A Practical Compliance Checklist for the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduce a raft of new duties for responsible persons managing blocks of flats. While the legislative text can be dense, the practical requirements are well-defined. This guide translates the regulations into a clear, actionable compliance checklist that responsible persons, managing agents, and property managers can implement immediately.

The requirements vary by building height, so we have organised them into three tiers: all blocks of flats, blocks over 11 metres, and high-rise blocks (18 metres or 7+ storeys).

Tier 1: All Blocks of Flats

These requirements apply to every multi-occupied residential building with two or more sets of domestic premises sharing common parts, regardless of height.

Fire Safety Instructions

What to do:

- [ ] Display fire safety instructions in a comprehensible form within the building's common parts
- [ ] Ensure the instructions clearly state:
- The building's evacuation strategy (stay-put or simultaneous evacuation)
- How to report a fire (calling 999 or 112)
- Any additional fire procedures specific to the building
- [ ] Provide this information to every new resident as soon as possible after they move in
- [ ] Refresh and re-issue the information to all residents every 12 months

Practical considerations:

- The annual refresh is critical. People rarely retain fire safety information provided during the upheaval of moving into a new home. A systematic annual communication programme should be established.
- While there is no explicit translation requirement, the instructions must be in "comprehensible form." For buildings with a diverse resident population, consider whether pictorial guidance, simplified English, or translated summaries are needed.
- Keep records of when information was issued and to whom. This demonstrates compliance if questioned.

Fire Door Information for Residents

What to do:

- [ ] Provide information to all residents about their flat entrance doors, specifically:
- The importance of reporting any damage or defects to the responsible person
- Not to tamper with or disable self-closing devices
- [ ] Issue to all new residents on arrival
- [ ] Refresh every 12 months alongside fire safety instructions

Practical considerations:

- Self-closing devices on flat entrance doors are frequently tampered with by residents who find them inconvenient. Clear, practical communication about why self-closers must remain functional can reduce non-compliance.
- Consider including this information within a broader fire safety welcome pack rather than as a standalone notice that may be overlooked.

Tier 2: Blocks Over 11 Metres in Height

In addition to all Tier 1 requirements, blocks over 11 metres must implement the following.

Annual Checks of Flat Entrance Doors

What to do:

- [ ] Make best endeavours to carry out annual checks of every flat entrance door in the building
- [ ] Plan for multiple access visits — not all residents will be available or cooperative on a single visit
- [ ] Maintain a log of completed checks, attempted visits, and any doors that could not be inspected

Practical considerations:

- "Best endeavours" is the legal standard, which acknowledges that access to individual flats can be difficult. Document all attempts thoroughly.
- Some leaseholders may refuse access. This mirrors the challenges experienced with annual gas safety checks. In persistent cases, court orders may be necessary.
- Train whoever conducts these checks (whether in-house staff or contractors) on what constitutes a compliant flat entrance door — self-closing, appropriately rated, and undamaged.
- Pay particular attention to doors that appear to have been replaced by leaseholders. When a door does not match the original specification (different style, different material, no self-closer), flag it for further investigation. Right-to-buy leaseholders frequently replace entrance doors without understanding fire door requirements.

Quarterly Checks of Common Parts Fire Doors

What to do:

- [ ] Check all fire doors in the common parts every three months
- [ ] Checks are visual and functional — they do not require specialist fire door inspectors
- [ ] Record and report any defects found

The check itself is simple:

1. Visual inspection: Does the door appear undamaged? Are there gaps, warping, missing intumescent strips, or broken glazing?
2. Small-angle close test: Open the door to a small angle (approximately 10-15 degrees) and release it. It should close fully under the action of the self-closer, overcoming the latch resistance without assistance.
3. Full-angle close test: Open the door to approximately 90 degrees and release it. It should travel its full arc without catching on the floor or any obstruction.

Who should carry out these checks?

The government explicitly does not intend for these to be conducted by specialist fire door inspectors. A building caretaker, facilities manager, or site-based member of staff with simple training can perform them. This keeps costs proportionate and ensures checks are carried out regularly rather than waiting for specialist availability.

Tier 3: High-Rise Buildings (18 Metres or 7+ Storeys)

High-rise blocks must comply with all Tier 1 and Tier 2 requirements, plus the following additional duties.

How to Determine if a Building is High-Rise

A building qualifies as high-rise if it:

- Has at least seven storeys (ground floor plus six upper floors), or
- Is 18 metres or more in height

When counting storeys:

- Below-ground storeys are excluded
- A mezzanine counts as a storey only if it is at least 50% of the internal floor area of the largest storey

Secure Information Box

What to do:

- [ ] Install a secure information box that is readily accessible to the fire and rescue service
- [ ] Ensure the box is reasonably secure against unauthorised access
- [ ] Include the following information:
- Name, address, and telephone number of the responsible person
- Contact details for persons who can provide building access (e.g. managing agents, keyholders)
- A single-page building overview plan
- Floor plans for each distinct floor layout (one plan suffices if all floors are identical)
- [ ] Send floor plans electronically to the local fire and rescue service
- [ ] Carry out an annual check to ensure the box is accessible, secure, and contains current information

Practical considerations:

- If you choose to include information about disabled or vulnerable residents (this is not required by the regulations), significantly upgrade the security of the box. Personal information about residents' disabilities or mobility limitations could be exploited, so a basic "reasonably secure" box may not be sufficient.
- Establish a process to update the box contents whenever contact details, management arrangements, or building layouts change.
- The annual check should verify both the physical condition of the box and the accuracy of its contents.

External Wall Records

What to do:

- [ ] Prepare and maintain a record of the design and materials of the building's external walls
- [ ] If the fire risk assessment identifies specific external wall risks, document any interim or permanent mitigation measures
- [ ] Send this information electronically to the fire and rescue service
- [ ] Update the record whenever changes occur (e.g. remediation works completed, interim measures installed or removed)

Practical considerations:

- A standardised template is being developed to ensure consistent recording across the sector. Use the template when available.
- For buildings with hazardous cladding, ensure mitigation measures (such as waking watch, alarm systems, or interim safety measures) are documented and kept current.
- This is distinct from a full Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW) under PAS 9980 — the record documents what is known, while the FRAEW is the specialist assessment itself.

Monthly Equipment Checks

What to do:

Carry out monthly checks of the following equipment where present:

- [ ] Firefighters' lifts — verify:
- The firefighter switch recalls the lift to ground level
- Under-car control (operation from within the car) functions correctly
- The lift cannot be called from other floors while in firefighter mode
- [ ] Smoke control systems — verify correct operation
- [ ] Fire suppression systems (e.g. sprinklers) — verify operational status
- [ ] Automatic fire detection in common parts — verify correct function
- [ ] Evacuation alert systems — verify operational status but do not test-operate
- [ ] Automatic door release mechanisms (e.g. magnetic door holders linked to fire detection) — verify correct operation

For all equipment checks:

- [ ] Report any faults electronically to the fire and rescue service within 24 hours if the fault will persist beyond that period
- [ ] Report completed repairs to the fire and rescue service
- [ ] Maintain records of all checks and make them available to residents on request

Why evacuation alert systems must not be routinely tested:

Evacuation alert systems are designed so that residents will only ever hear the alarm during a genuine emergency. If the system is test-operated regularly, residents may become desensitised and fail to respond when a real evacuation is needed. Monthly checks should confirm the system is operational through non-audible means (e.g. checking panel indicators, system status, and communication links).

Wayfinding Signage

What to do:

- [ ] Install signs showing floor numbers and the flat numbers served on each floor
- [ ] Signs must be visible:
- Within stairways on each landing
- From the firefighters' lift when the doors open
- [ ] Follow the detailed specification in Approved Document B (font, size, positioning, contrast)
- [ ] Signs do not need to be photoluminescent in England (though Scottish regulations do require this)

Practical considerations:

- This is a retrospective requirement — existing high-rise blocks must install these signs, not just new buildings.
- Consider engaging a signage contractor familiar with the Approved Document B specification to ensure compliance.
- Check that signs remain legible during routine inspections — they can become obscured, damaged, or removed over time.

Record-Keeping: The Thread That Runs Through Everything

A consistent theme across the regulations is the requirement to maintain records and, in many cases, share information with the fire and rescue service. Establish a systematic approach:

1. Create a compliance calendar with all check frequencies mapped out — quarterly door checks, monthly equipment checks, annual information refreshes, annual door inspections, annual information box reviews.
2. Use a digital record-keeping system where possible to maintain an auditable trail of inspections, findings, remedial actions, and communications.
3. Designate responsibility for each type of check to a named individual or role.
4. Establish a reporting protocol for communicating faults to the fire and rescue service within the 24-hour window.
5. Keep resident communication records showing when fire safety information was issued and refreshed.

Preparing for What Comes Next

The regulations described above are already in force, but further changes are on the horizon. Section 156 of the Building Safety Act will amend the Fire Safety Order to require:

- Documented fire risk assessments for all premises (removing the small-employer exemption)
- Documentation of all findings, not just significant ones
- Demonstrated competence of fire risk assessors
- Additional information to be provided to residents
- Mandatory handover of fire safety records when building management changes

Start preparing now by ensuring your fire risk assessments are thorough, fully documented, and carried out by demonstrably competent assessors. When the amendment takes effect, you will already be compliant.

Summary: Quick-Reference Compliance Matrix

Taking a methodical, well-documented approach to compliance not only protects residents and meets legal obligations — it also demonstrates the professionalism and diligence that the post-Grenfell regulatory environment demands.