New fire safety regulations in force
Those living in high-rise flats or trying to sell them should note that from 23 January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force. These regulations introduce new duties under the Fire Safety Order for building owners or managers (to be known as 'responsible persons').
These regulations will make it a requirement in law for responsible persons of high-rise blocks of flats to provide information to Fire and Rescue Services to assist them to plan and, if needed, provide an effective operational response. Also, the regulations will require responsible persons in multi-occupied residential buildings which are high-rise buildings, as well as those above 11 metres in height, to provide additional safety measures.
In all multi-occupied residential buildings, the regulations require responsible persons to provide residents with fire safety instructions and information on the importance of fire doors. The regulations apply to existing buildings, and requirements for new buildings may be different.
In high-rise residential buildings, responsible persons will be required to:
Building Plans: provide their local Fire and Rescue Service with up-to-date electronic building floor plans
External Wall Systems: provide to their local Fire and Rescue Service information about the design and materials of a high-rise building's external wall system and to inform the Fire and Rescue Service of any material changes to these walls.
Lifts and other Key Fire-Fighting Equipment: undertake monthly checks on the operation of lifts intended for use by firefighters, and evacuation lifts in their building and check the functionality of other key pieces of firefighting equipment.
Information Boxes: install and maintain a secure information box in their building. This box must contain the name and contact details of the Responsible Person and hard copies of the building floor plans.
Wayfinding Signage: to install signage visible in low light or smoky conditions that identifies flat and floor numbers in the stairwells of relevant buildings.
In residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres in height, responsible persons will be required to:
Fire Doors: undertake annual checks of flat entrance doors and quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common parts. In all multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises, responsible persons will be required to:
Fire Safety Instructions: provide relevant fire safety instructions to their residents, which will include instructions on how to report a fire and any other instruction which sets out what a resident must do once a fire has occurred, based on the evacuation strategy for the building.
Fire Door Information: provide residents with information relating to the importance of fire doors in fire safety.
People purchasing flats in high-rise buildings should ensure that they take appropriate legal advice. It is essential for property owners to make sure that these vital safeguards are in place.
To discuss this or any other property matter, contact us.