Building Safety Act 2022

The Home Office has released a guide titled "A Guide to Making Your Small Block of Flats Safe from Fire" in consultation with experts from the fire, business, and housing sectors. The purpose of this guide is to provide advice and suggestions to aid in complying with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended). It is important to note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with the legislation and seek legal advice if needed.

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A Guide to Making Your Small Block of Flats Safe from Fire offers easy-to-follow and practical advice for individuals who are responsible for fire safety in small blocks of flats to comply with fire safety regulations and keep their premises safe from fire.

Such persons include:

social housing provider
private sector landlords
freeholders
resident management companies
right to manage companies
managing agent

This guide focuses on small, general needs blocks of flats that:

were constructed as a purpose-built block of flats; or
were converted into a block of flats in accordance with the 1991, or later, versions of the Building Regulations; and
were, in either case, designed on the basis of a ‘stay put’ strategy, whereby, in the event of a fire in one flat, occupants of other flats are normally safe to remain within their own flats.

The guide is applicable to three-story blocks with not more than six flats, comprising a ground, first, and second floor.

The Home Office has released a guide titled "A Guide to Small Non-Domestic Premises Safe from Fire" in consultation with experts from the fire, business, and housing sectors. The purpose of this guide is to provide advice and suggestions to aid in complying with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended). It is important to note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with the legislation and seek legal advice if needed.

Download the Guide

A Guide to Making Your Small Non-Domestic Premises Safe from Fire has been published to assist persons responsible for fire safety in small non-domestic premises to comply with fire safety legislation and make their premises safe from fire.

The Home Office has released a guide titled "A Guide to Making Your Small Paying-Guest-Accommodation Safe" in consultation with experts from the fire, business, and housing sectors. The purpose of this guide is to provide advice and suggestions to aid in complying with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended). It is important to note that it is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with the legislation and seek legal advice if needed.

Download the Guide

A Guide to Making Your Small Paying-Guest-Accommodation Safe aims at providing practical advice for persons responsible for fire safety in small premises that have simple layouts, limited fire risks and a small number of bedrooms designated as guest sleeping accommodation for short-term lets, such as small bed and breakfast, guest houses and self-catering accommodation.

The guidance applies to:

single premises of ground floor, or ground and first floor, providing sleeping accommodation for a maximum of 10 persons, with no more than four bedrooms on the first floor, such as houses, cottages, and chalets.
individual flats (whether within a purpose-built block of flats or a house that has been converted into flats), other than unusually large flats (e.g. as often found in mansion blocks in London).

The principles and recommendations in the guide can also be applied to smaller outdoor accommodations such as: holiday caravans, camping and glamping pods, bothies, lodges, shepherds’ huts, tents, tree houses and yurts.

The Government has released a guidance for people who have responsibilities under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which has been amended by Section 156 of the Building Safety Act.

This guidance explains what responsible persons need to do as a result of changes made to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (‘the Fire Safety Order’) through the Building Safety Act 2022. It came into force on 1st October and It has been published by the Secretary of State under Article 50 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to assist responsible persons in meeting their duties under the FSO.

These requirements apply to all non-domestic premises, such as where people work, visit or stay, including workplaces, and the non-domestic parts of multi-occupied residential buildings (e.g. communal corridors, stairways, plant rooms). The requirements do not apply within individual domestic premises.

What you need to do as a Responsible Person

1. Documenting and recording

All Responsible Persons must now record:

• all findings from their fire risk assessment (regardless of the size or purpose of the premises) and

• identity of the individual employed, or contracted by them, to undertake or review any or all of the fire risk assessment.

2. Cooperation and coordination

All Responsible Persons must now:

• have a UK-based address where they, or someone on their behalf will accept notices and other documentation.

• ensure they identify and make themselves known to any other Responsible Persons at the same premises.

• from 1 October 2023 all high-rise buildings must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator and this will become the new building control authority for these buildings. Responsible Persons for premises in a higher-risk building must identify and cooperate with the Accountable Person/s.

3. Information sharing

• Responsible Persons in multi-occupied residential buildings must provide residents with "relevant fire safety matters”.

4. Higher fines for some offences

The Building Safety Act also makes the following changes to the Fire Safety Order:

• where someone intentionally impersonates an inspector

• when someone fails to comply (without reasonable excuse) with specific requirements imposed by an inspector (such as by not providing a copy of the fire risk assessment when requested)

• when someone fails to comply with requirements relating to the installation of luminous tube signs.

• after 1 October 2023 you can receive an unlimited fine for the offences above

Got a question about Fire Safety Risk Assessments? Need a Fire Safety Compliance advice? Get in touch today! For over 45 years, Fixfire® has been providing quality products, systems and services for Life & Property Protection. Whatever your requirement, please call our Compliance Team for expert advice and a refreshingly different approach.

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Premises Guides. Which one applies to you?

Building Safety Act 2022

Everything you need to know about your Fire & Safety responsibilities under section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022