London Fire Risk Assessments Liable to Inform Customers in Changes Within Fire Safety

by Heather Hall Heather Hall has led the Coordinating team at LFRA

In the case of multi-occupied Residential Buildings, the Fire Safety Act puts beyond doubt that structure, External Walls and Flat Entrance doors fall within the scope of the Fire Safety Order.

The Fire Safety Act requires Responsible Persons to ensure that these elements are included in their Fire Risk Assessment, if they have not been covered already.

A Fire Risk Assessment is required by the Fire Safety Order to assess Fire Safety risks relevant to both Workplaces and Buildings with Two or more sets of Domestic Premises.

It is the duty of the Responsible Person to ensure that this is carried out, although they may appoint someone on their behalf, such as a competent Fire Risk Assessor, to carry it out.

 

Section 1 of the Fire Safety Act clarifies that where a Building contains Two or more sets of Domestic Premises the Responsible Person must take account of structure, External Walls and Flat entrance doors in a Fire Risk Assessment. The Fire Safety Act amends article 6 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order Act 2005 in this regard.

 

LONDON FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS have been carrying out Fire Safety Risk Assessments on Domestic Premises, of all types, since the 2006, inception of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005. Their Fire Safety Risk Assessments have always considered the adequacy of Flat Entrance doors and their Fire Safety Risk Assessments have considered External Walls after the lessons learnt from the Lakanal House Fire in 2009. 

 

Section 3 of the Fire Safety Act makes clear that if a Responsible Person has followed the article 50 Commencement Guidance, which can also include use of a Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool, then they may then be able to use evidence of this compliance to demonstrate that they have met with their obligations under the Fire Safety Order, (specifically the elements clarified by the Fire Safety Act). If a Responsible Person has not complied with the Guidance or the Prioritisation Tool they may need to provide alternative evidence of how they have complied with this aspect of their Fire Safety Order obligations.

 

The Prioritisation Tool is an online tool designed to support Responsible Persons to develop a prioritisation strategy for updating their Fire Safety Risk Assessments.

 

LONDON FIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS have always advocated that a Fire Safety Risk Assessment should be reviewed and revised on a regular basis to reflect any new process or introduction of additional Ignition Sources and Fire Loading.

They have always detailed that a Fire Risk Assessment should address structural, internal, facility and furniture changes. Changes in occupancy areas and levels. Changes in Hazards and associated Risks.

London Fire Risk Assessments have always identified that if there are no significant changes to the Premise, the Fire Safety Risk Assessment should be programmed for periodic review for a period of no longer than one year from its compilation, and they have always remind the Responsible Persons to review this obligation on the approaching “Birthday” of their Fire Safety Risk Assessment, when they are offered their Review and Revision services.

To comply with Section 3 of the Fire Safety Act, all of their Fire Safety Risk Assessments, specifically, identify the information for the Responsible Person to be able to complete a prioritisation strategy for updating their Fire Safety Risk Assessment.

 

Extracted Fire Safety Act 2021 Information on commencement of sections 1 and 3 of the Fire Safety Act Home Office Policy paper Published 18 May 2022

 

The Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool will ask you a series of weighted questions about your building. 

After completing the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool, you will get a priority rating, which will assist you in prioritising the review of the fire risk assessments for your building, including the external walls.

You will then need to take steps to assess the fire risk of your building and put in place adequate and appropriate mitigations.

The Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool is part of the risk-based guidance package.

The use of the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool, together with the risk-based guidance will be beneficial for you to show due diligence, and assist in establishing in any proceedings, that you are meeting your obligations under the FSO (as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021).

The Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool asks responsible persons key information about the building, which should be gathered before completing the questions. This includes:

Information needed to complete the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool questions

✓ The height of the building (in storeys)

✓ If known, the composition of the external wall and covering materials (if relevant).

✓ The most recent fire risk assessment

✓ Whether there are balconies and the composition of windows

✓ Number of staircases

✓ Details of whether the building has been recently refurbished

✓ The type of evacuation strategy in place

✓ Whether the building has fire safety systems, like sprinklers or communal fire alarms

✓ Whether vulnerable residents live in your building

✓ Details of whether there have been any recent fires or serious antisocial behaviour

The Fire Risk Assessment Prioritization process is primarily for Residential and, or mixed occupancy Premises but it can be used for other Premises to help the Responsible Person to determine a timescale for updating their Fire Risk Assessments

 

London Fire Risk Assessments are completely independent of any supplies of Fire Protection Systems or Fire Safety Service companies in London therefore their advice is unbiased. They have been established for over 14 years and all their Fire Safety Risk Assessors have qualified with the Institution of Fire Engineers the Fire Protection Association and CS Todd Associates. They are also members of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers and the British Standards Association. They are fully insured, and all their Assessors are retired London Fire Brigade Fire Safety Officers. If you wish to contact London Fire Risk Assessments about the updates to Section 1 and 3 of the Fire Safety Act, then please ring 0781 8888626 or click here

 

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Created on Jun 27th 2022 07:45. Viewed 338 times.

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