High-Rise Fire Safety and Building Safety Act

Higher-risk buildings

Overview

The Fire Safety Act 2021 put beyond doubt that the Fire Safety Order covers the structure, external walls (including cladding and balconies) and flat entrance doors of multi-occupied residential buildings. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 added practical duties for buildings over 11 metres and over 18 metres, from quarterly fire door checks to secure information boxes and wayfinding signage. The Building Safety Act 2022 created the Building Safety Regulator and the accountable person regime for higher-risk buildings.

Our senior team includes built environment risk experience from a fire and rescue service high-rise team, backed by more than two decades of operational firefighting. We understand these buildings from the inside: how they are meant to perform in a fire, and how they actually do.

What is included

Fire risk assessment of common parts with external wall and flat entrance door considerations
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 compliance checks for buildings over 11 m and over 18 m
Evacuation strategy review: stay put, simultaneous evacuation and interim measures
Resident engagement and information duties
Support for accountable persons, principal accountable persons and building safety managers
Liaison with the fire and rescue service and the Building Safety Regulator

What you receive

A clear statement of the duties that apply to each building by height and occupancy
A prioritised action plan with the regulatory basis for each action
Support with resident engagement and the fire safety elements of the safety case where required

Who it is for

Accountable persons and principal accountable persons
Housing providers with higher-risk buildings
Managing agents and resident management companies
Building safety managers

Questions we are often asked

Which buildings count as higher-risk buildings?

For occupied buildings in England under the Building Safety Act 2022, a higher-risk building is at least 18 metres tall or has at least seven storeys and contains at least two residential units. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 use different thresholds: some duties apply to buildings over 11 metres, and further duties to high-rise buildings of at least 18 metres or seven storeys.

Do you carry out external wall appraisals (PAS 9980, EWS1)?

External wall fire risk appraisals under PAS 9980 are a specialist fire engineering exercise. We identify where one is needed, help you commission it and interpret the results within the fire risk assessment. We are candid about the boundary of our competence, which is what the law expects of an assessor.

High-rise fire safety and Building Safety Act support