Jan 31, 2024
What the changes to the Fire Safety Act 2022 mean for fire evacuations of buildings or premises
The Fire Safety Bill, or section 156 of the Building Safety Act, is a legislative framework designed to ensure the safety of buildings
This legislation came in response to the 2017 Grenfell fire incident, in order to provide improved protection for residents of high-rise buildings.
After October 1st 2023, several changes have been made to the fire safety bill, which this blog will outline and provide advice to meet.
The changes for the Responsible Person: who is accountable for all matters relating to fire safety at work
Another set of significant changes to the Fire Safety Order are centred around the ‘Responsible Person’ during an incident. The changes for the Resonsible Person, who is accountable for all matters relating to fire safety at work, are:
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. Even if there are less than 5 employees and no license, the risk assessment must still be completed.
Responsible Persons' Address and Contact Information.
All Responsible Persons must have a UK address where they can receive notices and documents. This address should be shared with others responsible for fire safety and residents.
They need to provide their contact information and keep it updated.
Identifying Other Responsible Persons.
Responsible Persons must introduce themselves to others who share responsibility for fire safety in the same building. For example, businesses or managing agents in charge of fire safety in a specific part of the building.
Passing on Fire Safety Information.
If someone responsible for fire safety leaves, they must share all relevant fire safety info with the incoming person to maintain a continuous chain of safety information for the building's lifetime.
Higher-Risk Buildings.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will oversee high-rise buildings (seven or more storeys or 18 meters or higher).
These buildings must be registered with the BSR, which becomes the new building control authority for them.
Accountable Person.
An Accountable Person is a new legal entity under the Building Safety Act 2022. They're responsible for repairing or maintaining things under leasehold.
Information Sharing with Residents.
Responsible Persons in multi-occupied residential buildings must share "relevant fire safety matters" with residents.
This includes instructions on reporting a fire, the evacuation strategy, actions residents should take during a fire, identified risks, preventive measures, and the Responsible Person's contact information.
What other new changes to the Fire Safety Act were passed as part of the Building Safety Act 2022
After October 1st 2023, the following offences now have higher (or unlimited) fines:
Impersonating an inspector.
Failing to comply with specific requirements imposed by an inspector without a reasonable excuse. This could be something such as by not providing a copy of the fire risk assessment when requested.
Failing to comply with requirements regarding installing luminous tube signs.
As well as higher fines, you may be taken to court, where they will use Article 50 guidance to establish whether there was a breach of the Fire Safety Order.
How to stay in compliance with the Fire Safety Act 2022 and the Building Safety Act
Overall, the Fire Safety Act section of the Building Safety Bill will have specific ramifications on the responsible person to be able to demonstrate evacuation. It is essential to stay up to date with these changes.
A key problem with these changes was that buildings' alarm systems were not designed to alert all residents to a fire and facilitate total evacuation. Until such alarm systems could be installed, buildings required a 24-hour 'waking watch.’
A waking watch is required when the presence of dangerous cladding or fire safety issues changes the evacuation policy of a building from stay put to simultaneous evacuation. This change requires fire marshals to patrol the building 24 hours a day looking for signs of fire.
In the event of a fire, our team will alert the emergency services, then ensure everyone in the building is fully aware of the emergency and able to evacuate safely. We conduct our waking watch according to legislative requirements.
Get in touch about our waking watch service
Although it is high-rise tower blocks that most typically require our services, we can also work with other types of building. We have experience from Extra Care Housing through to residential developments in inner cities suffering from social deprivation.
Essentially, the evolution of this role and legislative requirements can be maintained without hassle, using our services and support. We are firefighters, and we take immense pride in pioneering the role of Evacuation Management and elevating the standards of what an organization can expect from a waking watch.