Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have been introduced as an important step towards implementing the recommendations of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report. The Regulations are being introduced under Article 24 of the Fire Safety Order and came into force on 23 January 2023.

Most of the requirements set out in the Regulations are imposed on the responsible person (RP).

The regulations require RPs in multi-occupied residential buildings to take specific actions, depending on the height of the building:  

  • Some provisions apply regardless of height.

  • More are needed once a building reaches 11 metres, and  

  • further requirements are introduced when a building reaches 18 metres (or seven storeys) or more.  

The Regulations apply to England only. The Regulations can be found at on the UK Government website.  


Report online

To meet the latest regulations, Responsible Persons now need to provide fire and rescue services with up-to-date risk information electronically. This information will assist fire and rescue services in planning and responding to operational incidents effectively. This includes details regarding floor plans, external wall construction information (if applicable), and faulty critical equipment information such as fire lifts (if they are likely to be out of order for more than 24 hours).

To make this process easier, we have provided the following forms and guidance:


Frequently asked questions

Why were these changes introduced?

Following the devastating Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was established. To meet the Inquiry’s Phase 2 recommendations, the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (the Regulations) were introduced. 

Which parts of the UK do these changes apply to?

The Act applies to England and Wales. However, the Regulations only apply to England. Information on how the Act applies within Wales can be found on the Welsh Government website.

What is the Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool?

The PPRU has supported the Home Office Task and Finish Group in the production of a new Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool (FRAPT). 

What do the Fire Safety (England) regulations require responsible persons to do?

Most of the requirements set out in the Regulations are imposed on the responsible person (RP), which RPs need to plan and prepare for ahead of the Regulations coming into force.

The regulations require RPs in multi-occupied residential buildings to take specific actions, depending on the height of the building: 

  • Some provisions apply regardless of height.

  • More are needed once a building reaches 11 metres, and 

  • further requirements are introduced when a building reaches 18 metres (or seven storeys) or more.  

The Regulations set out requirements for responsible persons of all multi-occupied residential buildings, of two or more sets of domestic premises: 

  • Fire Safety Instructions: they must provide relevant fire safety instructions to their residents on how to report a fire and what a resident must do once a fire has occurred.

  • Fire Door Information: they must provide residents with information relating to the importance of fire doors in fire safety.

The Regulations also set out requirements for RPs of multi-occupied residential buildings of over 11 metres in height:

  • Annual and quarterly checks fire door: They must undertake best endeavours to carry out annual checks of flat entrance doors. They must undertake quarterly checks of all fire doors in the common parts.

The Regulations for high-rise residential buildings (at least 18m or seven storeys in height) also require responsible persons to: 

  • Building Plans: provide their local fire and rescue service (FRS) with up-to-date building floor plans by electronic means and to place a hard copy of these plans, alongside a single page building plan which identifies key firefighting equipment, in a secure information box on site.

  • External Wall Systems: provide to their local FRS with information about the design and materials of a high-rise building’s external wall system and to inform the FRS of any material changes to these walls. Also, they will be required to provide information in relation to the level of risk that the design and materials of the external wall structure gives rise to and any mitigating steps taken.

  • Lifts and other Key Fire-Fighting Equipment: undertake monthly checks on the operation of lifts intended for use by firefighters, and evacuation lifts in their building and check the functionality of other key pieces of firefighting equipment.  They will also be required to report any defective lifts or equipment to their local FRS as soon as possible after detection if the fault cannot be fixed within 24 hours, and to record the outcome of checks and make them available to residents. 

  • Secure Information Boxes: install and maintain a secure information box in their building.  This box must contain the name and contact details of the RP and hard copies of the building floor plans.

  • Wayfinding Signage: install signage visible in low light or smoky conditions that identifies flat and floor numbers in the stairwells of relevant buildings.  

When did the changes take effect?

The FSA commenced on 16 May 2022. This means that RPs should now (if they have not already done so) consider when to review their fire risk assessments, to ensure these take account of any risk from the external wall. It is important that RPs are directed to, and consider the more detailed guidance from the Home Office about when and how to go about this. 

A new Fire Risk Assessment Prioritisation Tool has been made available. The prioritisation tool is an online tool designed to support Responsible Persons to develop a prioritisation strategy for updating their fire risk assessments, following commencement. The prioritisation tool can be accessed within The Fire Safety Act commencement guidance.

For the other changes, including the requirements to provide additional information to FRSs, The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023. 

Where can I find out more information?

You can find out more by visiting the NFCC website.

View The Fire Safety Act and factsheets and guidance. The Fire Safety (England) Regulations can be found on the UK Government website.  

The Home Office has produced a series of fact sheets which provide more detailed information on what the Regulations mean in England: 

Information on how the Act applies within Wales can be found on the Welsh Government website


Use of your information

We are committed to protecting your personal data and privacy. We recognise that ensuring the accuracy and security of your personal data is essential to retaining your confidence and trust. The information you provide to us will only be used for the purposes that you provide it for and will never be used for third party marketing. For more information visit our data protection page.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations - How to comply

Does your building contain two or more domestic premises and common parts? Then have a read of the new simple guides to support Responsible Persons. 

A simple guide to fire doors for Responsible Persons: how to conduct routine checks and provide information to residents

Check your fire safety responsibilities under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022


Last updated: Tuesday, 10 September 2024


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