Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force 23 January 2023.

New legal requirements

It is now a legal requirement for 'responsible persons' of high-rise residential buildings to provide information to fire and rescue services. This is to assist the service in planning for and responding to a fire in the building. A high-rise residential building is defined as a building containing two or more sets of domestic premises that is at least 18 metres tall or has at least seven storeys.

The responsible person for any high-rise residential building in Norfolk must submit this information to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.

The regulations

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have been introduced as an important step towards implementing the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower inquiry Phase 1 report. The regulations have been introduced under Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order 2005.

The regulations set out requirements for responsible persons of all multi-occupied residential buildings, of two or more sets of domestic premises. Responsible persons must:

Provide relevant fire safety instructions to their residents on how to report a fire and what a resident must do once a fire has occurred
Provide residents with information relating to the importance of fire doors in fire safety

The regulations also set out requirements for responsible persons of multi-occupied residential buildings over 11 metres in height:

The responsible person must undertake best endeavours to carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors. They must undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common parts

Useful guidance

National Fire Chiefs Council has produced lots of helpful guidance on their website including videos.

Submitting information to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service

Submit building plans and floor plans

Responsible persons must provide Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service with up to date building plans and floor plans by electronic means.

You must also place a hard copy of these plans, alongside a single page building plan identifying key firefighting equipment, in a secure information box on site.

Submit building plans and floor plans online

Submit external walls information

Responsible persons must provide Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service with information about the design and materials of a high-rise building's external wall system. You must also inform us of any material changes to these walls.

You must also provide information in relation to the level of risk that the design and materials of the external wall structure gives rise to, and any mitigating steps taken.

Submit information about external walls online

Report fire safety equipment faults and repairs

Responsible persons must undertake monthly checks on the operation of lifts intended for use by firefighters, and evacuation lifts in their building. Responsible persons must also check the functionality of other key pieces of firefighting equipment. You must record the outcome of checks and make them available to residents.

You must report any defective lifts or equipment to Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service as soon as possible after detection, if the fault cannot be fixed within 24 hours.

If you are reporting a fault outside of business hours, please call 0300 123 1669.

Submit information about faults and repairs

Responsible persons must also:

Install and maintain a secure information box in your building. This box must contain your name and contact details and hard copies of the building floor plans
Install signage that is visible in low light or smoky conditions that identifies flat and floor numbers in the stairwells of relevant buildings