The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations are now in force and implement the majority of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations. The aim is to improve the fire safety in blocks of flats.
The regulations introduce new duties under Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order for responsible persons.
High-Rise Residential Buildings
For high-rise residential buildings at least 18 metres in height or 7 or more storeys, responsible persons must:
- share electronically with their local fire and rescue service (FRS) information about the building’s external wall system and provide the FRS with electronic copies of floor plans and building plans for the building
- keep hard copies of the building’s floor plans, in addition to a single page orientation plan of the building, and the name and UK contact details of the responsible person in a secure information box which is accessible by firefighters.
- install wayfinding signage in all high-rise buildings which is visible in low light conditions
- establish a minimum of monthly checks on lifts which are for the use of firefighters in high-rise residential buildings and on essential pieces of firefighting equipment.
- inform the FRS if a lift used by firefighters or one of the pieces of firefighting equipment is out of order for longer than 24 hours
Other multi-occupied residential buildings
For multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres in height, responsible persons must:
- undertake quarterly checks on all communal fire doors and annual checks on flat entrance doors
In all multi-occupied residential buildings, responsible persons must:
- provide residents with relevant fire safety instructions and information about the importance of fire doors
For guidance, templates and to submit your information, choose a link:
Further information
You can find further information about the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 via the UK Government and NFCC websites
The Home Office has also produced a series of fact sheets which provide more detailed information on what the Regulations mean in England:
- Overview Fact Sheet
- Secure Information Box Fact Sheet
- Design and Materials of External Walls Fact Sheet
- Floor Plans and Building Plan Fact Sheet
- Lifts and Essential Fire-fighting Equipment Fact Sheet
- Wayfinding Signage Fact Sheet
- Information to Residents Fact Sheet
- Fire Doors Fact Sheet
Additional guidance has been provided by the Home Office on how to comply with the Regulations: