Updated Fire Safety Regulations

In this article, our head of consulting, reviews the fire safety for buildings amendments to legislation and what that entails for property owners and management companies.

The government has agreed new amendments to complement the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) to improve fire safety in all buildings.  The new legislation “Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA)”, makes a number of amendments to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to improve fire safety in all buildings regulated by the FSO.

These improvements form Phase 3 of the Home Office’s fire safety reform programme, building on Phase 1 (The Fire Safety Act 2021) and Phase 2 (The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022).

One of the main findings of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Grenfell report was the need to upskill people in the sector so that they have the competence and understanding of improving fire safety within buildings. Training is central to enabling people who work in facilities management, building management and the property sector to understand the legislation and good practices for fire safety.

The new guidance will come into force in 1^st October 2023.  In this blog we look at what that means in practise and what steps you must take to ensure you are fully compliant.

Who does this apply to?

The current regulations in the UK are governed by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO).  The RRFSO places a legal responsibility on building owners and managers to ensure the safety of those within their premises in the event of a fire.

Anyone who owns a building, whatever the size, where people are in residence or working will need to ensure they are meeting these latest regulations.

What do you need to know?

This is the third phase of the review which began in 2020, after the UK government put in place new fire safety regulations following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, Fire Safety (England) Regulations and Building Safety Act seek to clarify the responsibilities of building owners and managers in relation to fire safety and includes the following provisions:

• Building owners must carry out regular fire risk assessments and take appropriate action to address any identified risks.
• The scope of the regulations has been extended to cover external walls, windows and doors, and balconies.
• Increased checks of fire doors, which must be completed annually.
• Building owners will be required to provide information to fire and rescue services about the design and materials used in the construction of the building.
• Building owners will be required to appoint a responsible person, in particular to ensure co-ordination of multi-occupancy buildings, improving compliance with fire safety regulations.
• Penalties for non-compliance with fire safety regulations will be increased.

In practical terms, these regulations mean that building owners and managers will need to take a more proactive approach to fire safety. They will need to ensure that their buildings are designed and constructed with fire safety in mind and that appropriate measures are in place to prevent, detect, and contain fires. They will also need to ensure that staff are trained in fire safety procedures and that regular fire drills are carried out.

Directly lifted from the government’s website:

‘Phase three further strengthens fire safety in all FSO regulated premises by:

• Improving cooperation and coordination between Responsible Persons (RPs).
• Increasing requirements in relation to the recording and sharing of fire safety information thus creating a continual record throughout a building’s lifespan.
• Making it easier for enforcement authorities to act against non-compliance.
• Ensuring residents have access to comprehensive information about fire safety in their building.’

How can OMS help with fire safety?

There’s a number of fire related training courses available from OMS; such as the NEBOSH Certificate in Fire Safety, Fire Safety Risk Assessment training, Fire Marshal / Warden courses and Fire Extinguisher Awareness. All these courses can be delivered in our live or virtual classroom settings to suit your team.

We also offer a professional OMS Health & Safety Consultancy Service, where we can undertake a Fire Risk Assessment of your premises, check the status of your fire doors in accordance with the new regulations; or support your organisation with any Health, Safety, Environmental or Quality related issues.

If you are uncertain as to what you need to do to ensure you are fully compliant then our Consultancy service can visit your premises and deliver a full audit of where you are today in regard to meeting the current legislation and what you need to implement in order to meet the new update.

In summary

The new regulations represent a significant step forward in improving fire safety in UK’s buildings. They are designed to ensure that building owners and managers take their responsibilities seriously and that the safety of those within their premises is prioritised.

You can read them in full by clicking here and don’t worry, guidance to support everything involved in this new fire safety guidance has been published with appropriate guidance; if in doubt give us a call today and we will ensure to assist with any enquiries.

If you’d like OMS to support you with your building’s fire safety please get in touch via email (info@oms.uk.com) or call the office (01530 833533).