Understanding Fire Risk Assessments for Blocks of Flats

Sinead Campbell from London Flats Insurances provides an insight into fire risk assessments from an insurance perspective.

As a critical component of maintaining safety in blocks of flats, fire risk assessments help to identify and rectify any potential fire hazards.

They ensure that appropriate safety measures are in place and that both the residents and the property are effectively protected.

Here we will be explaining what a fire risk assessor is looking for when they visit, how their findings keep residents safe and how to ensure compliance. We will also be providing our thoughts from an insurance perspective.

What is a Fire Risk Assessment?

The assessment itself involves the review of a building and its fire risks by a ‘competent person’.

The assessment must be ‘suitable and sufficient’ for the building and take into account:

The likelihood of a fire breaking out
What the consequences may be if a fire were to break out
What should be done to minimise the risk of a fire starting and/or spreading

The assessor will inspect the ‘general fire precautions’ in common areas such as stairwells, hallways and entrance halls.

They’ll be looking for measures that:

Reduce the risk of a fire starting
Reduce the risk of fire spreading
Alert people about a fire in the building
Enable people to escape from the building
Tell people what to do if a fire starts
Reduce the harm caused if a fire starts

On completion, the assessor will provide details of any works or maintenance required to improve the fire safety of the building.

How Often Are Assessments Required?

The law states that assessments should be reviewed ‘regularly’, but there is no concrete outline for the regularity required. Your assessor may make suggestions regarding timescales for review within their assessment report but, as a general rule (and according to The Leasehold Advisory Service) assessments should be reviewed if:

There is reason to believe the current assessment for the block is no longer valid
There have been any significant changes within the block such as major works

Their advice states that for purpose-built blocks built less than 20 years ago and of up to 3 storeys:

Re-assessments should be carried out every 2 years if no significant changes have occurred.
A full re-assessment should be carried out every 4 years if no significant changes have occurred.

For buildings built more than 20 years ago or with more than 3 storeys, they advise that:

Re-assessments should be carried out every year even if no significant changes have occurred.
A full re-assessment should be carried out every 3 years even if no significant changes have occurred.

Updates to Responsibilities in 2023

As of the 23rd of January 2023, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 were brought into effect under Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order. The new regulations outline new responsibilities for principal accountable persons:

Section one of the Fire Safety Act amends the Fire Safety Order to clarify that fire risk assessments for all multi-occupied residential buildings should be updated to include structure, external walls and flat entrance doors. These assessments should be updated as soon as is practicable.
Responsible Persons of multi-occupied residential buildings in England with two or more sets of domestic premises and which have common parts, will also need to provide residents with instructions including how to report a fire, a reminder of the evacuation strategy for the building, any other instruction that tells residents what to do once a fire has started and information about the importance of fire doors.
The new regulations also make it a requirement for Responsible Persons of all multi-occupied residential buildings in England with storeys over 11 meters in height to undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors (including self-closing devices) in the common parts. They should also undertake, on a best endeavour basis, annual checks of all flat entrance doors (including self-closing devices) that lead onto a building’s common parts.

Why is Fire Safety So Important?

In this post-Grenfell era, everyone should be acutely aware of the dangers posed by fire in high rise blocks. With large numbers of lives at risk, fire safety is paramount.

It is also important from an investment protection point of view. Property damage can financially decimate landlords and leaseholders who have invested huge sums in the building. Fire and smoke damage can move swiftly from unit to unit if effective compartmentation is not prioritised and the risks of ignition reduced.

And finally, from an insurance perspective, there must be able to evidence that there is compliance with the law and in the best interests of all parties.

Insurers will often require evidence of assessments and the due diligence carried out in appointing a “competent person” to complete them. They will also require clear paper trails of any recommended works being carried out and any subsequent re-inspections being completed.

Effective risk management will reduce the likelihood of any claims, which can also reduce your premiums. Detailed evidence of any assessments and subsequent works will ensure that your insurer can pay out in full in the event of a claim.

For more information, please contact a member of the London Flats Insurance team on 020 7993 3034.