You will probably have heard about the new Fire Safety Regulations 2022 that officially come into force today, 23rd January. We’ve put together a summary for our residents below to help you understand what this means for you and how as a management company PPM will be changing how it works over the next 12 months.
Not all regulations apply to all buildings but this will give you a good overview. You can find all the information here if you wish to read more about any of the new regulations!
All residents of any building with 2 or more domestic premises will receive annual updates on the fire safety guidance for their building, including any evacuation plan and fire fighting equipment. They will also receive information on fire doors, their importance in preventing fire spread and how to check and report any concerns.
For buildings between 11m and 17.9m (usually 5 and 6 storeys) there will be additional checks on the communal fire doors carried out quarterly along with annual checks to flat entry doors. These checks will all be documented by PPM with any issues fixed quickly to maintain a safe environment.
For buildings over 18m (usually 7 storeys or more) there are a lot more regulations in place. These have all been created to keep residents safe and help the Fire Rescue Service should the worst happen. Along with regular communication to residents, additional site information will be provided to the Fire Rescue Service and stored on site. This will include details on the building’s structure, any cladding, the location of fire fighting equipment, any access information and floor plans of the whole site.
You’ll also start to see additional signs being put up in hallways and corridors designed to help the Fire Rescue Service navigate the building in the event of an emergency. It will also be regulation that any issues with fire fighting equipment (such as AOV’s, fire fighting lifts, dry risers) MUST be reported to the FRS to enable them to plan effectively. PPM will carry out checks on the equipment regularly and would ask all residents to report anything that looks out of the ordinary or they are concerned about to enable us to act quickly.
Everything has been put in place to keep residents safe and help out the Fire Rescue Service.
PPM will be putting best practices in place this year to meet all the regulations and will do everything we can to protect our residents.