Checklist for fire safety in purpose-built flats

No. Action 
1 Risk assessment
Ensure that you have carried out and implemented a full fire safety risk
assessment as required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order
2005 (FSO). These assessments have to be reviewed regularly and
updated as and when necessary, particularly when major changes have
occurred. Failure to carry out an adequate assessment and to implement it
could result in prosecution or other legal action.
2 The assessment required by the FSO relates only to the common areas of
the building, but you would be well advised to carry out an assessment of
other parts of the building too. Do not forget that the common ways are
affected by other areas, (for example, are flat entrance doors fire
resisting?) and you need to consider them anyway. The common areas
under the Housing Act and the FSO also include the exterior of the
property and any associated cladding.
3 Emergency actions and information for residents
Establish the design criteria and the planned emergency actions for the
building; for example are residents intended to stay-put in their flats or to
evacuate in the event of a fire? (NB Whichever is decided the risk
assessment should confirm that it is a viable option. In the case of a stay-
put policy the assessment should confirm that the structural
compartmentation is suitable). Ensure that residents and any staff know
what to do in the event of a fire. Do not forget to tell new residents and new
staff. This needs to be checked with the Fire service, who can assist you
with details of delayed evacuations.
4 Keeping escape routes clear
Ensure that all staircase enclosures and escape routes are kept free from
obstructions, combustible materials (including curtains) and other items
that could be a potential ignition source, propagate a fire or hinder escape
in an emergency. Such areas should not be used for the storage of any
items (including recycling bins, refuse bins, furniture, bicycles, motor
cycles, plant pots etc). Care should also be taken with the decoration of
these areas to ensure that the surface spread of flame Class 0 is
maintained.
5 The fire and rescue service have experienced a number of fires originating
from mobility scooters, which not only cause an obstruction but are also a
potential source of ignition. Careful consideration needs to be given to the
storage of mobility scooters to ensure that they do not present an
unacceptable hazard to fire safety.
6 Protection of escape routes
Ensure that all doors, fanlights, partitions, etc, forming staircase
enclosures, lobbies, escape routes, etc, have at least 30 minutes fire
resistance; are in good order; and that doors are self-closing without
excessive gaps around them.
 All fire doors should also be fitted with intumescent strips and cold smoke
seals.
7 Smoke venting
Ensure that openable vents, automatic opening vents and any ancillary
equipment designed to remove smoke in the event of a fire are in good
order. (Experience suggests that these are often sealed shut or removed).
This will include vents at the head of staircases, which might be operated
by localised smoke detection, remotely by the operation of a break glass
device or manually. A programme of routine checking and maintenance is
vital.
8 Fire separation
Ensure that there is adequate fire separation between individual flats and
between each flat and the common areas. For example, floors between
flats should be imperforate and fire resisting in order to prevent the spread
of smoke and fire. Unfortunately, experience nationally and locally
suggests that these areas are often breached, for example by electrical,
television or computer wiring or by plumbing. Where this has occurred
remedial action is vital. You should also take steps to ensure that in future
appropriate making-good is carried out after maintenance works such as
rewiring, plumbing, etc.
9 Emergency lighting and signs
Ensure that emergency lighting and signs, where needed, are appropriate
and in good order. A programme of routine checking and maintenance is
vital.
10 Electrical safety
Ensure that electrical installations are in good order and do not pose a fire
risk. If there is no current electrical safety certificate you are advised to
arrange for a “Periodic Inspection Report” from a competent electrical
engineer having regard to the current regulations of the Institute of
Electrical Engineers.
Combustible material should not be stored in close proximity to electrical
intakes. Where intakes are in common areas they should be contained with
suitable fire resistant construction and kept secure.
11 Cable safety
Ensure that fire alarm and other cables are adequately fixed to prevent
them falling and becoming an obstruction in the event of a fire. Nationally
there have been fatalities related to people becoming entangled in cables
that fell from above during fires.
12 Sources of ignition
Ensure that potential sources of ignition or fuel, such as boiler rooms and
gas installations, are safe and contained within suitable fire resisting
construction. Where possible eliminate unnecessary potential ignition
sources by replacing with something less dangerous.
13 Firefighting equipment
Ensure that any firefighting equipment provided is in good order and that
 staff such as caretakers have had adequate training for using it. Dry risers
provided for use by the fire and rescue service must also be kept
accessible and in good order. A programme of routine checking and
maintenance is vital.
14 Automatic fire detection and warning
Where automatic fire detection and warning systems are provided these
must be appropriate and kept in good order. A programme of routine
checking and maintenance is vital.
Careful consideration should be given as to what is needed and
appropriate for the building bearing in mind its design and the intended
emergency procedures.
Unwanted fire signals should be appropriately managed and recorded so
as to comply with the requirements of BS5839 Part 3. (This is important to
prevent complacency from residents who would eventually expect an
actuation to be a false alarm and would therefore not react appropriately).
The causes of unwanted signals should be investigated and, where
possible, eliminated.
15 Fire safety awareness training & information
Ensure that all residents and any staff such as caretakers are given
adequate fire safety information specific to the building. They should know
what to do in the event of a fire and staff should know what to do to
maintain fire precautions, eg how to deal with faults and what maintenance
is their responsibility. Consideration should be given to sending staff on
appropriate recognised fire training courses to help them to carry out their
duties.
16 Door locks
Ideally where mortice locks are provided on the entrance doors to
individual flats they should be fitted with a thumb turn device internally, so
that a key is not needed to open the door at any stage. Where emergency
escape is likely to be a problem this must be addressed with the occupier.
Also, the residents’ ability to operate all door locks must be assessed and
where appropriate the internal lever fitted to the locks may need to be
changed to ensure that people with debilitating medical conditions, such as
arthritis, can operate the lock(s) easily. Where the residents are owner-
occupiers responsible for their own flats you should pass this advice on to
them. Doors which provide the final exit from the building must be easily
openable from the inside without the use of a key, card or code.
17 Routine checks, maintenance and records
Establish a process for carrying out routine checks, dealing with problems
and recording the action taken.
18 Lifts
Generally lifts should not be used during a fire (or when the alarm sounds).
This should be considered as part of the fire safety risk assessment and
appropriate clear and prominent notices should be placed at all lifts.
19 Storage of refuse and other materials
 Ensure that refuse (including materials intended for recycling) is
appropriately stored so as not to be a fire risk. Where refuse chutes are
provided (even if disused) they must be designed and maintained so as not
to be fire risk. Ensure that other materials (eg cleaning and maintenance
materials and equipment, spare furniture, residents’ possessions, etc) are
stored so as not to be a fire risk.
20 Service areas
Ensure that any boiler-rooms, lift motor rooms, store cupboards, service
cupboards, internal car parks and other service areas are in good order,
fire safe and are not being used inappropriately.
21 Records
Ensure that you keep adequate records of the maintenance and testing of
fire safety systems, equipment and other relevant matters, reviews of the
fire safety risk assessment, decisions made about specific issues, training
and information given to residents and staff.
The fire and rescue service and the city council can ask to inspect your
records at any time.