The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 — A Plain-English Guide
In force since January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced hard duties on high-rise residential blocks. Here is what you must do, by building height.
Background
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 are secondary legislation under Article 24 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. They implement many of the Phase 1 Grenfell Tower Inquiry recommendations.
Who do they apply to?
They apply to all multi-occupied residential buildings in England, but with escalating duties by height:
- All blocks (any height) — flat entrance door fire safety information for residents
- Buildings over 11m — annual fire door checks in communal areas; quarterly checks on flat entrance doors
- Buildings over 18m or 7 storeys (HRBs) — additional duties: electronic information for the fire and rescue service, wayfinding signage, lift checks, secure information box, external wall information
Regulation 4 — Information to residents
You must give residents (and update annually) information on:
- The importance of fire doors
- The evacuation strategy (stay-put or simultaneous)
- How to report a fault
- Fire safety instructions for the building
Regulation 5 — Premises information box (HRBs)
A secure box, accessible to firefighters, containing premises plans and contact details for the Responsible Person. This is one of the most under-implemented regulations — many HRBs still do not have one.
Regulation 6 — Wayfinding signage (HRBs)
Floor numbers and flat numbers must be visible in low light and from inside stair cores. Photoluminescent signage is the default specification.
Regulation 10 — Fire doors
This is the headline regulation:
- Annual checks on all communal area fire doors and self-closing devices
- Quarterly checks on every flat entrance door that opens onto a common area
The checks must be carried out by the Responsible Person or an appointed competent person, and recorded.
Penalties
Failure to comply is a criminal offence under Article 32 of the Fire Safety Order. Magistrates can issue unlimited fines; serious cases go to Crown Court with the possibility of custody.
Practical implementation
Most managing agents we work with implement the regulations via: 1. A baseline survey of every door (FDIS-qualified) 2. A digital asset register and QR-tagging 3. A quarterly inspection round (porter or contractor) 4. An annual full survey by a competent third party (MetroFire or equivalent)
If your block is over 11m and you do not have a quarterly check log on every flat entrance door, you are non-compliant today. Talk to us.
