Fire Safety for Flats and Blocks

Identify the freeholder, managing agent and relevant responsible person, and obtain available fire strategy and risk-assessment information. Confirm lease permissions and access arrangements before altering shared fabric.

Building regulations, the Fire Safety Order and other housing and building-safety duties have different scopes and dutyholders. A refurbishment approval does not by itself discharge all ongoing management duties.

Separating walls and floors, flat entrance doors, shafts and service penetrations help control fire and smoke spread. A new pipe or ventilation duct can undermine that protection unless the detail is designed and installed correctly.

Do not change a stay-put or evacuation strategy on the basis of generic advice. The strategy must be appropriate to the building and assessed by competent professionals, with clear communication to residents through the responsible parties.

For building control, the higher-risk regime broadly includes buildings at least 18 metres high or at least seven storeys with at least two residential units, and certain hospitals and care homes, subject to the statutory definitions and exclusions. The occupation regime has different scope; height alone does not settle every duty.

The Building Safety Regulator is the building control authority for relevant higher-risk building work. Approval, change control and completion requirements can materially affect programme and procurement. Check the actual classification and applicable process before starting; do not assume ordinary local building control is available.

For relevant work, the building control body has duties to consult the fire and rescue authority. London Fire Brigade advice informs that process, but it is not a universal stand-alone permission that every flat renovation must obtain.

Agree who provides the fire strategy and consultation information and who responds to comments. Early coordination is particularly useful where existing compartmentation, commercial premises below or escape arrangements are uncertain.

Use appropriately competent designers and installers, coordinate inspections before enclosure and retain specifications, product and installation information. Confirm what fire-safety information must be handed to the responsible parties.

For occupied works, plan resident communication, temporary escape, access and protection. A design that is safe when finished still needs a safe and properly managed construction phase.