What Are the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022?
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 — sometimes abbreviated as the FSE Regulations — are secondary legislation that came into force in January 2023. They were made under the Fire Safety Act 2021 and impose additional, specific duties on responsible persons of multi-occupied residential buildings in England. They were a direct legislative response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, giving effect to recommendations about improving fire safety in residential blocks.
Who Do They Apply To?
The Regulations apply to the responsible person of any building in England that contains two or more sets of domestic premises and has a common area. This includes blocks of flats, converted houses in multiple occupation, and purpose-built apartment buildings. Requirements are tiered by building height:
- All multi-occupied residential buildings — fire safety information must be provided to residents in a format they can use; fire doors in communal areas must be inspected at least quarterly
- Buildings over 11 metres — responsible persons must seek resident co-operation with fire safety measures and check flat entrance fire doors at least annually
- Buildings over 18 metres (high-rise) — mandatory installation of an evacuation alert system and a building information box; monthly lift checks and biannual checks of key firefighting equipment
Fire Door Inspection Requirements
One of the most significant practical requirements is the duty to inspect communal fire doors at least quarterly — and to use reasonable endeavours to inspect flat entrance doors at least annually. This is in addition to the quarterly inspections required under good practice guidance. The inspections need not be carried out by a specialist — the responsible person can carry them out themselves, provided they know what to look for. However, using a trained fire door inspector is strongly recommended for buildings with a large number of doors.
Evacuation Alert Systems
For high-rise buildings above 18 metres, the Regulations require the installation of an evacuation alert system (EAS) — a system that enables the fire and rescue service to trigger audible and visual alerts in specific parts of the building, directing targeted floor-by-floor evacuation when needed. EAS systems must comply with BS 8629 and be maintained in efficient working order.
Building Information Boxes
Responsible persons of high-rise buildings must provide a building information box accessible to the fire and rescue service, containing key building information including floor plans, details of the structure and external wall systems, fire safety equipment locations, and details of any known defects. This ensures attending firefighters have immediate access to critical building intelligence in an emergency.
