New fire safety regulations for England
Released On 1st Feb 2023
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January. The regulations implement the majority of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.
The new regulations include a requirement for 'responsible persons' of mid and high-rise blocks of flats, who will provide information to fire and rescue services to help them with operational planning and provide additional safety measures.
Residents of multi-occupied residential buildings should be provided with fire safety instructions and information on fire doors.
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 and install a secure information box and wayfinding signage.
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. 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."
