New Amendments to Fire Safety Regulations under the Building Safety Act 2022

The article Building safety regime: what has changed in the fire safety legislation? by Stephanie Geesink and Dom Turner-Harriss publidiscusses the recent changes to fire safety regulations under the new Building Safety Act (BSA) that came into effect on October 1, 2023. These changes primarily amend the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to ensure alignment with the broader duties imposed by the BSA. Key amendments include:

1. Risk Assessment Competency:

   • The Responsible Person must ensure that anyone assisting with the fire risk assessment is competent, having sufficient training, experience, and knowledge.

2. Information Provision to Residents:

   • A new Article 21A mandates that residents in buildings with two or more domestic premises be provided with relevant and understandable fire safety information, such as identified risks, preventive measures, and contact details of the Responsible Person.

3. Information Transfer to New Responsible Persons:

   • Article 22A requires outgoing Responsible Persons to pass on all relevant fire safety information to their successors.

4. Cooperation with Accountable Persons:

   • Article 22B requires the Responsible Person to identify and cooperate with any accountable persons in higher-risk buildings (those over 18 meters high or with at least seven storeys) to fulfill their duties under the BSA.

The overarching goal of these amendments is to ensure thorough cooperation among stakeholders, eliminating gaps in responsibilities and ultimately creating a safer living environment for residents by aligning the FSO with the BSA.

Read the full article published in The Construction Magazine.