New fire safety regulations following Grenfell Tower fire come into force in England

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which implement the majority of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations, came into force yesterday (23 January 2023).

The new requirements, set out by the Government, require ‘responsible persons’ of mid and high-rise blocks of flats to provide information to fire and rescue services to “assist them with operational planning and provide additional safety measures”.

It is noted that in all multi-occupied residential buildings, residents should now be provided with fire safety instructions and information on fire doors.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 form part of a package of “sensible, risk mitigating fire safety measures”, the Government said.

In high-rise residential buildings, responsible persons will be required to:

• provide their local fire and rescue service with up-to-date electronic building plans and information on the design and materials of their external wall.
• undertake monthly checks of firefighting lifts, evacuation lifts and other key pieces of firefighting equipment.
• install a secure information box (must contain the name and contact details of the Responsible Person and hard copies of the building floor plans).
• install wayfinding signage (must be visible in low light or smoky conditions that identifies flat and floor numbers in the stairwells of relevant buildings).

In mid-rise residential buildings (over 11 metres), responsible persons will be required to undertake “annual checks of flat entrance doors and quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common part”.

The responsible person is the person who is responsible for the safety of themselves and others who use a regulated premises. This is generally a building owner, or in residential properties, any other person in control of the premises.

The responsible person is the person on whom most of the duties set out in the Fire Safety Order are imposed.

Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire, Chris Philp, said: “I am very pleased that measures to improve fire safety in blocks of flats are now law following recommendations made by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

“Keeping the public safe is our utmost priority and we are committed to ensuring that the Grenfell tragedy must never happen again."

Lottie Winson