Fire Safety in Social Housing

Since the travesty of Grenfell Tower, fire safety in social housing has been under scrutiny. The existing standard of fire safety has been put under the spotlight and reviewed, with fire safety terms, like EWS1 forms, ACM cladding, and stay-put policy all becoming topics of household discussion. 

Billions of pounds are now being spent on Type 4 Fire Risk Assessments, door replacement programmes, and cladding removal, and housing groups are now putting more pressure on contractors and manufacturers to provide reassurance of compliance. Building Information Modeling (BIM); the foundation of digital transformation in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, and the Golden Thread; the information that allows you to understand a building and the steps needed to keep both the building and people safe, are becoming the expectation of contractors, not just the exception.

As regulations and requirements evolve, it can feel like there’s a constant list of things to keep on top of to check buildings safely and efficiently. So, what can we do to keep on top of them and make sure the building remains fire-safe and compliant?

Problem 1: Fire Door Closures Broken

An Inside Housing analysis of Grenfell survivors’ statements exposed that out of 81 flats in the building, 46 of them experienced problems with their fire doors, with the main issue being missing self-closing devices. We are 4 years on, and this issue is still unresolved and apparent in many high-rise buildings. In a conversation with a local authority in the South East, it became clear that out of 6,000 flat entrance doors, 1,700 of them had closers removers, or disengaged. 

Problem 2: Property Portfolio Updated

Housing associations can have anything between 500 to 80,000 properties within one portfolio, and keeping track of all of these can be difficult. It takes a lot of time, organisation and coordination, but they need to be done, and done well. The Golden Thread demands updated records of all a building’s data throughout every stage, from architects, through the chain of manufacturers and contractors, to risk assessors.

The Solution: Keep Track of Fire Safety

Full fire safety compliance cannot be achieved overnight as there is so much to consider and keep track of, from regulation updates to organising maintenance schedules. However, at Firestoppers, we can help. We offer a one-stop shop for fire and security systems. 

Customer service is at the heart of our one-stop-shop service. We provide you with the best price possible and ensure all your security and fire protection needs are met. Our extensive range of services are carried out by fully qualified professionals and is fully insured and covered by Fire Stoppers Limited. Our team are experts in design, service, maintenance and commissioning of fire alarms, extinguishers, and emergency lighting. 

If you require any further information or want to enquire about our one-stop shop, then contact us today on 0800 799 9514, or click here to fill out our online enquiry form.