The Fire Safety Act 2021 – what does this include………
In response to the Grenfell disaster, the government introduced a bill in 2019 to make changes to the RRO, which resulted in the introduction of the Fire Safety Act 2021 (FSA).
The FSA provides further clarification of the responsibilities for duty holders in multi-occupied, residential buildings.
A primary intention is to ensure that communal, structural, and external areas for blocks of flats are fully risk assessed, and that fire protection measures adequate. It is also intended to ensure that responsibility for these areas is clearly understood and defined.
The FSA states that the ‘responsible person’ must manage and reduce the risk of fire around:
- The structure and external walls of the building, including cladding, balconies and windows.
- Entrance doors to individual flats that open into common parts
Substandard cladding, window and fire doors have been found to have contributed significantly to the Grenfell tragedy.
New and significant penalties have been imposed for lawbreakers……..
The latest additions to the RRO are intended to provide further protections for building occupants, along with giving new powers to enforcement authorities to fine and imprison those who flout the regulation. Even minor penalties can now include a fine of up to £5,000. Meanwhile, major infringements can see penalties range from unlimited fines to a 2-year prison sentence.