Fire Safety

Following an RICS led cross-industry working group investigation into best practice when reporting and valuing tall buildings within the secured lending arena, a revised standard process has been published together with a revised EWS1 form which was updated to reflect the Government Building Safety announcement, notably the immediate withdrawal of the Consolidated Advice Note (CAN) and the publication of BSI PAS9980:2022 – Assessing the external wall fire risk in multi-occupied residential buildings. 

There is a requirement for a fire safety risk assessment of the external wall system to be conducted by a suitably qualified, and competent professional for buildings with a residential floor height above 18 metres (six storeys) and some 4/5 story buildings that have a significant element of external cladding. The requirements are as set out in the RICS guidance note 'Cladding for Surveyors' https://www.rics.org/globalassets/rics-website/media/news/news--opinion/fire-safety/cladding-for-surveyors-supplementary-info-paper-1.pdf

There is no definitive answer to whether your building is a high fire risk, as different factors may affect the level of risk. However, you can use a fire risk assessment to evaluate the potential hazards and risks in your building and determine the appropriate measures to reduce them. A fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for all premises that the public has access to, as well as for businesses and blocks of flats.

A fire risk assessment involves five steps:

1. Identify the fire hazards, such as sources of ignition, fuel and oxygen.
2. Identify people at risk, such as employees, visitors, residents and anyone who may be particularly vulnerable, such as children, elderly or disabled people.
3. Evaluate, remove or reduce the risks, by implementing fire prevention and protection measures, such as fire alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, escape routes and signage.
4. Record your findings, prepare an emergency plan and provide training, by documenting the results of your assessment, developing a clear procedure for evacuation and fire fighting, and informing and instructing all relevant people on their roles and responsibilities.
5. Review and update the fire risk assessment regularly, by checking that the measures are still effective, taking into account any changes in the premises or activities, and making improvements if necessary.

A high fire risk building in the UK is a building that is subject to more stringent regulations and oversight due to the potential consequences of a fire. The definition of a high fire risk building depends on whether the building is in the design and construction phase or the occupation phase.
According to the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Higher-Risk Buildings (Descriptions and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2023.

A high fire risk building during the design and construction phase is a building that is at least 18 metres in height or has at least seven storeys and contains at least two residential units, a care home, or a hospital. However, some buildings are excluded from this definition, such as secure residential institutions, hotels, and military barracks.

A high fire risk building during the occupation phase is a building that is at least 18 metres in height or has at least seven storeys and contains at least two residential units. This definition excludes buildings that are regulated as workplaces under the Fire Safety Order, such as care homes, hospitals, secure residential institutions, hotels, and military barracks.