New rules on fire safety for high rise residential buildings

On 6th April, the new regulations will apply to residential buildings in England that are 18 metres or seven storeys or higher, or over 11 metres where a simultaneous evacuation strategy is in place.

It introduces a new process called Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs).

These apply to certain multi-occupied residential buildings in England and place new legal duties on Responsible Persons - usually building owners, landlords or managers.

David George, Fire Protection Inspecting Officer and Watch Manager for LFRS said: "These changes are an important step towards making sure everyone feels safe in their own home, especially those who might need extra support in an emergency. They give much clearer expectations for building owners and managers, and we welcome that."

Under the regulations, Responsible Persons will be required to use reasonable endeavours to identify residents who may have difficulty evacuating without assistance because of a physical or cognitive impairment, offer them a person-centred fire risk assessment, and - where the resident wishes - agree an emergency evacuation statement.

They must also develop and maintain a building-wide emergency evacuation plan.

With the resident's explicit consent, building owners will share a small amount of essential information with the local fire service, including their flat number, floor number and a basic indication of the assistance they may need. No medical or personal information will be shared.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has now put in place the systems and processes needed to receive this information securely, and to use it to support effective emergency response.

David George continued: "While the responsibility for putting these arrangements in place sits with the Responsible Person, we're ready to receive the information they share with residents' consent, and to use it to help us respond as effectively as possible if a fire does occur.

"If any resident think they may benefit from these new arrangements, we'd encourage them to speak to their building owner or managing agent. Our role is to use the limited information we're given to support our crews on the ground and to continue working with our partners to help keep our communities safe."

Participation in the RPEEP process is voluntary, and residents can withdraw consent at any time. Fire and rescue services are not responsible for conducting assessments, creating evacuation statements, or deciding on mitigation measures - these remain the responsibility of building owners and managers.

If you believe your premises fits into the requirements of the new regulations but are unsure, please contact the LFRS Fire Protection Team for further advice and guidance, via: rpeeps@leics-fire.gov.uk