FIRE

Modern fire safety legislation applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly every type of building, structure and open space. It does not apply to people’s private homes, including within individual flats in a block or house, but does apply to common areas including the entrance doors to dwellings where there are two or more sets of domestic premises.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) is at the heart of fire safety in the workplace in England and Wales. Following the Grenfell Tower fire and subsequent Inquiry (phase one), and based on the proposals of Dame Judith Hackitt (Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety), significant change is taking place, including new regulatory requirements and amendments to legislation, particularly as it applies to domestic premises.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 has amended the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to ensure that in domestic premises in scope as noted above, the fire risk assessment includes the buildings structure, external walls (including doors, windows and balconies) as well as doors between domestic premises and common parts.

These Acts and Regulations introduces changes to building control that will affect all buildings, strengthens the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, provides new accountability and duties and introduces competency standards and provisions to strengthen fire safety regulations. In addition to the above, there are numerous pieces of legislation that have implied and specific requirements in relation to fire safety.New paragraph