This section provides advice for owners and managing agents of tall buildings, covering best practice and legal responsibilities. Safety advice for residents can be found here.
High rise buildings are, generally speaking, those buildings with ground and more than four upper floors or with a floor of more than 18m from the ground.
Since the tragic events at Grenfell Tower in 2017, the Service has been working hard to ensure that residents of high rise buildings and our firefighters are as safe as they can be. As such, we have visited every high rise building in the Service area, conducted familiarisation visits, and met with resident groups to advise and reassure.
The Dame Judith Hackitt review into high rise safety, the Government’s response documents, and the currently on-going public enquiry are continuing to change the thought processes about tall buildings, and we are working with Government and the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to ensure that we contribute to the debate and the subsequent proposed changes.
The following links and documents are designed for those living in or responsible for high-rise buildings:
- National Fire Chiefs Council – Grenfell – This page contains a links relating to high rise, Grenfell and other advice
- The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has produced an advice note for the owners of high rise premises
Fire Safety (England) Regulations
The UK Government has now introduced the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which seek to implement several recommendations from Phase 1 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and will come into force on 23 January 2023. The Regulations introduce new requirements for multi-occupied residential buildings, and different regulations apply depending on a building’s height. Click here for further information.
Funding for the removal of unsafe cladding
Funding is available from Government for all leaseholders in high-rise buildings fitted with unsafe cladding – further information about funding options.
Waking watches
The Government has also announced a new £30 million fund to pay for the costs of installing an alarm system in buildings with unsafe cladding. Common Alarms systems will enable costly waking watch measures to be replaced in buildings waiting to have unsafe cladding removed.
The fund builds on recently updated guidance published by the National Fire Chief’s Council on buildings that change from a ‘Stay Put’ to a ‘Simultaneous Evacuation’ fire safety strategy.
Whilst waking watch, when established and operated in accordance with NFCC guidance, is an acceptable risk mitigation strategy, the guidance is clear alarms are preferable on the grounds of both safety and cost efficiency.
Building Safety Regulator
Fire Door Installers
The importance of a properly installed and maintained fire door can never be stressed enough. Fire doors provide lifesaving passive protection from the effects of both heat and smoke.
When a fire door is beyond repair, you will need to replace the door. The following are examples of how this fire service recommends the door is replaced:
- The installation of a manufacturer certified doorset (Door, frame and fittings) fire rated to the correct specification and certified by the manufacturer. The installation should be completed by a third party accredited competent installer who would provide certification for the completed works.
This option is recommended by Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service as being best practice.
- The installation of a manufacturer certified door, using component parts rated to the correct specification and approved for use with the door in accordance with the manufactures instructions. The installation should be completed by a third party accredited competent installer who would provide certification for the completed works.
When a door or doorset is suspected as being defective, or no documentation exists for its installation, further assurance the fire door is effective will be required. When this occurs, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service may request the door or doors are assessed by a third-party accredited assessor, certified in the inspection of fire doors.
Third-party certification means that the fire door manufacturer or installer is audited by an independent third party that checks that the fire door / fire doorset is tested appropriately. This process ensures fire doors are produced and installed to a consistent standard making them effective at saving lives.
Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service cannot provide contact details for approved contractors. Advice on finding third party accredited contractors can be found using the following links which are sources known to the service at the time of writing this guidance note.
BM TRADA Q-Mark Fire Door Installation scheme
British Woodworking Federation Fire Door Alliance