Fire service asks county's building owners and managers to prepare for new fire safety regulations

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service is seeking to ensure building owners and managers across the county understand the changes to legislation which will impact on their responsibilities from early next year.

This month, the Government's Fire Reform White Paper was released and the changes announced in it include commencement of the Fire Safety Act 2021. This will ensure that all blocks of flats are properly assessed for fire safety risks and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 will help ensure people feel safe in their homes.

The service welcomes the measures as important steps forward in strengthening the existing Fire Safety Order and improving fire safety.

The Act clarifies that the owners and managers of multi-occupied residential buildings, known as responsible persons (RPs), must manage and reduce the risk of fire for the structure and external walls of the building, including cladding, balconies and windows, and entrance doors to individual flats that open into common parts.

Head of Protection for the service, Greg Preston, said: "We welcome the Fire Safety Act and the bringing forward of the new Regulations, which are important steps forward in strengthening the Fire Safety Order and improving fire safety across Norfolk and in indeed the country.

"These regulations will impose significant new legal requirements for responsible persons. Responsible persons in residential buildings should consider when to review their fire risk assessments, to ensure these take account of any risk from the external wall. It is important that responsible persons familiarise themselves with the full guidance from the Home Office about when and how to go about this.

"We would encourage responsible persons to also familiarise themselves with the new regulations and to prepare for the significant changes being introduced. We urge responsible persons to work with us to ensure responsible persons and their buildings are ready to comply when the regulations come into force."

Norfolk County Council's Cabinet Member for Communities and Partnerships, Councillor Margaret Dewsbury, said: "We welcome the measures which will improve fire safety for the people of Norfolk and encourage all responsible persons to work with us to ensure they are ready for the changes early next year."

In preparation for the new regulations coming into force in January 2023, responsible persons are encouraged to begin preparing to comply with the new regulations to be ready to submit their information to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service in time for 23 January 2023. For example, responsible persons are urged to begin work such as installation of wayfinding signage and procurement of secure information boxes now.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (the Regulations) were introduced to meet the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's Phase 1 recommendations. The inquiry was established following the devastating Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017. Fact sheets about the regulations and what they mean are available via the GOV.UK website .