Fire Safety Policy

As a landlord, Gateshead Council is responsible for carrying out fire risk assessments, and taking action to identify, manage and mitigate risks associated with fire within the common areas of buildings the Council own and manage.

The Council has a duty to take general fire precaution measures to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the safety of the building users in our premises and in the immediate vicinity.  Building users could include tenants, visitors or contractors.

The key objective of this policy is to ensure that our Cabinet, Senior Management Team, employees, partners, and tenants are clear on our legal and regulatory fire safety obligations. This policy provides the framework our staff and partners will operate within to meet these obligations.

This policy should be read in conjunction with supporting policies, procedures and key legislation including Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 : Call for Evidence (July 2019), and summary of responses (March 2020) (opens new window), The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window).

This policy meets the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 (opens new window).  This policy provides assurance to the Council that measures are in place to ensure compliance with these regulations and to identify, manage and/or mitigate risks associated with fire safety.

This policy is relevant to all our employees, tenants, contractors, stakeholders, and other persons who may work on, occupy, visit, or use our premises, or who may be affected by our activities or services.

This policy should be used by all to ensure they understand the obligations placed upon Gateshead Council to maintain a safe environment for tenants and employees, within the home of each tenant, and within all common areas of buildings and other properties the Council own and manage. Adherence to this policy is mandatory.

Gateshead Council is the 'Responsible Person' for the purposes of all relevant legislation, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 : Call for Evidence (July 2019), and summary of responses (March 2020) (opens new window), because the Council owns and manages homes and buildings where tenants and leaseholders live. The Council is also the RP for buildings that it owns and/or manages that fall within the scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 : Call for Evidence (July 2019), and summary of responses (March 2020) (opens new window).

The Cabinet has overall governance responsibility for ensuring this policy is fully implemented to ensure full compliance with legislation and regulatory standards. As such, the Cabinet will formally approve this policy and review it every two years (or sooner if there is a change in legislation or regulation).

For assurance that this policy is operating effectively in practice, the Cabinet will receive regular updates on its implementation, fire safety performance and non-compliance.

The Senior Management Team (SMT) will receive monthly performance reports in respect of fire safety and ensure compliance is being achieved. They will also be notified of any non-compliance issues identified. Out of date actions will be risk assessed and escalated where necessary.

The Strategic Director has strategic responsibility for the management of fire safety, and ensuring compliance is achieved and maintained. They will oversee the implementation of this policy.

The Service Director and Service Manager have operational responsibility for the management of fire safety and will be responsible for overseeing the delivery of these programmes.

It is a condition of the tenancy agreement that tenants must allow access for us to carry out works in their home.

Housing teams will provide support where gaining access to properties is difficult and will assist and facilitate the legal process, as necessary.

Regulatory standards 

We must ensure we comply with the Regulator of Social Housing's regulatory framework and consumer standards for social housing in England.  The new consumer Regulatory standards for landlords (opens new window) were introduced on 01 April 2024 and detail the four consumer standards which landlords are required to comply with, including:

• The Safety and Quality Standard (opens new window) - which requires landlords to provide safe and good quality homes and landlord services to tenants. This includes stock quality; decency; health and safety; repairs, maintenance, and planned improvements; and adaptations.
• The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard (opens new window) - which requires landlords to be open with tenants and treat them with fairness and respect so that tenants can access services, raise complaints when necessary, influence decision making and hold their landlord to account. This standard incorporates Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) requirements.
• The Neighbourhood and Community Standard (opens new window) - which requires landlords to engage with other relevant parties so that tenants can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel safe in their homes.
• The Tenancy Standard (opens new window) - which sets requirements for the fair allocation and letting of homes and for how those tenancies are managed and ended by landlords.

The Social Housing Regulations Act 2023 (opens new window) will change the way social housing is regulated and may result in future changes to this policy.

Legislation 

The principal legislation applicable to this policy is:

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 : Call for Evidence (July 2019), and summary of responses (March 2020) (opens new window)

The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window) came into force on 16 May 2022 and amends the FSO.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window) came into force on 23 January 2023.

Building Safety Act 2022 (opens new window) came into force on 1 April 2023 and amends the FSO.

This policy also operates within the context of additional legislation, industry guidance and government policy direction (see Appendix 1).

Sanctions 

The Council acknowledges and accepts its responsibilities in accordance with the regulatory standards, legislation and codes of practice and that a failure to discharge our responsibilities and obligations properly could lead to sanctions, including prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (the HSE) under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (opens new window); prosecution under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (opens new window); prosecution under the Gas Safety Regulations; and via a regulatory notice from the Regulator of Social Housing.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the FSO)

As the Responsible Person under the FSO Gateshead Council will:

• Carry out a fire risk assessment (FRA) in all workplaces, commercial buildings, and non-domestic parts of multi-occupied residential buildings.
• The FRA should identify general fire precautions and other measures needed to comply with the FSO. Although under the FSO this requirement only applies to common parts of premises, in practice the responsible person will need to consider the entire premises, including units of residential accommodation.
• Consider who may be especially at risk to fire for example, more vulnerable tenants from information supplied by Housing Management.
• Implement all necessary general fire precautions and any other necessary measures identified by an FRA to remove or reduce any risks.
• Implement a suitable system of maintenance and appoint competent persons to carry out any procedures that have been adopted.
• Periodically review FRAs in a timescale appropriate to the premises and/or occupation fire risk level. High-rise blocks, Aged Persons Units (APUs) and high-risk public buildings will be visited annually. Other buildings will be assessed and determined by the risks highlighted by the fire risk assessor carrying out the FRA.

Fire Safety Act 2021

The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window) amends the FSO by clarifying that in buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises, the FSO applies to:

• The structure and external walls of the building, including cladding, balconies, and windows; and
• All doors between the domestic premises and the common parts, for example, entrance doors to individual flats which open on to common parts.

Gateshead Council will ensure that FRAs comply with the criteria outlined above by appointing a competent person to review them. See Section 11 for competency requirements.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

Gateshead Council is required to carry out the following for buildings with two or more domestic premises:

• All buildings - provide tenants with fire safety instructions and information on fire doors. This includes how to raise the alarm if they discover a fire, what to do in the event of a fire and the importance of fire doors.
• Buildings over 11 metres in height - undertake quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual checks of flat entrance doors. It also includes advice to tenants as above.
• Buildings over 18 metres in height (or over seven storeys) - provide premises information boxes, wayfinding signage, ensure firefighting/evacuation lifts are maintained and Loler certified, additional firefighting equipment is maintained, hard and electronic copies of floor layouts and building plans and the details of the external wall system (EWS) to be provided to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS). It also includes advice to tenants as above.

Building Safety Act 2022

Building Safety Act 2022 (opens new window) amends the Fire Safety Order (FSO) and is applicable to all buildings where the FSO applies and will require Gateshead Council to:

• Record FRAs in full and record fire safety arrangements.
• Appoint a competent person to undertake/review FRAs and record their identity.
• Ascertain whether other RPs have duties in respect of the premises and share relevant information with them.
• Provide relevant fire safety information to tenants (for buildings with two or more domestic premises).
• For higher-risk buildings (as defined within the Act), ascertain if the premises has an Accountable Person and co-operate with them to enable them to carry out their duties under the Act.

The Council acknowledges and accepts its' responsibilities under the FSO (as amended by the The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window) and the Building Safety Act 2022 (opens new window) as outlined in Section 5.

All FRAs are reviewed by a competent person to ensure they meet the requirements set out in the The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window).

The local authority will meet the requirements of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022 (opens new window) by providing tenants with the relevant fire safety information, undertaking fire door checks, and complying with the requirements for buildings above 11 metres and 18 metres in height.

Each property requiring an FRA will have one in place which has been carried out by a competent fire risk assessor, and which is compliant with the British Standards Institution's PAS 79-1:2020 and PAS 79-2:2020 specifications for non-residential and residential buildings respectively.

All FRAs will be reviewed no later than the review date set within the most recent FRA and in the event of:

• A fire, fire safety incident or near miss.
• Change in building use.
• Change in working practices that may affect fire safety.
• Following refurbishment works.
• Change in applicable legislation; or 
• If required following an independent fire safety audit.

The Council will operate robust processes to implement all general fire precaution measures identified by FRAs.

Fire evacuation strategies will be determined on a building-by-building basis, in accordance with the recommendations of the competent fire risk assessor and with any guidance from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

To comply with the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (amendment) Regulations 2022 (opens new window), the local authority will install, test and replace (as required) battery operated and/or hard-wired smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms as part of the annual fire safety check (or at void stage).  The Council will ensure all properties are fitted with the required smoke and carbon monoxide equipment.

We will ensure that all domestic properties have appropriate systems installed to meet the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (amendment) Regulations 2022 (opens new window) within a period of no longer than 18 months following the approval of this policy.

If the Council is made aware that a customer has an issue with mobility or a cognitive impairment, a person-centred fire risk assessment (PCFRA) will be completed.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) will be carried out by a competent person, reviewed annually, and made available to Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service in the event of an evacuation, as follows:

• For any disabled tenants and/or employee within any building where the Council  provides care services and are the employer (i.e., sheltered or supported housing schemes); and
• For any tenant within a building where the local authority is responsibility for carrying out an FRA, where it has been notified that they are storing oxygen in their home for medical use.

Note: PEEPs are not carried out in high, mid, or low-rise residential accommodation due to lack of staffing provision. A Vulnerable Persons log will be kept for the FRS in the premises information box.

When letting properties, the local authority will consider the suitability of the accommodation for the prospective tenant in respect of fire safety. This is the function of Housing Management.

The Council is committed to working with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service to create safer places to live and work. This joint working may include sharing information, having FRAs reviewed and staff training.

We will advise all new tenants of the opportunity to request a free home fire safety check, provided by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. The Council will work in partnership with agencies to identify vulnerabilities and work together to resolve issues such as hoarding.

The Council will operate robust legal processes to gain access to properties where tenant vulnerabilities are known or identified, whilst ensuring it safeguards the wellbeing of the tenants.  We will refer any vulnerable persons to TWFRS for a Home Safety Check and the Council will carry out FRAs in communal areas in residential blocks.

The Council will operate robust legal processes to gain access should any tenant or leaseholder refuse access to carry out essential fire safety inspection and remediation works (as tested in the case Croydon Council v. Leaseholder 1st August 2014).

The Council will operate effective contract management arrangements with the contractors responsible for delivering the service, including ensuring contracts/service level agreements are in place, conducting client-led performance meetings, and ensuring that contractors' employee and public liability insurances are up to date on an annual basis.

The Council will operate a robust process to manage immediately dangerous situations identified during fire risk assessment and fire safety programmes.

The Council will adopt a managed approach in all internal common areas, requiring tenants to remove combustible materials from corridors and fire escape routes.

The Council will not permit the storage of mobility scooters, or the storage and charging of lithium-ion equipment within internal common areas.

To comply with the requirements of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (opens new window) (CDM) a Construction Phase Plan (CPP) will be in place for all repairs work to void and tenanted properties (at the start of the contract and reviewed annually thereafter), component replacement and refurbishment works.

To comply with the requirements of the The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (opens new window), the local authority will consider the safety of our workplaces and plant/boiler rooms of our residential blocks that fall within the scope of the legislation.

The Council will operate robust processes to record and action any property fires and fire safety related near misses. A near miss is an unplanned event which does not result in an injury but had the potential to do so.

The Council will ensure there is a robust process in place to investigate and manage all RIDDOR notifications made to the HSE in relation to fire safety and will take action to address any issues identified and lessons the Council has learned, to prevent a similar incident occurring again.

We will ensure there is a robust process in place to minimise any potential non-compliance by ensuring processes are effective and have appropriate control measures in place to mitigate any risks.  We will analyse any non-compliance that does occur and take action to prevent recurrence. For example, we will investigate and manage all RIDDOR notifications made to the HSE in relation to gas safety and take action to address any issues identified and lessons learned, to prevent a similar incident occurring again. This includes amending our processes to reflect best practice and ensure that service improvements are implemented.

The document will be strictly controlled in accordance with ISO 9001 (Quality Management) and maintained by the Service Manager Building Safety, in conjunction with the Quality Manager.

Fire Risk Assessments (FRA)

The local authority will ensure all communal blocks and other properties with common areas, that it owns and manages, have an FRA in place where it has the legal obligation to do so.

Thereafter, the Council will maintain a programme of FRA reviews, in a timescale appropriate to the premises and/or occupation fire risk level. (They are full FRA's not a short review). This timescale can be determined by the fire risk assessor carrying out the FRA however, in general all high-rise blocks, APUs and high priority public buildings will be visited on an annual programme, and medium and low-rise blocks on a three-year cycle.  For general public buildings, the frequencies will vary dependant on the risks identified.

All FRAs will be Type 1 surveys (communal areas / non-intrusive).  Other FRA surveys may be commissioned where it is deemed appropriate for a particular block.

There are four types of fire risk assessments including:

• Type 1 - Common Parts Only / Non-Destructive
• Type 2 - Common Parts Only / Destructive
• Type 3 - Common Parts and Flats / Non-Destructive
• Type 4 - Common Parts and Flats / Destructive

The Council will ensure that a pre-occupation FRA is carried out on all new build schemes or new acquisitions where it has an obligation to do so, followed by a post-occupation FRA, a maximum of three months after the first tenant moves in.

Properties managed by others 

The Council will obtain FRAs where our properties are managed by a third party. If the third party does not provide the FRA, it will carry out the FRA and re-charge them for the cost of this work.

Fire door checks 

To comply with the The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window), the local authority will undertake quarterly checks of communal fire doors fitted with self-closing devices and annual checks of flat entrance doors to all buildings over 11 meters in height. Fire doors which are kept locked and without self-closing devices, for example service shaft doors, will be checked during the annual fire risk assessment process.

For all other communal blocks and other properties with common areas, the local authority will undertake a six-monthly check of all communal fire doors with self-closing devices, and an annual check of 25 per cent sample of flat entrance doors. This sample will increase if issues are found on the initial sample. Fire doors which are kept locked and without self-closing devices, for example service shaft doors, will be checked during the annual fire risk assessment process.

Servicing

The Council will carry out a programme of servicing, maintenance, and testing, in accordance with all relevant British Standards and manufacturer's recommendations, to all fire detection, prevention and firefighting systems and equipment within buildings the local authority owns and manages.

Regular inspections

The Building Safety Team will carry out a programme of regular inspections to all High-rise blocks to ensure they are being managed correctly.

The Council will ensure robust processes are in place to implement all general fire precaution measures identified by Fire Risk Assessments (FRA), in accordance with the following priorities and timescales:

• High Risk - within 24 hours.
• Medium Risk - within one month.
• Low Risk - within six months.
• Very Low Risk - within twelve months or delivered as part of a planned programme within 12 months.

The Council will use the date the FRA is received from the Fire Risk Assessor, to ensure it has been through a validation process, as our timeframe to start completing FRA actions.

The Council will ensure there is a robust process in place to manage follow-up works arising from fire door audits, and servicing and maintenance checks to fire systems and equipment.

The Council will maintain a core asset register of all properties it owns or manages, setting out which properties require an Fire Risk Assessment (FRA). It will also set out which properties require fire safety servicing and maintenance regimes (for example, fire alarms, emergency lighting and smoke/heat detection).

Housing Management will operate a robust process to manage all changes to stock, including property acquisitions and disposals, to ensure that properties are not omitted from fire safety programmes and the programme remains up to date.

The C365 IT system will hold fire safety inspection dates, FRAs, FRA actions, and fire safety servicing records against all properties on each programme. The dates of FRAs and FRA actions will be held in the NEC/C365, and the FRA documents and fire safety serving records will be held in our document management system.

The Council will keep electronic copies of maintenance on the FRA programme.  In addition to this it will keep hard copy logbooks on site for regular tests and checks for our high-rise residential buildings and our aged persons units.

The Council will keep all records and data, for the duration that it owns and manage the property/in line with our document retention policy and will have robust processes and controls in place to maintain appropriate levels of security for all fire safety related data.

The Council considers good communication essential in the effective delivery of fire safety programmes, therefore the Council will establish a tenant engagement communication programme.  This will support tenants in their understanding of fire safety, advise them of how they can keep themselves and other tenants safe, and encourage them to report any fire safety concerns.

The local authority also aims to successfully engage with vulnerable and hard to reach tenants. The Council will share information clearly and transparently and will ensure that information is available to tenants via regular publications and information on our website.

The Service Manager will hold the NEBOSH National Certificate in Fire Safety and Risk Management (or equivalent), or Level 4 VRQ Diploma in Asset and Building Management. If they do not have this already, they will obtain it within 12 months of the approval of this policy.

Only suitably competent contractors, fire risk assessors (with NEBOSH in Fire Safety and Risk Management or equivalent) and fire engineers will undertake FRAs or works to fire safety equipment, systems, and installations. These must be suitably experienced and certified by BAFE and/or an IFSM member and be in line with the Fire Sector Federation's guidance on choosing a competent Fire Risk Assessor.

Only suitably competent fire safety consultants and contractors will provide third party technical quality assurance checks.

The Council will check that internal staff and external contractors hold the relevant qualifications and accreditations when they are employed or procured to carry out work.

We will check our contractors hold the relevant qualifications and accreditations when we procure them, and thereafter on an annual basis; we will evidence these checks and each contractor's certification appropriately.

The Council will deliver training on this policy and the procedures that support it, including toolbox talks; basic fire safety awareness training; and on the job training for those delivering the programme of Fire Risk Assessments (FRA) and other fire safety programmes, planned maintenance and repairs works as part of their daily job. All training undertaken by staff will be formally recorded.

We will ensure that all operatives working for, or on behalf of the Council have the relevant qualifications required for the role.

We will undertake periodic assessments of training needs and resulting programmes of internal and external training supported by Workforce Development via the Learning Hub.

The Council will report robust key performance indicator (KPI) measures for fire safety that follow the requirements set out in the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) which came into force 1 April 2023. Performance must be reported to the Regulator on an annual basis from 1 April 2024, however the Council will report internally monthly to Senior Management Team and Cabinet. The relevant TSM for Fire Safety is defined as follows:

BS02 - Fire Safety Checks: percentage of homes in buildings that have had all the necessary fire risk assessments.

The reported percentage includes all buildings which require fire safety checks, including individual homes and communal blocks. This ensures that all individual homes that may be at risk because of any non-compliance are identified, including those within a communal block. The completion of remedial works is not included.

We will also report the following:

Data - the total number of:

• Properties - communal blocks, commercial and other properties.
• Properties on the FRA programme.
• Properties with a valid and in date FRA.
• Properties without a valid and in date FRA.
• Properties due a new FRA within the next 30 days; and
• Completed, in-time and overdue follow-up works/actions arising from the programme (split by priority).

Narrative - an explanation of the:

• Current position.
• Corrective action required.
• Anticipated impact of corrective action; and
• Progress with completion of follow-up works.

In addition:

• Compliance with the fire safety equipment, systems and installations servicing and maintenance programme.
• The number of RIDDOR notifications to the HSE with regards to fire safety.
• Details of any enforcement notices from the Fire and Rescue Service or other enforcement bodies.
• Recording and reporting on property fires to identify trends and target awareness campaigns.

The full detail of our performance measures for Fire Safety will be outlined in a KPI Definition Document which includes the relevant data sources used for each calculation, the calculation methodology, any exclusions, and the accountable roles for producing and managing the KPIs.

We will ensure there is an annual programme of third-party quality assurance audits of fire safety checks are completed. This will include specifically testing for compliance with legal and regulatory obligations and to identify non-compliance issues for correction. Other checks will be:

• A percentage check of all fire safety measures implemented.
• A percentage sample of field checks.
• A percentage of all certificates.

Internally we will undertake one hundred per cent desktop audits of all digitally produced LGSRs/certificates through C365. Regular checks will be carried out on all handwritten certificates.

Our definition of significant serious incidents is any incident which has the potential to result in a potential breach of legislation or regulatory standard, or which causes a risk to health or safety. All serious incidents will be reported and escalated as soon as possible, and no later than 24 hours after the incident occurred, or of a Gateshead Council employee becoming aware of it.

Any incidents identified at an operational level will be formally reported  via the Assyst Health and Safety Incident Reporting System and the process followed which will include investigating the incident and prevent recurrence.

Non-compliance notices will be issued for all breaches of health and safety for employees and contractors, as detailed within the Health and Safety Compliance Procedure (OP-15).

In cases of serious incidents, Senior Management Team and Cabinet will consider whether it is necessary to disclose the issue to the Regulator of Social Housing as required by the regulatory framework, or any other relevant organisation such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Strategic Lead: Service Director Repairs and Buildings Maintenance

Name: Ian McLackland 

Strategic Lead: Service Manager Building Safety 

Name: Darren Burton

This glossary defines key terms used throughout this policy:

• BAFE: Is the independent register of quality fire safety service providers, who are certified to ensure quality and competence to help meet fire safety obligations.
• FRA: A fire risk assessment is an assessment involving the systematic evaluation of the factors that determine the hazard from fire, the likelihood that there will be a fire and the consequences if one were to occur.
• FRA survey: The FSO states that an FRA is required, however, it does not prescribe how intrusive or destructive this should be. There are four types of FRA:
  • Type 1 - common parts only (non-destructive), basic level to satisfy the FSO.
  • Type 2 - common parts only (destructive), element of destruction on sample basis.
  • Type 3 - common parts and flats (non-destructive), considers means of escape and fire detection within at least a sample of flats.
  • Type 4 - common parts and flats (destructive).
• IFSM: The Institute of Fire Safety Managers.
• PAS79: A publicly available specification published by the British Standards Institution which focuses on making sure that all the required information that pertains to both an FRA and its findings are recorded.
• PEEP: A personal emergency evacuation plan is a bespoke escape plan for individuals who may not be able to reach an ultimate place of safety unaided or within a satisfactory period in the event of any emergency.
• UKAS: The National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom, appointed by government to assess and accredit organisations that provide services including certification, testing, inspection and calibration.

Appendix 1 - additional legislation

This policy also operates within the context of the following legislation:

Defective Premises Act 1972 (opens new window)

Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (opens new window)

The Occupiers' Liability Act 1984 (opens new window)

The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (opens new window)

Health and Safety at work (safety signs and signals) Regulations 1996 (opens new window)

The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998 (opens new window)

The Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 (opens new window)

The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (opens new window)

The Housing Act 2004 (opens new window)

Licensing and Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation and Other Houses (Miscellaneous Provisions) (England) Regulations 2006 (opens new window)

The Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006 (opens new window)

The Building Regulations 2010 (England and Wales) (opens new window)

Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (opens new window)

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) (opens new window)

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (opens new window)

Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (opens new window)

Data Protection Act 2018 (opens new window)

Guidance

The principal guidance documents applicable to this policy are:

 Housing – Fire Safety: Guidance on fire safety provisions for certain types of existing housing (opens new window)

Fire safety in a purpose bock of flats guide update (opens new window). This guidance should be viewed as no longer comprehensive; the Home Office is currently working on a revised version but in the interim, it is continued to be made available as it contains relevant and useful information for purpose-built blocks of flats.

Specialised Housing Guidance in May 2017 (opens new window). This guidance covers sheltered schemes, supported schemes and extra care schemes.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System Enforcement Guidance, Housing Act 2004 Part 1: Housing Conditions (opens new window): The Housing Act 2004 (opens new window) Guidance about inspections and assessment of hazards given under Section 9 (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government), February 2006.

Housing Health and Safety Rating System Enforcement Guidance, Housing Act 2004 Part 1: Housing Conditions (opens new window): Addendum for the profile for the hazard of fire and in relation to cladding systems on high rise residential buildings (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government), November 2018.

Guidance to support a temporary change to a simultaneous evacuation strategy in purpose-built blocks of flats (National Fire Chiefs Council), fourth edition, August 2022. (opens new window)

Additional guidance and policy direction

The following documents set out clear direction for landlords in respect of fire safety, and whilst not statutory guidance or approved legislation, there are certain recommendations or proposals which are applicable to this policy:

Fire Sector Federation - Approved Code of Practice: A National Framework for Fire Risk Assessor Competency (November 2020) (opens new window)

Fire Sector Federation - A Guide to Choosing a Competent Fire Risk Assessor (Version 3, October 2020) (opens new window)

Setting the Bar: A new competence regime for building a safer future (October 2020) (opens new window)​​​​​​​

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 : Call for Evidence (July 2019), and summary of responses (March 2020) (opens new window)

Building a Safer Future - Proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system: A consultation (June 2019) (opens new window)

Grenfell Tower Inquiry: phase 1 report. Volume 1 - 4 (October 2019) (opens new window)

Building a safer future, Independent Review of Building, Regulations and Fire Safety:Final Report (opens new window)