Legislation

The Building Safety Act is new legislation passed by Parliament in 2022, while the Fire Safety Bill is currently going through Parliament and came into force in January 2023. 

These new legislation and regulations, provide greater emphasis on fire safety in developments and blocks of flats (not just higher rise) and more specifically, fire safety in relation to compartmentation, communal doors and flat front doors.

Moving forward Property Management companies now have more responsibility in ensuring that a programme of planned preventive maintenance is in place. The fire safety order, amount other things, requires the responsible person to: 

· Undertake and review regularly a fire risk assessment 

· Put in place and maintain adequate and appropriate fire precautions to reduce the risk of fire 

· Ensuring that the available escape routes are kept clear and maintained to allow a safe exit from the building 

Communal and Flat Front Fire Doors 

One of the most significant changes to the Fire Safety Act involves flat front doors.

The prime purpose for fire doors is to save lives and stop the progress of fire and smoke in support of both occupants and fire-fighting activities. They are an important part of a building's passive fire protection system and an essential requirement for all residential premises. 

Because of their importance in protecting lives, it is imperative that fire doors receive regular inspections. These are recommended every 6 months and 3 months for high traffic areas. The upcoming Fire Safety Act which came into force in January 2023 will make these fire door inspections UK Law. It is estimated that 70-75% of fire doors do not comply with current standards and will require upgrades or replacement. 

We have helped many clients by providing fire door inspection surveys.  Please give us a call if you would like to discuss further.