The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023 and are centred around the additional fire safety measures required in residential buildings. The fire safety measures required depend on the building’s height.
For any multi-occupied residential building with two or more domestic premises, the Regulations require that the Responsible Person (RP):
- Provides fire safety instruction to all residents on what to do in the event of a fire.
- Provides fire door information to all residents on the importance of fire doors.
For residential buildings over 11m in height, the Regulations also require that the RP:
- Conducts annual checks of flat front doors.
- Conducts quarterly checks on communal fire doors.
In addition to the above, Regulations require that the RP of high-rise residential buildings (over 18m or seven storeys):
- Provides their local Fire Service with electronic floor plans of the building, as well as places a hard copy of these plans in a secure information box outside the building.
- Provides their local Fire Service with information about the design and composition of the external walls and the level of risk they pose.
- Conducts monthly checks on firefighting lifts and checks the operation of key firefighting equipment. Any defects must be reported to the local Fire Service.
- Installs a secure information box outside the building that contains the name and contact information of the RP, along with building plans.
- Installs wayfinding signage identifying flat and floor numbers.
By implementing these regulations, the goal is to enhance fire safety, improve response times, and better protect residents in multi-occupied buildings.