What is the new duty to inspect fire doors in flats?

In January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (FSER) came into effect.

The regulations protect both people and property and seek to improve the fire safety of blocks of flats in ways which are practical, cost effective for individual leaseholders and proportionate to the risk of fire.

Why have the regulations been changed?

After phase one of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and the publication of new guidance in December 2022, a change in law was required for the fire safety regulations in England.

The inquiry report noted that fire doors play an essential role in preventing or inhibiting the spread of smoke and toxic gases and in preserving the effective compartmentation of buildings.

What are the Fire Safety Regulations 2022?

The FSER contains many different requirements, but one of its new duties is inspecting fire doors in communal areas and flat entrances. This applies in England within multi-occupied residential premises over eleven meters in height.

It is now a legal requirement for responsible persons to:

• Undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common parts
• Undertake annual checks of all flat entrance doors that lead onto a building’s common parts

The regulations also require them to provide residents of all multi-occupied residential buildings with two or more sets of domestic premises information on the importance of fire doors to a building’s fire safety.

More information on the regulations can be found here

Whose responsibility is it to comply?

The regulations outline that the duty to comply belongs to the ‘responsible person’, for example, the person or organisation who has control of the premises. This person will have to have the correct training in this role to ensure they are competent for the position.

Checks are meant to be conducted quarterly for fire doors in communal areas and documents of these inspections must be stored securely.

For flat entrance doors, best practise must be used to inspect these annually, however, it is recognised that some occupiers many not be willing or able to allow access. If this scenario occurs, a record of the attempt should still be made.

It’s crucial for fire safety regulations to be adhered to which ensures everybody is kept safe. For more guidance, contact our team of experts today.