Overview

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The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 were introduced to strengthen fire safety in residential buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire. The Regulations support and supplement the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 by introducing specific additional duties for responsible persons.

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The Regulations apply in England only and came into force on 23 January 2023.

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Who Do the Regulations Apply To?

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The Regulations apply to multi-occupied residential buildings in England that contain two or more domestic premises and common parts, including:

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• Purpose-built blocks of flats

• Converted houses containing flats

• Mixed-use buildings where residential units sit above non-residential areas

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The duties introduced by the Regulations vary depending on the height of the building.

Responsible Person

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The Responsible Person is the individual or organisation that has control of the building or its common parts. This may include:

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• The building owner

• The landlord

• A managing agent

• A residents’ management company

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Where more than one responsible person exists, they must co-operate and co-ordinate to ensure effective fire safety management.

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Requirements for All Buildings in Scope

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All residential buildings within the scope of the Regulations must comply with the following:

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Regulation 9 - Information for Residents

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Residents must be provided with clear and relevant fire safety information, including:

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• Fire action instructions (e.g. stay put or evacuation strategy)

• What to do in the event of a fire

• How to report fire safety concerns

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Regulation 10 - Fire Door Information

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Residents must be informed about the critical role of fire doors, including:

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• The importance of keeping fire doors closed

• Not tampering with self-closing devices

• Reporting damage or defects

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Additional Requirements – Buildings 11m to 17.9m in Height

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For residential buildings between 11 metres and 17.9 metres, responsible persons must also ensure:

Regulation 10 - Fire Door Checks

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• Quarterly checks of fire doors in common parts

• Annual checks of flat entrance fire doors (best endeavours approach) 

Any defects identified must be remedied as soon as reasonably practicable.

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Additional Requirements – Buildings 18m (or 7 Storeys) and Above

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Residential buildings 18 metres or more in height (or 7 storeys and above) must comply with all of the above, plus the following additional duties:

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Regulation 4 -  Secure Information Box

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A secure information box must be installed on site containing:

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• Building plans

• Fire safety systems information

• Contact details for the responsible person

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The box must be accessible to the fire and rescue service.

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Regulation 5 - Design and materials of external walls

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Responsible persons must:

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• Record the design and materials of external wall systems

• Identify the presence of any combustible materials

• Keep this information accurate and up to date​​

• Details of any mitigating controls where combustible wall materials have been identified 

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Regulation 7 - Lifts and Essential Firefighting Equipment

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The responsible persons must:

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• Maintain records of lifts and firefighting equipment

• Report any faults or defects to the fire and rescue service as soon as practicable

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Where a fault identified about the above cannot be rectified within 24 hours beginning with the time the fault is identified, the responsible person must, as soon as possible:

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1 - Report the fault to the local fire and rescue authority by electronic means. 

2 - Report the rectification of the fault to the local fire and rescue authority by electronic means when it has been rectified.

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Essential fire-fighting equipment includes the following (Key fire-fighting equipment):

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1. Fire detection and fire alarm systems, including any detectors linked to ancillary equipment such as smoke control systems

2. Evacuation alert system

3. Automatic door release mechanisms linked to the fire alarm system

4. Inlets for Dry-rising mains

5. Inlets for wet-rising mains

6. Outlets for dry-rising mains

7. Outlets for wet-rising mains

8. Smoke control systems

9. Suppression systems

Regulation 8 - Wayfinding Signage

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Clear and consistent wayfinding signage must be installed throughout the building to assist fire service operations, including flat and floor identification.

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Regulation 6 & 11 - Floor Plans and Building Plans

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The responsible person in relation to a high-rise residential building must prepare a plan for each floor of the high-rise residential building.

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The floor plans must, together, identify the location of all lifts and identify if the lift is one for use by firefighters or an evacuation lift, and the key fire-fighting equipment in the whole building

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Key fire-fighting equipment includes: inlets for dry-rising mains, inlets for wet-rising mains, outlets for dry-rising mains, outlets for wet-rising mains, smoke control systems and suppression systems.

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RPs also will be required to provide the FRS with up-to-date electronic building floor plans (for floors with different layouts), which identify key fire-fighting equipment and to place a hard copy of these plans, alongside an additional single-page building plan in the secure information box on site. RPs will also be required to keep these plans up to date

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Up-to-date electronic plans must be provided to the fire and rescue service, clearly showing:

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• Escape routes

• Firefighting shafts

• Firefighting equipment

• External wall design details

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Enforcement

Fire and rescue authorities in England are responsible for enforcing the Regulations.

They may:

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• Carry out inspections

• Issue enforcement or prohibition notices

• Take legal action for non-compliance

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Failure to comply may result in prosecution, unlimited fines, or imprisonment.

Relationship with the Fire Safety Order 2005

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The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 do not replace the Fire Safety Order. Instead, they:

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• Clarify and strengthen existing duties

• Introduce mandatory requirements for higher-risk residential buildings

• Improve information sharing with residents and fire and rescue services

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A suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment remains fundamental to compliance.

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Key Takeaway

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The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 place clear and enforceable responsibilities on those who manage residential buildings. Height-based duties ensure that higher-risk buildings receive increased scrutiny, with the overall aim of improving life safety for residents and firefighters.

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