Fire Risk Assessments

I have a high rise block of 80 flats with 4 flats per floor built in the 1960s. The flats have a common ventilation system serving all the bathrooms. Galv duct from each flat into a common concrete duct that risers to a fan mounted on the roof. The FRA has raised the question/action regarding fire dampers and cold smoke dampers, that these should be installed to each flat to prevent fire and cold smoke entering the common ventilation system and spreading to other flats. The system is not constructed as a shunt system and some intumescent grilles have been fitted over the years to some flats where access was gained/allowed. The Fire risk assessor has stated intumescent gri…

To any fire door inspectors our there, BS8214:2026 Section 15 Maintenance states: Every single door we inspect has no documentation, ever. How does this affect a fire door inspection? do you carry out a separate risk assessment for every fire door inspected?

When undertaking a fire risk assessment would you recommend fire stopping (at all floor levels in a multi store residential building) within the service risers even if the service riser itself was constructed to provide 60 minutes protection. I know this sounds like a belt and braces approach but I hear this often from fire officers in that what they want to see, although I appreciate they can sometimes be incorrect in their approach.

Hi, I need some advice if possible. I have recently had an FRA completed at a converted HMO Property I cover. This property is a 6 bed, 3 story high with only 1 room on the very top story. Currently I have a stair well leading from the bottom of the stairs to the top. The stair well leads directly to the front door, I also have a back door exit that goes through the kitchen. On the 1st floor in one of the rooms there is an external fire escape. This is used purely for the client that resides in that room, no other residents have access to these external stairs due to being part of a clients room. The FRA report states : "The rear fire escape stairs are presently only a…

Hello all, An FRA had identified that the final exits at the front and the rear of the house required non-lockable thumb turns to be fitted - this has been completed but I have a query around the front exit. The property in question is a semi-detached house used as a supporting-living residence for 2 tenants, with at least 1 carer on site on a 24/7 basis. Both the service users have been assessed as high capacity and are not considered a risk for absconding (they are often able to leave the house by themselves). There are multiple support staff who work on shifts at the property - during sleep-ins they will lock the front interior door at night. The front of the house has…

Hi guys, I’m trying to sell my purpose built flat which is a share of a freehold with no management company. The building was constructed in 2007 and I purchased my flat in 2021. The building is comprised of 3 flats one on top of the other. I’ve had to get an FRA done which has identified some recommendations with the fire doors to 2 of the 3 flats. I’m now in a bit of a stalemate with the buyer’s solicitor regarding upgrading the doors. The building layout is a single stairwell to the middle and top floor and the ground floor flat door opens up onto a small shared courtyard outside The flat being sold is the top floor flat. The FRA has not identified any issues with this…

I have Fire safety concerns about a building on the Estate that contains 20 storage sheds, with wood doors and frames. There is a single entry and exit door also made of wood. There are no windows in the building or the entry door. The interior is in pitch darkness until the Estate lighting is activated at 7PM. If residents wish to access the building before, they need to use torches.

We own an apartment in a house converted in into five apartments in 2000. From reading your information we are not an HMO and only the communal areas are subject to Fire Regulations. Am I also correct that we do not legally require a fire safety assessment? Our Management Company has informed us this was needed and it has been carried out. One outcome is the recommendation of installing a fire alarm. Am I correct that neither is required by law?

Hi I bought an ex council flat built in 1950. I'm on the first floor of a block of 4 flats and have noticed that there is an approx 15x15 inch hole in the adjoining brick wall???? Can this be a fire hazard? I'm a little worriec

According to the Building Safety (Wales) Act 2026, are the internal areas of flats included? This is for maisonettes and blocks of flats.

Hi friends, looking for any advice on this. This recess (about an inch deep) is in the top of my flat entrance door near the hinge side. It appears to be a red plastic casing that's lining it, the pink bits are just paint. Unfortunately I cant get a better picture because of where it's situated. I've searched high and low and can't find anything out about it. This door is 21 years old and I am convinced it's solid wood (chipboard or similar engineered not solid timber). I'm basically looking for any evidence that could demonstrate this to a high degree of certainty as I cannot get inside it. Is there any chance at all that this could be/could be the remnants of, an older…

Hi I'm I living in a converted chapel. I'm the leasholder on the upper floor and the freeholders are on the ground floor. There are no communal areas. We have separate front doors. I'm in the process of selling my flat. I have a buyer who has been accepted a mortgage. The freeholder has now issued me with a section 20 saying, it's for a fire risk assessment and inspection of gabel end cladding at the front of the building. The freeholders are not approachable so we can't actually talk in a neighbourly way. How can i save my sale as I've read so much stuff about it taking months

Hi, I'm a leaseholder in a terraced building with 2 flats - ground floor and first floor. I have a fire door inspection next month and wanted some advice in advance. Because there is a very small "communual area" entrance hall (1.5m x 1m) and a shared front door, both flats need to have fire doors. Both flats do already have rated fire doors. The ground floor flat has a door that opens inwards with an automatic closer. My flat is the first floor flat, where the door to the flat opens directly onto a staircase, and so this door opens outwards. This, to me, poses an issue for my door having an automatic closer. There cannot be one on the inside as it would po…

A question for those involved in writing, auditing, or enforcing workplace fire policies: Why do so many policies prohibit "under-desk heaters" rather than defining the specific heating technologies that create the risk? In my experience, the phrase "under-desk heater" is often used as a catch-all term, but it can cover a wide range of products that operate very differently. For example, a portable 2kW fan heater and a 2kW convector heater are commonly restricted in workplaces, and it's easy to understand why organisations may be concerned about high-power portable appliances being used in confined spaces around cables, paper, bags and other combustible materials. Howe…

Can someone explain why OFSTED require a fire risk assessment on a premises before they will allow it to be occupied, but a fire risk assessor won't come until it's occupied?

I would appreciate some views on whether a formal Fire Risk Assessment is legally required for the following type of premises under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The property is a large Grade I listed private residential house in England. It is owned by one family and used as their private holiday home, not their main residence. It is not used as a hotel, HMO, block of flats, care home, school, public venue, event venue or commercial premises. The family employ a number of household staff, including butlers, maids, nannies, chefs, cleaners and security staff. No staff sleep in the main house. The staff are present to support the family and household, inc…

Hello, I know I'm far from the first leaseholder with this issue but would deeply appreciate any ideas. My flat is in a purpose built block of 4 flats, set over 2 floors, and is on the upper floor. Building and fittings are c. 20 years old. The front door recently failed a basic visual inspection because it's "not fire-rated". I have strong evidence this was only determined because it doesn't have a marking. As you are well aware, the Govt. guidance is clear that this isn’t required for older doors and this alone isn't enough to require automatic replacement. The door is original to the build and, to my knowledge, has had no major alterations. The door did not appear to b…

Hello there I do hope someone can advise me I am a private tenant in England renting a 2-storey residential family house. it has 4 bedrooms and it was converted from a commercial pub to a residential dwelling and I am deeply concerned about the fire safety and escape layout upstairs and want to confirm if this constitutes a serious hazard. Here are the specific details of the property: The Corridor: The upstairs hallway is a 7.58 metre long corridor. There are no windows, exits, or alternative escape routes at the back of the property. The only way out is down a single staircase in the middle, the width of the corridor warps and is 84cm, 88cm, 91cm, and 93cm in width The …

I am of the opinion that a door frame stop on a fire door cannot compliantly reduce a threshold gap issue. If this is correct - is there any legislation that I can quote from pls?

Hi all. I'm looking for some advice. Recently completed an FRA on a small/medium commercial unit. All pretty straight forward, however, there are building works going on next to the unit -looks like a new unit is being erected. I noticed that when you open the toilet window in my customers unit, it opens directly into the building site next door The building work is nothing to do with my customer (they lease their unit). Obviously, I know this is an issue and the building site activities can affect my customers' unit and vice versa, but is there anything else I need to consider? Any other guidance/legislation. I'm certain this wouldn't meet building regs, but nothing I …

Hi. We live in a three storey house converted into three flats (on ground, first floor, attic) with one communal entrance way. The renovation was completed and signed off for regs in 2018. The fire risk assessor has identified an evacuate policy and insist that the smoke alarms and call points (no control panel) in the small communal hall are not adequate and recommended a very expensive grade d ld3 system. They took no steps to understand the construction or check the flats, which all have smoke alarms plus fire suppression systems on the ground floor and top floor flats. This seems potentially unnecessary given the risk at play and will cost us an extortionate amount. T…

Are there ever any circumstances when a room within a room (the outer room is a commercial kitchen) can be justified?

Hi. I live in a 4 story block of flats.This morning I noticed an orange light flashing on the fire vent box in the communal hallway. I then noticed the AOV window on the roof of the flats is completelty broken. I've reported this to housing. They said they are aware & it will take 3 weeks to repair. My concern is what if a fire was to happen . We would be smoked to dead.

Hi All, We manage apartment blocks, and sometimes residents install their own EV chargers in basement car parks without seeking the appropriate permissions etc. In these cases, we are usually recommended to enforce removal of the charger or install heat detection that is linked to an ARC. I am aware that an EV fire is a greater hazard than an ICE fire. What I’m struggling to understand is why an ICE fire is not so much of a hazard to already need these measures. Surely a car fire of any kind is a great hazard, and being in a part of the building that is frequently unoccupied, it would make sense to have heat detection linked to an ARC? Everything I’ve seen online suggests…

I have returned to a site to review a FRA. They havent been particularly helpful, no actions from previous years actioned, some rooms not accessible etc etc. There is a room that I am particularly worried about, it is about 3m x 3m and is used to mix chemicals from various containers. The first issue is the door to it was replaced with a timber door that doesnt fit the frame, no intumescent strip, proper door closer, doesnt stay closed. This has been the case for several years and the site insist it is a fire door because it has a special vent in the door, which it does, but you can see into the room through the gaps around the door. Anyway, that isnt really my questi…