Fire safety: UK Government publishes response to Fire Safety Order consultation

News

  • Building safety

24 March 2021

Fire

The Home Office has published its response to the public consultation on fire safety that ran from July to October 2020.

The document provides a summary of the responses received and sets out the next steps that Government will take to strengthen fire safety for all regulated buildings, including:

  • legislating through the Building Safety Bill to strengthen the Fire Safety Order in key areas
  • delivering new regulations through Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order in response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 Report recommendations
  • implementing changes to improve engagement between building control bodies and fire and rescue services.


A separate Fire Safety Bill, which is currently before Parliament, seeks to clarify that the scope of the Fire Safety Order applies to the structure, external walls and individual flat entrance doors of multi-occupied residential buildings.

IWFM’s Life Safety Working Group will be studying the Government’s consultation response in detail, particularly in relation to the interaction between the different safety regimes covering buildings in scope and any implications for the new Building Safety Manager role. We will then include this insight in our work moving forward and share the relevant insights on the issues and consequences for those members of our profession who are responsible for fire and building safety.

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