An update to Approved Document B of the building regulations has been published including increased fire safety measures in high-rise residential buildings, including the provision of sprinkler systems and consistent signage in all new high-rise blocks of flats over 11 metres tall. The update can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-approved-document-b

Fire and rescue statistics released by the Home Office for England the year ending December 2019 show a 10% fall in the number of fire related fatalities from 262 in the previous year to 237 in the latest year. In the same period, Fire and Rescue Services in England attended 157,156 fires, a drop of 12% from the previous year … Read More

The Fire Safety Bill that was announced in the Queen’s Speech has now been launched and is making its way through the parliamentary process. As introduced the Bill amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and is expected to result in greater clarity over responsibility for fire safety in buildings containing more than one home. Specifically the Bill clarifies … Read More

The Home Office has announced the launched of the Fire Kills campaign for 2020. This campaign has been designed with help from the National Fire Chiefs Council to promote fire safety in the home by raising awareness of common hazards and promoting the use of smoke alarms. Some key statistics highlighted by the campaign include: You are around 8 times … Read More

Included in the Queen’s Speech in December 2019 were measures to improve building safety. The measures the Government intends to take include a Building Safety Bill and a Fire Safety Bill. Following the tragic Grenfell tower fire an independent review of building safety was carried out led by former HSE chair Dame Judith Hackitt. This review made 53 recommendations which … Read More

In May 2019 we reported on how the Scottish Government had launched a consultation on proposed actions to strengthen fire safety for people who live in high rise buildings following the Grenfell tragedy. A draft document was included with the consultation setting out proposed fire safety guidance for existing high rise domestic buildings. This guidance has now been agreed and … Read More

Following the tragic Grenfell Tower fire, the government launched an independent review of building regulations and fire safety leading in December 2018 to a call for evidence on the technical review of Approved Document B of the Building Regulations. While this review is ongoing the Government has identified certain issues that can be addressed more quickly. Currently there is a … Read More

The HSE have issued a safety alert concerning high capacity electrical capacitors in industrial equipment. The alert follows investigations into a fire in 2018 that occurred in an industrial uninterruptable power supply system manufactured by Vertiv Infrastructure (previously known as Emerson / Chloride). The cause of the fire was traced to the dangerous failure of an ICAR branded capacitor. industrial … Read More

We previously reported how the Scottish Government was running a consultation looking at fire safety for people who live in high rise domestic buildings. The consultation closed on 17th July and the Scottish Government has now announced changes to the Scottish Building Standards technical handbook that strengthen the requirements affecting external wall cladding for buildings over 11m tall. The new … Read More

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 regulates fire safety in non-domestic premises such as workplaces and the common parts of residential buildings. These regulations cover such matters as fire risk assessment, duties to take general fire safety precautions, consult with and provide fire safety information, instruction and training for employees, fire detection, emergency exits etc. In conjunction with the … Read More