The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Learn about the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the requirement for Responsible Persons to provide Kent Fire and Rescue Service with information and documents.
Responsible persons are also advised to familiarise themselves with the 2023 Home Office publication 'A guide for persons with duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as amended) and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022'
Already familiar with the Regulations and what you need to do? Go to Submit your information.
Commencing January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (the Regulations) made it a requirement for responsible persons (RPs) of high-rise residential buildings in Kent and Medway to provide information on their building/s to Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS).
A high-rise residential building is defined as a building containing two or more sets of domestic premises and is at least 18 metres tall or has at least seven storeys. See the diagram below for an overview of the premises this affects.
The Regulations 2022 have been introduced as an important step towards implementing the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report.
The Regulations apply to England only and are being introduced under Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order. The Regulations can be found on the UK Government website.
The Home Office has published the guidance document Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
Most of the requirements set out in the Regulations are imposed on the responsible person (RP), which RPs need to be prepared for. The Regulations came into force on 23 January 2023.
Watch this helpful video about the Regulations and what they mean for Responsible Persons
This diagram provides an overview of the different requirements dependent on your building and its height
The Regulations set out requirements for RPs of all multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises, with additional requirements for multi-occupied residential buildings of over 11 metres in height. The greatest requirements are for high-rise residential buildings (at least 18 metres or 7 storeys in height) as can be seen from this diagram. For further details see ‘What the regulations require Responsible Persons to do' below.
What the Regulations require Responsible Persons to do
The Regulations require Responsible Persons (RPs) of multi-occupied residential buildings to take specific actions, depending on the height of the building:
- some provisions apply regardless of height
- more are needed once a building reaches 11 metres, and
- further requirements are introduced when a building reaches 18 metres (or 7 storeys) or more.
If your building has two or more sets of domestic premises
The Regulations set out requirements for RPs of all multi-occupied residential buildings, with two or more sets of domestic premises:
Fire Safety Information to Residents
The RP must provide fire safety information to their residents on how to report a fire and what a resident must do once a fire has occurred.
Fire Door Information
The RP must provide residents with information relating to the importance of fire doors in fire safety.
For further information please see Fire door guidance and Fire doors checklist published by the government.
If your building is over 11 metres in height
The Regulations set out additional requirements for RPs of multi-occupied residential buildings of over 11 metres in height:
Fire Door checks
The RP should carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors. They must also undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common parts.
For further information please see Fire door guidance and Fire doors checklist published by the government on the 19 January 2023
If your building is at least 18 metres or 7 storeys in height
The requirements are greatest for high-rise residential buildings (at least 18 metres or 7 storeys in height):
Secure Information Boxes
The RP must install and maintain a secure information box in their building. This box must contain the name and contact details of the RP and hard copies of the building and floor plans.
External Wall Systems
The RP must prepare a record of the design of the external walls of the building including the materials used in their construction. The record must provide information on the level of fire risk associated with the externals and any mitigating steps that have been taken. The RP is required to electronically share a copy of the record with the local fire and rescue service
Building Plans
the RP must prepare up-to-date floor plans, alongside a single page building plan which identifies key firefighting equipment. The RP is required to electronically share copies of the plans with the local fire and rescue service as well as provide paper copies of the plans within the premises’ secure information box.
Lifts and other Key Fire-Fighting Equipment
the RP must undertake routine monthly checks of lifts intended for use by firefighters, evacuation lifts, and other key pieces of firefighting equipment. Any faults identified with equipment that cannot be rectified within 24 hours should be reported to the local fire and rescue service via electronic means.
Learn how to report faults and fault rectification
Wayfinding Signage
the RP must install floor identification signs and flat indicator signs. The signage is intended to assist responding firefighters and should be visible in low light or smoky conditions.
For further information about submitting your documents, secure information boxes, the Fire Safety Order and FRAPT please see our Business Safety homepage
What Responsible Persons also need to do
The commencement of the Fire Safety Act in May 2022 clarified that the building’s structure and external walls (including windows, balconies, cladding, insulation, and fixings) fall within the scope of the Fire Safety Order. Accordingly, the risk of fire relating to the external walls is a matter which should be considered as part of the premises fire risk assessment.
Given information related to this risk must also be included within the record of the external wall required by the new Regulations, fire risk assessments that do not currently consider the external wall should be updated as quickly as practicable.
To support the updating of fire risk assessment in line with the clarifications set out in the Fire Safety Act, the government has developed the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool (the FRAPT).
Further information
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 can be found on the UK Government website.
The Home Office has published the following guidance document to assist RP’s in complying with the new legislation: Guidance: Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations
Further guidance on Secure Information Boxes and building and floor plans, including examples of best practice, is available from the Fire Industry Association. and the National Fire Chiefs Council,and on our Secure Information Box page
In addition to guidance, the Home Office also produced a series of fact sheets which provide more detailed information on the individual requirements of the regulations. The fact sheets are available on the UK Government website.
- Overview Fact Sheet
- Secure Information Box Fact Sheet
- Design and Materials of External Walls Fact Sheet
- Floor Plans and Building Plan Fact Sheet
- Lifts and Essential Fire-fighting Equipment Fact Sheet
- Wayfinding Signage Fact Sheet
- Information to Residents Fact Sheet
- Fire Doors Fact Sheet