The Latest Fire Safety Regulations

Are you aware of the latest changes to The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022? There have been some changes that came into effect on 23rd January that directly affect premises in England. This blog will explain what these changes are and how Fire Stoppers can help you make them.

These most recent changes introduced article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, based on the recommendations made after the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report. These regulations affect high-rise buildings and their operational responses, such as workplaces and parts of multi-occupied residential buildings.

Who is responsible?

The responsible person for ensuring these regulations are followed would normally be the owner, or sometimes a letting agent or agency if they are managing a property on behalf of the tenant. It’s the person who has responsibility for the premises and the safety of those inside it.

The Requirements

1. High-rise buildings

• Wayfinding signs

You need to install signs that can be seen in emergency situations, like in smoke. These signs should clearly label flat and floor numbers in their stairwells.

• Information boxes

A secure information box needs to be installed in the building, with your name and contact details and building floor plans inside.

• Lights and fire-fighting tools

You need to carry out monthly checks on lifts that firefighters would use and evacuations lifts. You also need to check that key firefighting equipment is functional. Any errors should be reported to your Fire and Rescue Service and be reported to your residents if they cannot be fixed within 24 hours.

• External wall systems

You need to give your Fire and Rescue Service information about the design and materials of your external wall system and let them know of any changes. Your information should also include the level of risk the structure has, and what steps you have taken to reduce this risk.

• Building plans

You need to provide your Fire and Rescue Service with your latest electronic building floor plans and have a physical copy of this, which shows where key fire fighting equipment is in your information box.

2. Buildings over 11 metres

• Fire doors

You need to annually check the flat entrance doors, and other fire doors should be checked every 3 months.

3. Multi-occupied residential buildings (2 or more sets of domestic premises)

• Fire door information

You need to provide residents with information letting them know about how fire doors play an important role in fire safety.

• Fire safety instructions

You need to provide your residents with relevant fire safety instructions, such as reporting a fire and what they should do if a fire happens, following your building’s evacuation strategy.

Find out more about the changes here.

How we can help

Here at Fire Stoppers, we are your fire safety experts. If you’re a responsible person, we provide high-quality fire safety training so you can understand what you need to do to meet legal requirements. It’s tailored to your business and our team are experienced fire safety trainers. We also offer a fire door inspection and maintenance service, they must be inspected regularly by a qualified professional, and we can even perform repairs. We can also help you with the production of these documents, we can give you advice! Get in touch with us today for a chat to find out how we can help you!

For more fire safety information and advice, head to our blog!