Fire Safety in High-Rise Buildings: Regulations to Know

• High-rise residential buildings must meet stricter fire safety standards due to their height and unique fire risks.
• New laws, including the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and Building Safety Act 2022, now govern fire safety in high-rise buildings.
• Effective fire prevention measures, such as compartmentation, fire doors and fire stopping, are essential to limit the spread of fire in high-rise residential buildings.
• Safe evacuation plans and reliable alarm systems are critical to ensuring occupants can exit the building safely in an emergency.

A high-rise building is a residential or mixed-use building that:

• Contains at least two residences
• Is at least 18 metres or 7 storeys tall

High-rise buildings have to meet stricter standards and regulations because of the inherent fire risk.

Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, fire safety laws have been rapidly updated. Several new acts and regulations have been introduced to address the systemic failures that were uncovered, all aimed at improving safety standards in high-rise buildings.

However, it’s important to remember that the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) is still relevant for high-rises.

The FSO remains the most important piece of fire safety legislation in England and Wales. It places duties on building owners and “responsible persons” to carry out fire risk assessments of their properties, take steps to reduce fire risks and ensure safe evacuations are possible at all times.

It also requires inspecting and maintaining physical fire safety measures, such as alarms and fire doors, and updating emergency plans to reflect current fire risks.

The Building Regulations 2010 were amended in 2018 following Grenfell to include stricter rules for materials used in the external walls of high-rise buildings.

These regulations are critical in preventing fires from spreading outside the building and ensuring that construction materials, most notably cladding, meet higher safety standards.

These regulations were introduced to ensure that fire safety in high-rise residential buildings is consistently monitored and managed.

They require responsible persons to share vital fire safety information with residents, ensure that firefighting equipment is appropriately maintained and conduct regular checks on fire doors.

The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) represents a major overhaul of high-rise building safety regulations. It introduces the concept of the “accountable person,” who holds legal responsibility for fire safety and building safety overall.

The BSA ensures that those managing high-rise buildings are clearly accountable and that safety risks are properly addressed.

High-rise buildings need robust fire prevention and control measures because of the unique fire safety challenges they face.

Fire can spread rapidly through stairwells, elevator shafts and external cladding. Evacuations are also difficult to manage because of the typical high-rise building’s size and population.

To protect occupants, regulations focus on preventing fire spread and ensuring safe evacuations.

Fire prevention is a critical element of fire safety in high-rise buildings. The aim is to limit the risk of a fire starting and to slow its spread if it does.

Regulations require that fire prevention strategies be implemented through building design, construction and occupancy. Below are the key elements of fire prevention in high-rise buildings.

Compartmentation refers to dividing a building into separate sections with fire-resistant walls and floors. It helps contain a fire to its point of origin, limiting the potential damage and buying time for occupants to evacuate and for emergency services to respond.

In high-rise properties, individual flats should be their own fire compartments. Each flat must be enclosed with fire-resistant materials to prevent fire from spreading to or from neighbouring units.

Fire doors are designed to withstand fire and smoke for a specific period, usually 30 to 60 minutes.

In high-rise buildings, fire doors are essential in compartmentation, as they help to seal off different sections of the building. Flat doors must also be fire-resistant to protect individual homes under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.

Regular checks and maintenance are required to ensure fire doors function properly during an emergency. To prevent fire from spreading, they must remain closed or be equipped with automatic closing systems.

Fire stopping involves sealing any gaps or openings between compartments that could allow fire, smoke or heat to spread. These openings are often the result of service penetrations (holes made for electrical wiring or plumbing), although they can also be a consequence of poor construction or upkeep.

Fire stopping systems are designed to maintain the fire resistance of compartment walls and floors by ensuring that any gaps are appropriately sealed.

Safe evacuations are complicated in high-rise buildings because of their height and typically complex structure.

Ensuring that all occupants can exit safely in an emergency takes well-thought-out systems and plans. Key elements include alerting occupants promptly and providing clear, accessible and protected escape routes.

Under the BSA, you must plan how to engage residents on fire safety matters.

Your resident engagement strategy must cover more than just evacuations. But regular communication helps build trust and ensures residents understand what to do in an emergency. It also encourages residents to report any concerns about fire safety, such as blocked exits or faulty alarms.

Fire alarm systems must be reliable and reach communal areas on every floor to ensure everyone is made aware of the danger.

As fire safety measures, alarm systems must be regularly tested and well-maintained.

The means of escape in high-rise buildings must accommodate all occupants, including those with disabilities or mobility issues.

In some cases, a phased evacuation strategy might be used, where people most at risk are evacuated first to avoid overcrowding escape routes. For other high-rises, a “stay put” policy may apply, where residents remain in their flats unless directly affected by the fire.

Escape routes should be signposted, unobstructed and lead directly to a place of safety outside the building.

Additionally, lifts should not be used during a fire, so alternative evacuation plans, such as the use of fire-safe lifts or evacuation chairs, may be necessary for high-rise properties.

Managing fire safety in high-rise buildings is an ongoing challenge. Our online Fire Safety Courses support compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and will help make your building safer.

You can choose from fire safety awareness to more advanced courses that help you develop the competency to handle specific fire safety duties, including fire door inspection and fire stopping installation.