FIRESAFETY & SECURITY
British Safety Council welcomes the coming into force of new requirements on fire safety
New planning requirements relating to fire safety came into force on 1 August . These changes are part of the most significant changes to building safety regulation in 40 years and are aimed at ensuring all future high-rise developments consider fire safety at the earliest stages of planning . The legislation has been developed to help prevent any more tragedies like the one at Grenfell Tower in 2017 , in which 72 people tragically lost their lives .
» BRITISH SAFETY COUNCIL welcomes this milestone towards an explicitly risk-based building safety regime that ensures fire safety considerations are prioritised at every stage in the development of highrise buildings . We urge the Government to introduce the remaining changes to building safety regulation without delay , to make certain those legally responsible for buildings ensure fire and structural safety risks are effectively managed and appropriately funded .
New advice from fire safety experts , commissioned by the Government , to investigate risk in medium and lower-rise buildings , indicated there is no systemic risk of fire in blocks of flats below 18 metres . This may not provide sufficient comfort to leaseholders in medium and lower-rise buildings who have faced difficulty in selling , anxiety at the potential cost of remediation work and concern at the safety of their homes . Although the intervention is designed to reduce ‘ needless ’ and costly remediation in lower rise buildings ( helping flat owners to buy , sell or re-mortgage homes ), the decision by the Government to relax requirements should not be influenced primarily by cost considerations , but safety factors must be the over-riding consideration .
Mike Robinson , Chief Executive at the British Safety Council , said :
“ It is high-time the Government improved the standards of safety for people ’ s homes through a regulatory system that provides essential oversight , from a building ’ s initial design through to construction and operation . This should , if properly regulated , monitored and resourced , make homes safer in the future , and equally important make residents feel safe in their homes .
“ The Government ’ s decision , in the wake of new advice , to no longer require EWS1 forms for buildings below 18 metres should be kept under regular review to ensure any changes in risk are properly accounted for and managed accordingly .
“ The elephant in the room continues to be who pays for the removal of unsafe cladding from buildings below 18 metres – currently leaseholders are expected to pay £ 50 a month towards this work . This is a grave injustice . It is only right that the Government pays the full cost of remediation up front for what is a historical defect . To not do so , is simply wrong .”
1 . The new requirements , known as planning gateway one , will help ensure that high-rise developments consider fire safety at the earliest stages of planning . Developments involving high-rise residential buildings must demonstrate they have been designed with fire safety in mind before planning permission is granted – including through their site layout – and with access provided for fire engines . This information will be submitted as part of the planning application in a fire statement .
2 . Local planning authorities must seek specialist advice on relevant applications from the Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ), as the statutory consultee on fire safety before a decision is made on the application . In future , this role is likely to become part of the new Building Safety Regulator – which , led by HSE , will oversee a new safety regime for high-rise residential homes .
3 . New guidance for the risk assessment of external wall systems ( EWS ) will be introduced .
www . britsafe . org
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