Information
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Audit Title
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Client / Site
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Front of Building:
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Conducted on
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Location
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The Fire Safety Act / RRO 2005 clarifies the scope of the Fire Safety Order to make clear it applies to the structure, external walls (including cladding and balconies) and individual flat entrance doors between domestic premises and the common parts of a multi-occupied residential building.
If you are a Responsible Person, you must consider these parts when conducting fire risk assessments, if you have not done so already. -
Disclaimer
This fire risk assessment represents the best judgement of the consultant involved and is based, in part, on information provided by others. Magenta Fire can accept no liability for the accuracy of the information provided. The risk assessment was carried out by an assessor having no control over the premises being assessed. The assessor has no control over the staffing levels or arrangements for the premises assessed within this building. -
Purpose of the assessment: Fire risk assessments are undertaken in order to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Fire Safety Act 2021 /RRO 2005
This Fire Risk Assessment will:
• Identify fire hazards and identify people at risk
• Assess the risk associated with fire hazards
• Make recommendations to remove or reduce fire hazards and risks to people -
What is a Fire Risk Assessment? A fire risk assessment is an organised look at what in your work activities and workplace could harm people, which people could be harmed and the steps taken to reduce the risk to those people.
The fire risk assessment carried out today is a type 1 Fire Risk Assessment.
Type 1 Fire Risk Assessments
A Type 1 Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) is non-destructive, and the most common. A Type 1 FRA assesses all the common parts of a building, such as a lobby area in a shared block of flats – but not individual dwellings. In some cases, a Type 1 FRA will inspect construction points between individual dwellings (such as shared supportive walls) – but in most cases, this is not necessary.
A Type 1 FRA has the purpose of ensuring that common parts of a building have the arrangements which allow people to escape if there were to be a fire – such as clear signage pointing to entry and exit points.
The results of a Type 1 FRA may reveal the requirement for further FRAs. If this is the case, the Type 1 FRA will list reasons why this would be required. -
Who has to have an assessment? The Regulatory Reform Order 2005 / Fire Safety Act 2021 makes fire risk assessments a legal requirement for all places of work (even one person). If there are more than five employees, then the assessment must be in writing.
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Who can carry it out? The fire risk assessment must be carried out by a ‘competent’ person. ‘Competence’ is defined as follows:
A ‘competent person’ is someone with enough training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to be able to implement these measures properly.
A common method of ensuring competence is through third party accreditation of the assessor. -
‘Hazard’ versus ‘risk’.
A ‘hazard’ is something which has the potential to cause harm.
A ‘risk’ is the chance or likelihood of that harm occurring.
The purpose of the assessment is to identify any hazards, assess any associated risks, and then aim to reduce or eliminate those risks. -
Key:
High Risk – Breaches of legal requirements, which could cause injury and require immediate short term action and matters that can be resolved at minimal cost - for immediate attention
Moderate Risk – Breaches in legislation that may require medium/long term action to resolve - for attention within one month
Low Risk - Items of non-urgent priority or for future consideration - for attention within three months
Pre-Amble
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This Fire Risk Assessment Report is produced in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the Housing Act 2004 and Fire Safety (England)Regulations 2022 It follows the guidance, issued by Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), Association of specialist fire protection (ASFP), Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), National Fire Chief’s Council (NFCC) recommendations & the Local Authority Group (LA Group).
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This report sets out to compare and assess each building as actually being used by its users (and the related hazards, risks, due to the intended uses & users’ actions) against the following (as relevant and appropriate to its use and users) technical standards and guidance which may include:• “Fire Safety in buildings having Sleeping Accommodation”, Issued by DCLG (National Government) in 2005
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“Fire Safety in buildings having Sleeping Accommodation”, Issued by DCLG (National Government) in 2005
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“Fire Safety in buildings having Residential Care”, Issued by DCLG (National Government) in 2005
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“Fire Safety in Purpose Built Flats” by the LG Group & CFOA & CIH, (published July 2011)
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“LACORS Guide” to “Fire Safety in buildings with Flats, provided by Conversion”. (HiMO / HMO)
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CP3: Chapter IV: 1971, “Precautions against Fire – For Blocks of Flats & Maisonettes above two stories”
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BS5588 Part 1:(Latest Revision), “Fire Precautions in the Design, Construction and Use of buildings – Residential Buildings”.
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BS9999: Code of practice for Fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings – Residential Buildings”.
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“Fire Safety in Housing – Practice Brief”, by CIH & CFOA (published June 2011)
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Local Fire Authority guidance, and CFOA guidance, issued under the RR(FS)O 2005 legislation.
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Building Bylaws, (London)
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Building Regulations (Latest Revision) & relevant “Approved Documents”
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ASFP Passive fire protection – Inspecting PFP for fire risk assessors & PFP installations inc
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BM Trada Q-Mark certification scheme for timber fire door sets and PFP installations.
Section 1: MANAGEMENT
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1: Has the Responsible Person been identified?
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Regulations made under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 state the following:
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The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 will make it a legal requirement from 23 January 2023 for existing high-rise residential buildings (18 meters or more in height) in England to have a secure information box installed on the premises.
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2: Does the property have a document box with all relevant information for the fire brigade at the entrance, where applicable?
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3: Are Floor Plans available?
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4: Give a brief description of the building and how many stories it has.
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5: Does the property have any common parts? (In the event of a fire, will a tenants have to escape through any common or shared areas?)
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6: Does the Fire Risk Assessment being completed currently cover part or whole of the building?
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7: Is a Previous Fire Risk Assessment available?
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8: Are the windows UPVC/Timber or Metal? and is there double glazing?
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9: What is the external finish - Brick/Render or Cladding?
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10: What is the Fire Engine access like?
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11: Does a PAS 9980:2022 in section need to be carried out on the external wall? (PAS 9980:2022 is a code of practice which sets out a method for competent professionals to conduct Fire Risk Appraisals of External Wall construction ( FRAEW ) for existing multi-storey, multi-occupied residential buildings)
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Design and materials of external walls (regulation 5)
Regulations made under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005:
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 will make it a legal requirement from 23 January 2023 for responsible persons of existing **high-rise residential buildings in England to provide their local fire and rescue service with information about the design and materials of the building’s external walls and to inform their local fire and rescue service of any material changes made to them.
Supporting guidance will specify the type of information required by fire and rescue service to support their operational response and how this should be shared.
Responsible persons will also be required to provide additional information to their local fire and rescue service in relation to the level of risk of spread of fire that the external wall structure (its design and materials) pose and the steps they (responsible person) have taken to mitigate these risks.
The above information should be shared in a standard format and a template for responsible persons will be provided by the Government on their website.
** The government define a high rise building to be 7 stories and above
For most high-rise residential buildings, The Government expect that responsible persons will already know what their external wall systems are comprised of, and what steps (informed by their building’s fire risk assessment) they have already taken to mitigate this risk. For example, where the material of a building’s external walls is masonry and there is no risk of external fire spread, a simple statement to that effect is all that is required.
Where this is not the case, or where a more in-depth external wall system assessment is required, the responsible person should arrange to have an assessment which is relevant to their building’s circumstances undertaken. Once completed they should and share the relevant details of that assessment with the fire and rescue service, alongside the mitigating steps they have taken as a result of this assessment.
Based on the current RICS guidance EWS1 forms are required in the following circumstances:
For buildings of five or six storeys, an EWS1 form should be required where:
• there is a significant amount of cladding on the building (for the purpose of this guidance, approximately one-quarter of the whole elevation estimated from what is visible standing at ground level is a significant amount), or
• there are ACM, MCM or HPL panels on the building, or
• there are balconies that stack vertically above each other and either both the balustrades and decking are constructed with combustible materials (e.g. timber), or the decking is constructed with combustible materials and the balconies are directly linked by combustible materials
For buildings of four storeys or fewer, an EWS1 form should be required where:
• there are ACM, MCM or HPL panels on the building. -
Has Key Building Information been provided?
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The Higher-Risk Buildings (Key Building Information ETC) (England) Regulations 2023:
Came into force on 6th April 2023.
They specify key building information that must be provided to the Building Safety Regulator about higher-risk buildings as required by section 89 of the Building Safety Act 2022 - 89 Provisions of information ect to the regulator, residents and other persons.
They also set out provisions regarding the parts of a higher-risk building for which an accountable person, is responsible for in relation to their duties under Part 4 of the Building Safety Act - 4 Duty to facilitate building safety: higher-risk buildings.
Regulation 3 to 18 specify the information required. This includes potential risk factors including: use, change of use, the external wall system, the structural design type of the building, the number of storeys and staircases, energy supplies, the evacuation strategy for the building, and whether it is attached to any other building.
Section 2: LACORS
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How many occupants live in the property?
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What LACORS case study applies to this property?
- D1 - Single Household Occupancy (House or Flat) up to two storeys
- D2 - Single Household Occupancy (House or Flat) of three or four storeys
- D3 - Single Household Occupancy (House or Flat) of five or six storeys
- D4 - Shared House of no more than two storeys (for flats use D13 and D14)
- D5 - Shared House of three or four storeys
- D6 - Shared house of five or six storeys
- D7 - Bedsit-type HMO of no more than two storeys
- D8 - Bedsit-type HMO of three or four storeys
- D9 - Bedsit-type HMO of five or six storeys
- D13 - Flat in multiple occupation occupying a single storey
- D14 - Flat in multiple occupation occupying two storeys
- LACORS not applicable
- COMMON PARTS ONLY
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Are there any inner room scenarios?
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A 'Stay Put' Policy is an evacuation strategy used in purpose-built blocks of flats. When a 'Stay Put' policy is put into effect, it's to keep people safe when they are not in an area directly affected by the fire. If a fire is not in their flat, they should stay inside with the doors and the windows closed.
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Is the property Stay Put or Full Evacuation?
Section 3: IDENTIFY SOURCES OF IGNITION
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1: Cooking Facilities:
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2: Is there a Gas Safety report for the Boiler?:
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Since April 2021, an EICR became a legal requirement, and every rental property in England has been required to have a valid electrical safety certificate as per “The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020”.
These regulations require landlords to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a person who is qualified and competent, at an interval of at least every 5 years. -
3: Has an EICR been carried out within IEE guidelines?
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Regulations, which came into effect on January 2015, meant that all fuse boards fitted in residential properties will have to be made of fireproof material or be in a special fireproof box.
This forms part of the electrical installation regulations (BS7671) which are reviewed every three years under the BSI committee JPEL64. -
4: Are electrical distribution boards fire proofed to an appropriate standard?
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Take picture of fuse board and its housing.
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5: Extension Leads & Multipoint Adaptors:
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6: Portable Electrical Equipment:
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7: Heaters:
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Arson remains the largest single cause of fire in England and Wales and research has estimated that the overall annual cost of arson to the economy in this area is around £2.53 billion. The human cost has also been high. In the last decade, there have been around 2.3 million deliberate fires resulting in over 25,000 injuries and over 900 deaths.
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8: Are there arson risks, such as, but not inclusive of anti letterbox required?
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9: Is there a Carbon Monoxide detector in every room with a gas appliance?
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10: Does the property have downlighters (spotlights)?
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11: Is there an electric charging point for EV's and is it being managed suitably?
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12: Other sources of ignition (e.g BBQ's on balconies).
Section 4: IDENTIFY SOURCES OF FUEL
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1: Are Flammable Liquids, Solids and Chemicals stored in a safe place?:
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2: Is furniture that has been supplied fire retardant?:
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3: Are waste materials stored safely?:
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4: Are there polystyrene ceiling tiles in the property?
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5: Furnishings and Fixings (e.g. notice boards or chairs).
Section 5: PEOPLE AT RISK
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1: Is there anything visible in the property to suggest persons with special needs are at risk?
Section 6: STRUCTURAL FEATURES THAT MAY ALLOW FIRE TO SPREAD
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1: Will any structural features allow rapid fire spread?
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2: Is there any potential for rapid fire spread that is being currently caused by human error? (Tenants or builders wedging fire doors open for example)
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The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 makes it a legal requirement from 23 January 2023 for responsible persons for all multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 metres in height to:
undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closing devices) in the common parts.
undertake – on a best endeavour basis – annual checks of all flat entrance doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s common parts.
The regulations will also require responsible persons to provide residents of all multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises (that have common parts) information on the importance of fire doors to a building’s fire safety. -
4: Have the fire doors been inspected and are they the correct rating for the property?
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5: If there are there any raised storage areas (mezzanine floors) do they conform to standards?
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6: Is fire stopping satisfactory in cellars, under stair cases, in under stairs cupboards and throughout the property in general?
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7: Are loft hatches in place and are they fire rated and locked?
Section 7: MEANS OF ESCAPE
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Can all occupants easily escape from a fire?
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Are steps and stairs in a good state of repair?
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Are all exit door from the property being assessed (individual flat exit door where applicable) easy to open without the use of a key?
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The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005:
This clearly outlines the responsibilities and procedures that must be in place, and adhered to, for fire outbreaks and emergency situations. These measures state that, in order to safeguard the safety of any and all building occupants, the designated responsible person must ensure that all routes to emergency exits from the premises and the exits themselves are kept clear at all times. -
Are the escape routes clear from obstructions?
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What is the greatest travel distance to a protected area?
Section 8: COMMON PARTS FIRE DETECTION AND WARNING SYSTEMS
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1: Is an adequate Automatic Fire Detection system in place in the common parts?
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2: Are there emergency lights fitted?
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3: Are there smoke vents fitted?
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Have the common parts detection and warning systems been serviced by a Third Party Accredited company?
Section 9: FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT
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1: Is suitable and sufficient firefighting equipment provided?
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2: Does any part of this property require a fire suppression system?
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3: Is there Dry Risers in place?
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5: Have the fire fighting equipment been serviced by a Third Party Accredited company?
Section 10: FIRE EMERGENCY PLAN & SIGNAGE
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1: Is there a fire action notice to make tenants aware of what action to take in the event of a fire?
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2: Does the property require fire directional signage?
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3: Does the property require fire door signage on riser/electrical cupboards and corridor separation doors?
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4: Does the property require signage on the final exit, such as, but inclusive of thumb turn to open?
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5: Is the building classed as high rise (seven stories or above) and requires way finder signage?
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6: Are there any Cause and Effects connected to the fire alarm system, such as, but not inclusive of, smoke vents?
This Fire Risk Assessment document should be reviewed on a regular basis. It must also be reviewed whenever any material changes take place in the workplace or any other change that may affect this risk assessment.
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Is a quote required?
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Assessor
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Customer Representative
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Are you satisfied that the audit is successfully complete?
Information
Section 2: LACORS
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Example of an inner room is a bedroom that escapes through a kitchen/lounge or an escape route that leads onto the kitchen/lounge.
This issue can be resolved by creating a safe escape for the tenant in that room to the muster point. This can first be achieved by an escape window if the height of the window allows it. If this isn't possible then new walls, new fire doors, mist systems or sprinkler systems may be required.
Please see LACORS paragraph 12 for more information.
Section 3: IDENTIFY SOURCES OF IGNITION
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These new regulations require landlords to have the electrical installations in their properties inspected and tested by a person who is qualified and competent, at least every 5 years. Landlords have to provide a copy of the electrical safety report to their tenants, and to their local authority if requested.
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Where electrical distribution boards are in COMMON PARTS (either in bedsit common parts or common parts of flats) they should have 30-minute fire protection.
Elsewhere it may be considered necessary to fire proof electrical distribution boards where they pose an immediate threat to the only escape route (i.e directly above the final exit door). -
Anti-arson mailbox only applies to properties with Common Parts with one escape route, or with one escape route.
Section 6: STRUCTURAL FEATURES THAT MAY ALLOW FIRE TO SPREAD
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For fire proofed loft hatches, Building standards suggest they are required where the floor level is above 4.5m from ground - generally 3-storey and above.
If property has had recent building alterations they should be approved by building control. If any alterations are assessed as unsafe, check for building control sign off. -
Lack of Fire Door Systems will mean the only escape route out of the building will be rapidly affected by smoke and fire.
Section 7: MEANS OF ESCAPE
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The front door of every individual flat needs to be a tested, and certified fire door. They should be fitted with the appropriate intumescent strips, smoke seals and a self-closing mechanism. The minimum requirement is for an FD30 door to be fitted, providing 30 minutes of fire resistance. It is important that the self-closing mechanism is never removed or disabled for any reason. Tenants should also be made aware of the dangers of wedging open fire doors – this should not be done in any circumstances!
Any physical work, or alterations, carried out must maintain the integrity of the safety features and ensure that the compartmentalisation aspects are protected and adhered to. -
The protected escape route is designed to allow for residents from all
parts of the building to reach the outside without passing through a
higher fire risk area. The protected route MUST be kept clear of
obstructions and combustible materials. The walls and ceilings to all
parts of the protected route MUST be free of highly flammable
materials i.e. polystyrene tiles or heavy flock wallpaper.
30-minute fire resistance must be provided;
• to all standard risk rooms within dwellings (including ceilings
beneath attics – including the loft hatch)
• between dwellings (ceilings and walls)
• bordering the protected route including cupboards on the
landing or under the stairs.
• Electric and gas meters within the protected route must be
housed within a fire-resisting cupboard
Section 10: FIRE EMERGENCY PLAN AND TRAINING
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Note: a 'Stay Put Policy ' fire action notice and an 'All OUT 'fire safety action notice give two very different sets of instructions and should be mindful when placing them in the circulation spaces to ensure the correct instructions are given.
Important Information
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On 1 June 2022, the government introduced a package of improvements to further strengthen and clarify building regulations and fire safety guidance as part of wider reforms to building safety.
Strengthened building regulations
Following a review and consultation, the government has introduced regulations to strengthen the ban on combustible materials used in and on the external walls of buildings.
The ban on combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings, introduced in 2018, will now apply to hotels, hostels and boarding houses – in addition to blocks of flats, hospitals, student accommodation and dormitories in boarding schools.
These changes will also ban Metal Composite Material panels with unmodified polyethylene core, known as MCM PE, on all new buildings at any height. This follows research carried out by the government and evidence heard at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry on the serious fire safety risks associated with this material.
Other changes to the regulations being put forward will:
Include elements of solar shading devices within the scope of the ban.
Amend the list of materials exempted from the ban to include fibre optic cables, and water proofing and insulation materials in the external wall, below and up to 300mm from ground level.
Update the requirement of the ban to refer to the latest version of the British Standard classification for materials used on high-rise residential buildings.
Temporarily exempt cavity trays.
Amend the requirements for material change of use in buildings.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/approved-document-b-2022-update
