Who does it apply to ?

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022  have been introduced. The Regulations that apply to England only are being introduced under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order) and will come into force on 23 January 2023.

The new regulations under article 24 are an important step forward in the implementation of the recommendations made in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report which require a change in the law.

Buildings affected by the regulations

The regulations under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (Fire Safety Order) apply to the following buildings in England:

• High-rise residential buildings.
• Residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres in height.
• All multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises.

High-rise residential buildings

These regulations will make it a requirement in law for responsible persons of high-rise blocks of flats to provide information to Fire and Rescue Services to assist them to plan and, if needed, provide an effective operational response.

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

• Provide electronic building plans and details of external wall systems to their local fire rescue service.
• Install secure information boxes for hard copies of plans.
• Undertake monthly checks of firefighting lifts and other firefighting equipment.
• Report any defective lifts or firefighting equipment to their local fire & Rescue Service.