New Fire Safety Regulations for 2023
14 November, 2022
Following the highly publicised Grenfell Tower Fire in August 2017, the Government established the Independent Grenfell Tower Inquiry which published its first Phase report in October 2019. This report made several recommendations, which were accepted by the Government and required a change in law to implement.
To satisfy the majority of these recommendations, The Fire Safety Act 2021 was established and The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced in May 2022, to put the Act into action.
The new 2022 regulations come into force on 23 January 2023. This 8-month gap was intended to give sufficient time to landlords, business owners and other ‘responsible people’ to make the necessary changes.
The regulations do not replace, but add to, the existing duty for a responsible person to put in place general fire precautions in any premises covered by the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (FSO). So, it’s worth knowing the below information to keep your commercial building safe, too.
Summary of The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
The 2022 regulations came as a result of the Fire Safety Act 2021. The Act clarifies that responsible person taking care of multi-occupied residential buildings must manage and reduce the risk of fire for several factors, including:
- Building structure
- External walls and cladding
- Balconies
- Windows
- Entrance doors to individual flats
Whilst the Act itself applies to both England and Wales, The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 apply to England only. The regulations cover:
- The need for a responsible person(s) to plan and prepare to meet the new regulations
- Actions for all residential multi-occupied buildings
- Additional requirements for buildings over 11 metres in height
- Further additional requirements for buildings over 18 metres, or 7 storeys
How to make my residential building fire-safe
According to the new regulations, responsible people must carry out a minimum of three actions to keep their multi-occupied residential building up to standard. These are: using the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool, providing all residents with fire safety instructions (on how to report and act in the event of a fire), and providing all residents with information on the importance of fire doors. Once a building reaches 11 metres, flat entrance fire doors must also be checked annually and all common area fire doors assessed quarterly.
Fire door information should cover the importance of keeping doors closed, that doors and self-closing devices are not tampered with, and that any faults or damage to doors should be raised immediately. This is provided upon moving in and annually thereafter.
Further requirements are introduced when a building reaches 18 metres (7 storeys) or more. The local Fire and Rescue Service must be supplied with up-to-date building floor plans and an additional single page plan which identifies key firefighting equipment within.
They must also be supplied with information on the design and materials used for external walls, with any risks and possible mitigations.
On a monthly basis, lifts and key firefighting equipment must be checked and defects reported to the Fire and Rescue Service as soon as possible if it cannot be fixed within 24 hours. Finally, information boxes, containing the contact details of responsible persons and backups of the floor plans, and wayfinding signage, designed for low light and smoky conditions, must be installed.
See more tips below:
How to make my commercial building fire-safe
As a business owner or shared owner of a business premises, you have a fire safety responsibility that goes beyond employees; extending to visitors and any members of the public that find themselves in your building. Every employer requires a responsible person onsite to make sure everything is done correctly.
As a minimum, you must complete a fire risk assessment, reduce fire risks and create clear emergency exit procedures. Having the right equipment is also essential, including fire exits, fire doors, fire signage, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and fire alarms.
For more tips commercial fire safety, see our blog posts and guides below:
- Office Fire Safety Requirements
- 10 Most Flammable Items in the Office
- Workplace Fire Safety Checklist
- 5 Causes of Fire in the Workplace
- What is a Fire Log Book?
Fire Doors in Residential and Commercial Buildings
Fire doors are a non-negotiable safety requirement in both commercial and multi-occupied residential buildings. The responsible person should inspect fire doors regularly in line with regulations.
As we have seen above, residential flat entrance fire doors must be checked annually and all common area fire doors quarterly. In commercial buildings, fire doors must be checked approximately every 6 months due to their high-traffic usage.
Inspections can be carried out by the responsible person, checking the fire doors for any obvious damage or problems, such as alterations to glazing and components or gaps around the frame or seals. It should also be noted whether the door closes correctly around the whole frame and the door closers work as expected. If any issues are identified from these checks, it might be worthwhile to call upon a specialist to ensure they’re fixed to the required standard.
For more guidance when it comes to navigating The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, get in touch with Target Fire Protection today. We have extensive fire safety experience and work with countless businesses across Manchester, Rochdale and the North West to implement thorough, dependable fire safety measures.
