Fire Safety & Building Safety Flashcards
What was the Hackitt Review?
Dame Judith Hackitt conducted an indepedent review of the Building Regulations and Fire Safety, with a particular focus on their application to high-rise residential buildings. It was conducted following the Grenfell fire.
What was the Fire Safety Act 2021?
It amended article 6 of the Fire Safety Order 2005 to include doors, windows, balconies, and common parts, and all doors between domestic premises and the common parts. It also added provisions to article 50 of the order to clarify what evidence is needed to prove contraventions.
What is the building safety act 2022?
The Building Safety Act 2022 was introduced in the wake of safety concerns for occupants of high-rise buildings after the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy. The legislation is intended to improve the design, construction and management of higher-risk buildings. It came into force from 1 April 2023.
What amendments did the BSA make to Fire Safety legislation?
Section 156 changes - require that all responsible persons must record and document their completed fire risk assessment
- require that all Responsible Persons must record the identity of any individual and/or their organisation engaged by them to review the fire risk assessment, and share this with residents of multi-resi premises.
- require that all Responsible Persons must record their fire safety arrangements
What are the additional key points that resi and commercial agents should be aware of regarding the BSA legislation section 156?
- All businesses must record a fire risk assessment and fire safety arrangements in full
- Increased requirements for cooperation and coordination between responsible persons in multi occupied buildings.
- In resi buildings with 2 or more domestic premises residents must be provided with information on the risks from fire and the fire safety measures in place.
What are the legal requirements for the Responsible Person when it comes to fire doors in multi-resi buldings above 11m?
- Carry out quarterly checks of all fire doors in communal areas.
- Carry out annual checks on all flat entrance doors.
- Provide information to residents about the importance of fire doors.
What other statutory guidance has recently changed in relation to fire safety?
- A ban on combustible materials for all buildings above 18m. With additional guidance for buildings between 11-18m.
- A lower threshold for the provision of sprinklers in new blocks of flats from 30m to 11m
- A requirement for wayfinding signage for firefighters in all resi buildings above 11m.
- Requirements for resi buildings over 18m to have an Evacuation Alert System, and for new resi buildings over 11m to include a secure information box.
When did this become a legal requirement?
23rd of January 2023
Per the Building Safety Act 2022, what defines a higher risk building?
A building that is
- at least 18m in height or at least 7 storeys.
- contains at least 2 resi units.
What was the New Fire Safety Act 2021?
- It was first introduced in March 2020 and holds significant legal obligations of organisations deemed to be responsible persons.
- It is introduced as an update to the Fire Safety Order 2005.
- The main focus of the act is to clarify that it will apply to the structure and external walls as well as anything attached to external walls, such as doors, windows and cladding.
- This will enforce owners, landlords, and managing agents of multi resi buildings to be more aware and implement measures into their buildings as it was unclear before.
Following Grenfell, are you aware of any guidance RICS has published to support fire safety?
- RICS has published the guidance note ‘Cladding for Surveyors 1st edition March 2021’ to support surveyors.
- It aims to improve surveyors knowledge of external wall cladding systems.
What is ACM Cladding?
ACM stands for aluminium composite material - it was thought to contain combustible materials contributing to the rapid spread of fire at Grenfell. This material is now banned.
What is an EWS-1?
- It stands for External Wall System and is a fire review certificate.
- It is utilised as a re-mortgaging valuation tool.
- It is used as a way of mortgage lenders assessing the external wall safety of buildings over 18m.
