If you own and/or manage a block of flats, you may not be fully aware of your legal fire safety obligations — but we can’t stress how important they are.
Failure to follow them could result in:
- Loss of life
- Serious building damage
- Prohibition of business activities
- The initiation of legal proceedings
- Prosecution
- A prison sentence
Of course, we’re presenting the worst-case scenarios here, but these are all real risks of not conducting a fire risk assessment. It’s little wonder, therefore, that conducting a fire risk assessment for blocks of flats is a legal requirement.
Such is the importance of a fire risk assessment, insurance companies often require one to be carried out before offering you cover or maintaining your existing policy.
There are many other reasons to carry out a fire risk assessment, but we won’t go into them all. The point is you need to get an assessment done if you haven’t already.
Our article explains what a fire risk assessment entails, what the legal requirements are, and how you can arrange for an assessment to be carried out.
By the end of this article, you’ll have all the information you need to protect your building and its residents.
In this article
What is a fire risk assessment, and why is it important for flats?
When did fire risk assessments become law for flats?
What are the legal requirements for fire risk assessments in flats?
How often do fire risk assessments need to be carried out for flats?
Who can conduct a fire risk assessment for flats?
What is a fire risk assessment, and why is it important for leaseholders and managing agents?
A fire risk assessment is a legally required review of your premises to assess its potential fire risks.
It will identify potential fire hazards within your building, estimate each hazard’s level of risk, and include detailed recommendations on how to reduce them to an acceptable level.
Here are the three areas a fire risk assessment will address:
- Identifying the fire hazards and the means for their elimination or control.
- Determining the fire protection measures in the building.
- Obtaining relevant information about fire safety management.
Regarding point 2, these are some of the protection measures your assessment should focus on:
- Fire detection systems — Are the fire alarms and smoke detectors in your building functional, and have they been properly maintained?
- Fire doors — Have fire-resistant doors been installed and maintained correctly so that they will perform as required in the event of a fire?
- The escape routes — Are they clear, unobstructed, accessible and adequately marked?
- Signage — Specifically, the fire exit and escape route signage. Is it visible and readable?
- Emergency lighting — Does it provide adequate illumination of escape routes? By law, emergency escape lighting to all common escape routes must be provided within purpose-built blocks of flats over two storeys in height.
These components are critical to any fire risk assessment. They help to ensure not only the safety of your residents in the event of a fire but also that your building can withstand any potential fire until emergency services arrive.
The exact level of detail included in your assessment depends on the size and complexity of your building.
For example, let’s say you own a high-rise block of flats which exceeds 18 metres in height. This would likely require more stringent safety measures and a longer list of recommendations and safety provisions than a low-rise building, which is up to 11 metres.
When did fire risk assessments become mandatory for blocks of flats?
Nearly 20 years ago!
Under the terms of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it’s a legal requirement for a fire risk assessment of your building’s common areas to be carried out.
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarifies that a flat’s structure, external walls, and flat entrance doors must also be included in fire risk assessments. In other words, all of these areas need to be assessed for their fire risk.
Here are some common areas in which a fire risk assessment is required:
- The communal lobbies
- Corridors and stairways
- Flat entrance doors
- Anything attached to external walls, such as balconies
- Cinema rooms
- Games rooms
- Kitchens
- Living rooms
- Gym facilities
Let’s look at some of the other fire risk assessment requirements in more detail.
What are the legal requirements for fire risk assessments in blocks of flats?
Whenever a fire risk assessment is carried out in your building, it must be conducted by competent individuals or companies who possess the necessary expertise and knowledge of fire safety regulations.
It must record the main findings and actions to be taken, and you must have a written record of this assessment on file.
Here are the other legalities you need to be aware of:
‘Responsible person’
Every block of flats in the UK must have a ‘responsible person’ who is responsible for fire safety. It is this person’s responsibility to ensure that a valid fire risk assessment is carried out and the aforementioned common areas are safe at all times. A responsible person is classed as the employer or owner/occupant of the building, the person who controls the premises, or an entity such as a limited company.
Regular reviews
As per Section 9 (3) of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the responsible person must regularly review each assessment so as to keep it up to date and particularly if:
- (a) there is reason to suspect that it is no longer valid; or
- (b) there has been a significant change in the matters to which it relates including when the premises, special, technical and organisational measures, or organisation of the work undergo significant changes, extensions, or conversions,and where changes to an assessment are required as a result of any such review, the responsible person must make them.
How often do fire risk assessments need to be carried out for blocks of flats?
To give you the clearest answer to this question, we’ll explain what the legislation says and then give our take on it.
The official wording around fire risk assessments for blocks of flats is that they should be carried out and reviewed “regularly”. But what does this mean?
Every 12 months is the standard approach within the residential property sector, but this frequency may not apply to you.
Your block of flats may need an assessment every three months, or may only need one every couple of years, depending on:
- The risk rating of your site.
- The level of detail within your most recent report. Even if you had an assessment carried out recently, a different assessor could make new and crucial observations their predecessor didn’t pick up on.
If you’re still unsure as to how often you should get an assessment carried out at your block of flats, call us on 0151 665 0124.
Who can conduct a fire risk assessment for flats?
If you’re the property manager or managing agent for a block of flats, then you’re classed as a ‘responsible person’ (as we referenced above), and you can legally conduct the fire risk assessment yourself.
However, you’d be the first to admit you don’t have the wealth of knowledge or experience to accurately identify the full range of potential risks within your building.
Due to the complexity and critical nature of fire risk assessments, they are best left to trained fire protection consultants who will consider all aspects of fire safety and leave no stone left unturned.
That’s where we come in.
Specialist residential fire risk assessments from North West Fire Solutions
We’ll be candid with you — a fire risk assessment is not a box-ticking exercise.
Many residential building owners treat it as one and deeply regret cutting corners when a fire occurs.
Every detail matters.
It’s easy to miss one important detail when you’re not a dedicated fire safety professional, but this one important detail could have catastrophic consequences.
We’ll help you avoid these consequences, give you one less thing to worry about, and keep you legally compliant by carrying out a full fire risk assessment at your building.
Our assessments are carried out in accordance with government guidelines, and we offer four different types of fire risk assessment for flats depending on your building’s level of risk and the detail of inspection required.
Reach out to us today on 0151 665 0124 or email info@nwsolutions.co.uk. By doing so, you’re taking the first step towards making your block of flats the safest possible environment.