Fire Safety Regulations 2022: what will they mean for the industry?

Jon Vanstone talks through the updates to Fire Safety Regulations 2022, and how the changes are spearheading a more accountable and safe future for the construction industry.

New Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into effect last month (23 January), and the housing sector must now adapt to new guidelines on how fire safety is managed in larger residential buildings.

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, the government has conducted numerous inquiries into what failures of policy and responsibility led to such a tragedy. Their findings led to the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report, which required a change in the laws regarding how fire safety protocols are enforced in large residential buildings.

The regulations will make it a legal requirement for those responsible for high-rise dwellings to provide vital information to Fire and Rescue Services to assist them in developing response tactics for dealing with fires.

This is alongside the expectations to provide the emergency services with additional information such as building plans and information about the construction materials used on a building’s external wall system.

What’s changing?

Alongside keeping authorities informed of how and what buildings have been constructed with, authorities must implement various ‘quality of life’ improvements for residents.

This includes monthly servicing of lifts intended for use by firefighters and the installation of appropriate wayfinding signage and information boxes, which contain contact details for the persons responsible for the building, as well as floor plans and other documents that may assist in the effort to combat fires.

One aspect of the updated regulations that is most likely to affect installers is the change in how fire doors must be maintained.

This is targeted at dwellings that are over 11m in height, and the responsible persons will have to ensure that all internal fire doors are subject to a quarterly service in communal areas. Entrance doors will have to be assessed annually.

An accountable future

I firmly believe these measures are an unequivocal win for all of us. In an industry that often finds itself lumbered with a negative reputation due to the work of a few companies who have poor practices, increasing levels of accountability and trust within the sector will only help to grow the esteem that the general public holds for us.

The Grenfell Tower incident sent shockwaves across the nation, as it brought to light years of building negligence that had been allowed to continue unchecked.

These sorts of issues aren’t merely symptomatic of a small number of companies exploiting a lack of industry oversight, but of the carelessness and corner cutting that doesn’t just cost money, but people’s lives.

These changes are small by their very nature, and don’t require us to change much about the way we operate.

But those installing composite fire door sets should check that their supplier has upgraded their manufacturing specifications in-line with the new standards.

By maintaining honest and transparent business practices, and adhering to the new regulations, we can spearhead an open and accountable future for the construction industry. One that will inspire confidence in consumers and lead to a safer, brighter future for all of us.