New Fire Regulations came into force in October 2023 in the latest phase of reforms by the UK government to improve fire safety and building safety following the terrible Grenfell fire in 2017.

The new safety guidance was part of the new fire safety legal provisions within section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 and forms phase 3 of the Home Office’s fire safety reform programme which made amendments to the Fire Safety Order 2005 (FSO).

What is Phase 3 of the Fire Safety Reform Programme?

Phase 3 builds on the previous amendments of phase 1 (the Fire Safety Act 2021) and Phase 2 (the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022) and specifically looks at:

• improving cooperation and coordination between Responsible Persons (RPs)
• increasing requirements in relation to the recording and sharing of fire safety information so creating a continual record throughout a building’s lifespan
• making it easier for enforcement authorities to take action against non-compliance
• ensuring residents have access to comprehensive information about fire safety in their building

Th government is seeking to ensure that fire safety is strengthened in all FSO regulated premises and that processes are improved and more robust.

Who will These Reforms Affect?

Phase 3 particularly affects three groups:

• small non-domestic premises (less than 280m²g. small offices,)
• small blocks of flats (max. 3 storeys. e.g. social housing, private sector landlords, managing agents, premises with a maximum of 10 persons)
• small sleeping accommodation (e.g. Air B&Bs, outdoor accommodation)

 HSE Provides Resource Guides to Provide Guidance on Fire Safety

Previously, those responsible for these premises could draw advice and guidance form a short guide. However, this guide has now been replaced by three more detailed and specific guides for each group above.

• A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire
• A guide to making your small paying-guest-accommodation safe from fire
• A guide to making your small block of flats safe from fire

What Things Should Affected Premises be Thinking About?

The HSE guides are full of helpful advice and questions for each premises group. Here are just a few we have pulled out.

•  Non-Domestic Premises / Offices

Do your staff and visitors know what to do in the event of a fire?

Do you co-operate and co-ordinate your actions with other occupiers of the same building?

• Small Blocks of Flats

Are you aware that the fire safety legislation also applies to the buildings structure and external walls?

Are there adequate fire safety precautions in common areas?

Have you communicated and engaged with residents so that they are aware what to do in the event of fire and understand the safety measures within the building?

• Small Sleeping Accommodation Providers

Are guests aware of what to do in a fire?

Are your fire safety measures and escape routes in good condition?

Do you often review your fire risk assessment?

Start with a Fire Risk Assessment

In all cases the key thing to carry out first is a Fire Risk Assessment. This provides the responsible persons with a 5-step process to assess the hazards, understand who is affected and how to record and review.

The HSE identifies these 5 steps as:

1. Fire Hazards – Identify anything that can start a fire or be a source of ignition.
2. People at Risk – How many people are in the premises? Are any young or disabled?
3. Evaluate and Act – How many exits are there? Where are they located? Can you reduce the risks?
4. Record, Plan and Train – Do staff know what to do in a fire? Do you have a plan of how you will keep people safe? Do you practice fire drills?
5. Review – Regularly review your fire risk assessment and update it if there are significant changes.

Download the HSE Fire Risk Assessment Guide Consultant Rich Abbott who holds the Level 5 Fire Risk Assessor qualification says he will ask questions to help clients think through their procedures. Rich asks things like, do you practice fire drills? The guidance says that non-domestic premises should have 2 drills a year, one of which needs to be unannounced. Often Rich finds that the latter is not happening but which he says is the really important one to practice.“It’s so important to carry out fire drills and practice scenarios because in the event of a fire we all panic. If fire drills and responses have been walked through it’s like muscle memory and in the event of a real fire people will be clearer and remember what they should do and where they should go.”

How Has Sureteam Helped Non-Domestic Premises?

When legislative changes come into force it can cause unease for business owners who want to ensure they remain compliant. At Sureteam we make sure that all our clients are briefed about any changes well in advance and we work with them to ensure any action required can be carried out in a timely manner.

Fire Safety for Chain of Charity Shops 

Longfield, a Community Hospice in Gloucestershire is one such client who Sureteam have worked with for 3 years. In addition to the main Hospice site the organisation also has 20 charity shops which provide vital funds towards the services provided to patients and carers.

Each charity shop is full of items for sale that are constantly being brought in by the public, which if not carefully managed could be a potential fire risk. Sureteam provide Health and Safety guidance for the charity and undertakes annual fire risk assessments across the organisation.

As the charity shops fall under the category of small non-domestic premises, Sureteam went out to each one prior to the new fire regulations taking effect. We carried out a fire risk assessment in each location and reported back to the management team so they could be aware of any additional processes and procedures that were necessary to put in place as a result of the changes coming into force and to ensure they remained compliant.

Head of Facilities, Estates and IT, Debbie Linton says,

“Having Sureteam come in regularly and carry out our fire risk assessments gives us peace of mind that our shops and premises are always compliant with legislation. This was particularly true for the latest changes in the fire regulations that came into force in 2023. Sureteam guided us through how they would impact our business and the additional processes we needed to put in place, to ensure we met the new requirements.”

Fire Risk Assessment for Air B&B 

Prior to the legislation coming into force a client who runs an Air B&B contacted us to carry out a fire risk assessment, so that they were aware of where they were compliant and where they might need make improvements.

The resulting report highlighted that some additional control measures were needed such as a fitted fire door, to comply with BS EN 1634 (fire door assembly) and fire-fighting media such as an extinguisher and a fire blanket.

Owner of the B&B Alexis Shea said,

“The service from Sureteam has been very quick and thorough, I have full confidence in the team to ensure that our property is safe and up to standard. They went beyond expectations, not only carrying out the required fire risk assessment report as asked, but also helping to direct us towards other sources/organisations who could enable us to have necessary work complete.

Each member of staff I have spoken with has known exactly what I was asking about and been able to respond to the issues effectively. I’d certainly recommend Sureteam.”

How can We Support Your Business with Fire Safety? 

Here at Sureteam we have a range of ways that we can work with you and if appropriate your team, to make sure you’ve got your fire safety covered.

We offer a consultancy service so that we can support and advise you as you need it. We provide various levels of fire safety training from trainer-led qualifications for those who have designated responsibility in the workplace for fire safety to E-Learning courses that will help everyone in your team to be aware of basic fire safety and the fire triangle.

Or as we’ve detailed in this blog, we can carry out your fire risk assessments so that you can have complete peace of mind knowing the areas where your business is complaint and areas where action needs to be taken.

If you have any questions about your fire safety having read this blog, please call our team on 01666 503686 or fill in our contact form and we will see how we can help you.