Fire Risk Assessment External Wall (FRAEW) PAS 9980:2022

Revised FRAEW Process

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

Our RICS Chartered professional surveyors have completed the requisite Level 6 External Wall Systems Assessment Training Programme - External Wall Systems and are listed as ‘course completers’ on the RICS Fire Safety website. With our expertise we are now supporting our residential public-sector clients and private sector residential management agencies. We are conducting investigations and risk assessments, and reporting on the external wall systems, leading to the completion and issue of the appropriate EWS1 form, and providing advice on how to make their buildings safe if the required safety standards are not achieved.

We can assist you with the investigation and risk assessment and appraisal of external wall systems as defined in the recently published PAS9980:2022 standard, reporting on our findings leading to the publication of a completed and signed Report and EWS1 form. We have developed a method statement that complies with the requirements of the PAS 99880 that will be adapted to your property. We would be pleased to discuss this with you in relation to your buildings. Our Chartered surveyors are qualified to complete Option A and Option B forms for buildings under 18m high and Option A for buildings over eighteen high. For buildings over 18m high which record an Option B outcome we will refer these to our Fire Engineer partners for completion.

Please note that at this time we are only able to resource this service for clients in England and to conclude the process it is often necessary to conduct intrusive inspections to the structure of the building in completing the EWS1 process unless detailed evidence can be provided and reviewed, either during construction or during remedial works.

Managing Fire Risk

Keegans and our sister company ECD Architects have been collaborating closely with our clients, heavily investing in the management of their high-risk residential buildings to mitigate fire safety issues arising for external walls systems and other fire safety related issues. Where external wall systems are considered non-compliant or create an unacceptable level of risk, we have developed management, removal, and replacement solutions for these cladding systems.

We have invested in training our staff in Fire Safety Compliance and Keegans are affiliated members of The Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), Institute of Fire Safety Managers (IFSM) and have gained NSI life Safety Fire Risk Assessment Silver status. We also undertake Fire Risk Assessments and fire safety reviews to most residential buildings.