 meters (or has seven storeys or more)
Do your residents have instructions on:
- How to report a fire
- A reminder of what the evacuation strategy is for that building, and;
- Any other instruction that tells residents what they must do once a fire has occurred, based on the building’s evacuation strategy.
Building Fire Doors
Are all fire doors in common areas (ie in corridors, plant room doors) being checked on a three monthly basis and recorded in a fire file or fire log book
Are annual fire door checks being carried out and recorded on all flat entrance fire doors
A Secure information box
Your building may require a Secure information box . Your Fire Risk Assessor will confirm if one is required and advise what documents it contains. This information may be crucial in assisting Fire Fighters who may need to attend a fire.
Monthly checks on firefighters lifts and other essential firefighting equipment
The responsible person will need to ensure that monthly checks on firefighters lifts and other essential firefighting equipment in the high-rise building being carried out and recorded
These include:
- lifts for use by fire fighters
- evacuation lifts
- inlets for dry-rising mains
- inlets for wet-rising mains
- outlets for dry-rising mains
- outlets for wet-rising mains
- smoke control systems
- suppression systems
- fire detection and fire alarm systems including any detectors linked to ancillary equipment such as smoke control systems (in the common parts)
- evacuation alert systems
- automatic door release mechanisms linked to fire alarm systems
Wayfinding signage
The responsible person must ensure that floor identification signs and flat indicator signage is provided.
The floor identification signs should meet the requirements in the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
As Fire Safety rules and regulations become stricter, don’t take a chance and fall foul of the Law.
To ensure that your Fire Risk Assessment complies with the updated Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and meets the requirements of the new Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022,
Contact UK Fire Risk Assessments and arrange for one of our qualified Fire Risk Assessors to carry out a professional Fire Risk Assessment at your block of Flats, HMO, Office Licenced Premises, School or any other building that requires a Fire Risk Assessment