Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons have important duties for managing building safety risks in higher-risk residential buildings. For fire safety, this means understanding how fire and smoke spread risks are assessed, what evidence is held, how safety measures are maintained and how residents are kept informed. These duties are especially relevant to freeholders, building Read more »
A safety case report is one of the key documents for occupied higher-risk residential buildings in England. It should explain the building safety risks and show how those risks are being managed. For many building owners, housing associations, managing agents and principal accountable persons, the challenge is gathering the fire safety evidence needed to support Read more »
The golden thread is often discussed as a broad Building Safety Act requirement, but for building owners, managing agents and accountable persons, one of the most practical questions is much narrower: what fire safety information should be kept, updated and made available? For higher-risk buildings, fire safety information is a key part of the wider Read more »
Higher-risk buildings need clear, current and accessible fire safety evidence. For building owners, managing agents, housing associations, freeholders, accountable persons and principal accountable persons, the issue is not only whether fire safety work has been done. It is whether the right evidence exists to show how fire and structural risks are being assessed, managed, reviewed Read more »
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced a stricter safety regime for higher-risk buildings in England. For landlords, managing agents, housing providers, Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons, the practical question is often simple: what fire safety evidence do we need, and is it good enough? This guide explains how the Building Safety Act links to Read more »
Martyn’s Law is the commonly used name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It is designed to improve public protection and preparedness at certain publicly accessible premises and events across the UK, but venue operators also need to think carefully about how new security measures could affect fire safety, escape routes and emergency Read more »
BS 9991:2024 is an important fire safety standard for residential buildings in the UK. It gives recommendations and guidance for the design, management and use of residential buildings, including blocks of flats, residential accommodation blocks, specialised housing and care homes. For landlords, managing agents, freeholders, housing providers, care operators and responsible persons, BS 9991:2024 can Read more »
HMO fire safety is one of the most important responsibilities for landlords, licence holders and managing agents. Houses in multiple occupation usually carry a higher fire risk than standard single-family rented homes because unrelated occupants share kitchens, escape routes, facilities and common areas. This guide explains the main HMO fire safety requirements for landlords and Read more »
Smoke control systems are a critical life-safety provision in UK buildings. They help maintain tenable escape routes, reduce smoke spread during a fire and support safe evacuation and fire-fighting operations. In many buildings, including blocks of flats and high-rise commercial premises, smoke control is a legal requirement under the Building Regulations and related standards. This Read more »
Fire sprinkler systems are one of the most effective forms of active fire protection used in buildings across the UK. They are designed to control or extinguish fires automatically at an early stage, helping to protect life, limit structural damage and reduce business interruption. In the UK, the requirement for fire sprinkler systems is determined Read more »
