New fire safety regulations come into effect

23 January 2023

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (the new Regulations) came into force on 23 January 2023.

Depending on the height of the building, the new Regulations require responsible persons of multi-occupied residential buildings that contain two or more sets of domestic premises and have shared common parts to take certain actions. However, in all cases the following apply:

1. Provide relevant fire safety information to residents including instructions on how to report a fire and what a resident must do once a fire occurs.
2. Provide residents with information relating to the importance of fire doors in fire safety.

The following obligations vary depending on the height of the building:

1. Requirements applying in respect of multi-occupied residential buildings of over 11 metres in height.
   • Undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common parts.
   • Use best endeavours to undertake annual checks of flat entrance doors.
2. Requirements applying in respect of multi-occupied residential buildings of at least 18 metres or 7 storeys in height.
   • Provide by electronic means the local fire and rescue authority with
     • Up-to-date floor plans and single-page building plan identifying the key fire-equipment equipment among other matters.
     • Information about the design and materials of the external wall system of a high-rise building and to inform them of any material changes to those walls.
     • Information in relation to the level of fire risk to which the design and materials give rise and any mitigating steps taken.
   • Undertake monthly checks on the operation of lifts intended for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts and essential fire-fighting equipment within the building.
   • Report electronically any defective lifts or equipment to the local fire and rescue authority as soon as reasonably practicable if the fault cannot be fixed within 24 hours and notify them electronically when it has been rectified.
   • Record the outcome of the monthly checks and make that record available to residents.
   • Install and maintain a secure information box in or on the building. This box must contain the name and contact details of the responsible person and hard copies of the floor plans and building plan.
   • Install signage visible in low-level lighting conditions that identifies flat and floor numbers within the stairways and in the lift lobbies of relevant buildings.

The Home Office has also published a guide for responsible persons on how to conduct routine checks and provide information to residents in relation to fire doors.

More information you might find useful:

• Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Regulations
• Fact sheet: overview – Regulations made under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005