Angus has been involved in developing and writing British and International Fire & Safety standards since the mid-1980s. The list of standards that he has participated in is impressive and includes BS5839-1, BS8629, EN54-18 and ISO7240-2. Angus utilises his extensive experience to provide an authoritative perspective on the key issues that affect the Fire & Security Industry today.
The Home Office has published new Guidance for anyone with responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. If you are a responsible person or a person who has some responsibility under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005, you will also have some responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 establish a legal obligation for those in charge of high-rise residential buildings, including landlords, contractors, and councils, to provide information to fire and rescue services to aid in planning for and responding to a fire in their structure. This requirement took effect on January 23, 2023.
In some cases, duties may also fall on people other than the Responsible Person if any of the requirements of the Fire Safety Order relate to matters within their control. Nevertheless, the Responsible Person will continue to fulfil their responsibilities under the Fire Safety Order.
The regulations require Responsible Persons in multi-occupied residential buildings to take specific actions depending on the height of the building.
Duties of the Responsible Person (buildings over 11m or multi-occupation)
In all multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises and in residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres in height responsible persons will be required to:
- Provide clear and relevant fire safety instructions to residents, including how to report a fire and what a resident must do once a fire has occurred, based on the building's evacuation strategy.
- Provide residents with information relating to the importance of fire doors.
In residential buildings with storeys over 11 metres in height, responsible persons will be required to carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors and must undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common areas. All fire doors in communal areas of the building must be checked at least every three months.
Duties of the Responsible Person (high-rise buildings)
In high-rise residential buildings (18 metres or 7 storeys or more), responsible persons will be required to:
- Provide up-to-date building floor plans to Fire and Rescue Service by electronic means and to place a hard copy of these plans alongside a single-page building plan which identifies key firefighting equipment, in a secure information box on site.
- Provide information to Fire and Rescue Service about the design and materials of a high-rise building's external wall system and to inform them of any material changes to these walls.
- Responsible person must undertake monthly checks on the operation of lifts intended for use by firefighters, and evacuation lifts in your building. Other key pieces of firefighting equipment must be checked as well. Any faulty lifts or equipment should be reported to Fire and Rescue Service as soon as possible after detection. If the fault cannot be fixed within 24 hours, then the outcome of checks and must be available to residents.
- Install and maintain a secure information box in the building which must contain the name and contact details of the responsible person, and hard copies of the building floor plans.
- Install signage visible in low light or smoky conditions that identifies flat and floor numbers in the stairwells.
The guidance “Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022” can be found via the Government website:
Got a question about Fire Safety Act and Fire Safety Regulations 2022? Not sure how these changes will impact your responsibilities? Get in touch today!
For over 45 years, Fixfire® has been providing quality products, systems and services for Life & Property Protection. Whatever your requirement, please call our Compliance Team for expert advice and a refreshingly different approach.
Freephone 08000 891999
Following the recommendations of BS5839 Part 1 2017 (Fire Alarm British Standard), it is a mandatory requirement to have an up to date, clear and accurate Fire Alarm Zone Chart adjacent to your Fire Alarm Control Panel and any repeater panels you have in your premises.
The purpose of the Zone Chart is to assist persons responding to an alarm to quickly identify the specific location in the building and to help the Fire Brigade understand the building layout before they enter.
When the Fire Alarm System is installed, the building is divided into Fire Zones. Any Manual Call Point (Red Box) or Fire Detector that is fitted will trigger a particular zone when activated.
The Zone Chart shows the division of each zone area with a ‘You are Here’ arrow to identify the position of the Fire Alarm Panel. The view of the building should be orientated in relation to the Fire Alarm Panel position to minimise confusion.
What is involved in producing a Zone Chart?
- Hard copy
- Or preferably AutoCAD (dwg) format
You have a legal duty of care to dispose of waste legitimately and safely via a licensed waste carrier. Failure to do so can result in prosecution, even if you have outsourced the disposal to a third party.
The Fixfire® Extinguisher Recycling Process is your reassurance that any Fire Extinguishers we remove from your premises have been disposed of in a safe and legal manner. 97% of each processed Fire Extinguisher is recycled.
Our contracted Extinguisher Recycling Unit (ERU) is a dedicated facility offering a service for the safe processing and recycling/disposal of fire extinguishers. The facility operates closely with the local Water Authority and the Environment Agency to develop safe, efficient and environmentally friendly processes, ensuring that ISO14001 certification is upheld.
Got a question about Fire Extinguisher Disposal? Need Fire Safety Compliance advice? Get in touch today!
For over 45 years, Fixfire® has been providing quality products, systems and services for Life & Property Protection. Whatever your requirement, please call our Compliance Team for expert advice and a refreshingly different approach.
Freephone 08000 891999
False Fire Alarms remain a huge concern within the education sector- interrupting already carefully scheduled, planned and well-prepared lessons or even causing major disruption and distress to exams.
Clearly, these false alarms cause significant inconvenience and disruption to students, staff, and visitors. They compromise everyone’s safety in the school and present a significant risk to the local community since the Fire Brigade will prioritise the school over other emergency callouts.
Solutions you should consider:
The first and most straightforward way is to use anti-tamper products.
Fixfire® supplies a wide range of solutions designed to protect Fire Alarm Devices from inadvertent damage or deliberate misuse/vandalism.
Products include:
- Local plastic cover flaps which attach directly to manual call points.
- The stopper consists of a clear, tamperproof, tough polycarbonate cover, frame and spacer that retrofits over a break glass call point. When lifted to operate the break glass unit, its optional battery powered integral sounder emits a piercing 96dB (at 1m). Immediate attention is drawn to the area and a prankster will either run or be caught!
- A range of steel web stoppers designed to protect fire detectors and warning devices. They are constructed from heavy-duty galvanised steel rod which is plastic-coated for durability and external use.
- A range of polycarbonate enclosures are available for the protection of devices such as fire alarm control panels and associated control equipment. The enclosures combine tough rugged construction with stylish design and offer excellent protection with a key lock for authorised access.
We also provide anti-tamper devices for fire extinguishers and associated products.
KeyCall® is a patented anti-ligature Fire Alarm and Access Control call point. It is designed to use the same key as the doors, providing simple operation for staff whilst eliminating nuisance activations by service-users.
KeyCall® has been developed by Fixfire® specifically for approved applications where standard versions would be vulnerable to abuse.
It is one of the best solutions for SEN schools and it is also compatible with a wide range of Conventional and Addressable Fire Alarm Systems.
Got a question about False Fire Alarms? Need Fire Safety Compliance advice? Get in touch today!
For over 45 years, Fixfire® has been providing quality products, systems and services for Life & Property Protection. Whatever your requirement, please call our Compliance Team for expert advice and a refreshingly different approach.
Freephone 08000 891999
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