High-rise fire evacuation policy
41 items
2 sources
Absence of clear policies and procedures for managing a transition from 'stay put' to 'get out' in high-rise building fire emergencies.
Cross-Source Insight
High-rise fire evacuation policy has been flagged across 2 independent accountability sources:
36 inquiry recs
5 PFD reports
This issue has been identified by multiple independent accountability bodies, suggesting it is a recurring systemic concern.
Inquiry Recommendations (36)
P1-1 — Require external wall information for fire services
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to provide their local fire and rescue service with information about the design of its external walls together with details of the materials of which they are …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-18 — Develop stay put to evacuation transition policies
Recommendation: Policies be developed for managing a transition from 'stay put' to 'get out'.
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-19 — Train control room staff on evacuation advice changes
Recommendation: Control room staff receive training directed specifically to handling such a change of advice and conveying it effectively to callers.
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-26 — Equipment for BA communication in high-rise buildings
Recommendation: The LFB urgently take steps to obtain equipment that enables firefighters wearing helmets and breathing apparatus to communicate with the bridgehead effectively, including when operating in high-rise buildings.
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-28 — National guidelines for high-rise evacuations
Recommendation: The government develop national guidelines for carrying out partial or total evacuations of high-rise residential buildings, such guidelines to include the means of protecting fire exit routes and procedures for evacuating persons who are unable to use the stairs in …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-29 — Fire services develop evacuation policies and training
Recommendation: Fire and rescue services develop policies for partial and total evacuation of high-rise residential buildings and training to support them.
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-30 — Require evacuation plans for high-rise buildings
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to draw up and keep under regular review evacuation plans, copies of which are to be provided in electronic and paper form to their local fire and …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted in Part
Delivered
P1-31 — Require evacuation alarm systems in high-rise buildings
Recommendation: All high-rise residential buildings (both those already in existence and those built in the future) be equipped with facilities for use by the fire and rescue services enabling them to send an evacuation signal to the whole or a selected …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted in Part
In progress
P1-32 — Require personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs)
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to prepare personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for all residents whose ability to self-evacuate may be compromised (such as persons with reduced mobility or cognition).
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted in Part
In progress
P1-33 — Require PEEP information in premises information box
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to include up-to-date information about persons with reduced mobility and their associated PEEPs in the premises information box.
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted in Part
Delivered
P1-34 — Equip fire services with smoke hoods
Recommendation: All fire and rescue services be equipped with smoke hoods to assist in the evacuation of occupants through smoke-filled exit routes.
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all the Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to swift and decisive action …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-35 — Require clear floor number markings in high-rise buildings
Recommendation: In all high-rise buildings floor numbers be clearly marked on each landing within the stairways and in a prominent place in all lobbies in such a way as to be visible both in normal conditions and in low lighting or …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-36 — Require understandable fire safety instructions
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings (whether or not it is a high-rise building) be required by law to provide fire safety instructions (including instructions for evacuation) in a form that the occupants of the …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-37 — Urgent fire door inspections required
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings (whether or not they are high-rise buildings) carry out an urgent inspection of all fire doors to ensure that they comply with applicable legislative standards.
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-38 — Require quarterly fire door checks
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every residential building containing separate dwellings (whether or not they are high-rise buildings) be required by law to carry out checks at not less than three-monthly intervals to ensure that all fire doors are fitted …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted in Part
Delivered
P1-39 — Require compliant flat entrance doors where unsafe cladding exists
Recommendation: All those who have responsibility in whatever capacity for the condition of the entrance doors to individual flats in high-rise residential buildings, whose external walls incorporate unsafe cladding, be required by law to ensure that such doors comply with current …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted in Part
Delivered
P1-5 — Require building floor plans for fire services
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to provide their local fire and rescue services with up-to-date plans in both paper and electronic form of every floor of the building identifying the location of …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-6 — Require premises information boxes
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to ensure that the building contains a premises information box, the contents of which must include a copy of the up-to-date floor plans and information about the …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-8 — Require monthly firefighter lift inspections
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to carry out regular inspections of any lifts that are designed to be used by firefighters in an emergency and to report the results of such inspections …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P1-9 — Require monthly lift control mechanism tests
Recommendation: The owner and manager of every high-rise residential building be required by law to carry out regular tests of the mechanism which allows firefighters to take control of the lifts and to inform their local fire and rescue service at …
Gov response: The government accepted in principle all Phase 1 recommendations directed at central government. The Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick presented the formal response to Parliament on 21 January 2020, committing to new duties on building owners …
Accepted
Delivered
P2-10 — Require fire safety strategy from registered fire engineer at Gateway 2
Recommendation: That it be made a statutory requirement that a fire safety strategy produced by a registered fire engineer to be submitted with building control applications (at Gateway 2) for the construction or refurbishment of any higher-risk building and for it …
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. A fire safety strategy is already required with building control applications for the construction of and significant work to higher-risk buildings. The Building Safety Regulator will consider how to make …
Accepted
In progress
P2-11 — Develop new test methods for evacuation strategy assessments
Recommendation: Assessing whether an external wall system can support a particular evacuation strategy is difficult because the necessary information is not always available. We therefore recommend that steps be taken in conjunction with the professional and academic community to develop new …
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We will work with the professional and academic community to address this recommendation through the ongoing Approved Document B review led by the Building Safety Regulator which will consider any …
Accepted
In progress
P2-2 — Review Building Safety Act higher-risk building definition
Recommendation: That the definition of a higher-risk building for the purposes of the Building Safety Act be reviewed urgently. (113.7)
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. The Building Safety Regulator has conducted an initial review of the definition of a higher-risk building. Plans for an ongoing review, which will help strengthen the building system, reassure residents …
Accepted
Delivered
P2-20 — Require principal designer compliance statement at Gateway 2
Recommendation: That it be made a statutory requirement that an application for building control approval in relation to the construction or refurbishment of a higher-risk building (Gateway 2) be supported by a statement from a senior manager of the principal designer …
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We intend to make it a statutory requirement to include such a statement with building control approval applications requiring the principal designer to confirm they have complied with their existing …
Accepted
In progress
P2-21 — Introduce licensing scheme for principal contractors
Recommendation: That a licensing scheme operated by the construction regulator be introduced for principal contractors wishing to undertake the construction or refurbishment of higher-risk buildings and that it be a legal requirement that any application for building control approval for the …
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We will review the impact of the new dutyholder regime in relation to higher-risk buildings, working with the sector to determine how we can go further, including introducing a licensing …
Accepted
In progress
P2-22 — Independent panel review of building control commercial interests
Recommendation: That the government appoint an independent panel to consider whether it is in the public interest for building control functions to be performed by those who have a commercial interest in the process. (113.37)
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. An independent panel will be established to review the building control sector and will recommend which bodies should carry out certain functions, as well as whether all building control functions …
Accepted
In progress
P2-23 — Consider national building control authority
Recommendation: We recommend that the same panel consider whether all building control functions should be performed by a national authority. (113.38)
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. See recommendation 22.
Accepted
In progress
P2-24 — Create cladding materials library for designers
Recommendation: We have referred to the Cladding Materials Library set up by the University of Queensland, which could form the basis of a valuable source of information for designers of buildings in general. We recommend that the construction regulator sponsor the …
Gov response: The government accepts this recommendation. We accept the premise of better access to information, resources and test results through a digitally based library. In line with this we are considering options to best support access …
Accepted
In progress
RONA-12 — Design system-built blocks to resist internal explosions and progressive collapse
Recommendation: The structure of all system-built blocks should be designed to withstand an internal explosion of a specified intensity without suffering progressive collapse {paragraphs 131, 145}.
Unknown
RONA-13 — Disconnect gas supply to unstrengthened buildings susceptible to progressive collapse
Recommendation: Until the building has been strengthened the gas supply to it should be disconnected {paragraph 131}.
Unknown
RONA-19 — Disconnect gas from unstrengthened system-built blocks to prevent progressive collapse
Recommendation: Gas supplies to properties in system-built blocks should be disconnected from those existing tall buildings, until they have been strengthened to prevent progressive collapse {paragraph 161}.
Unknown
RONA-22 — Review regulations for storing explosive materials in high-rise residential blocks
Recommendation: The Regulations governing the storage of other potentially explosive materials in high blocks of flats should be reviewed {paragraph 173}.
Unknown
RONA-24 — Strengthen existing system-built blocks susceptible to progressive collapse
Recommendation: In system-built blocks that are susceptible to progressive collapse, it is probable that a considerable number of existing blocks are, the structure should be strengthened to prevent progressive collapse {paragraph 192}.
Unknown
RONA-25 — Design all system-built blocks to resist internal explosions and progressive collapse
Recommendation: All system-built blocks should be designed to withstand an internal explosion of a specified intensity without suffering progressive collapse {paragraphs 129, 188}.
Unknown
RONA-29 — Appraise tall blocks for progressive collapse, wind loads, and fire resistance
Recommendation: All blocks over six storeys in height should be appraised by a structural engineer: (a) whether they are susceptible to progressive collapse {paragraph 191}; (b) whether they adequately resist the maximum wind loadings which they may experience {paragraph 214}; (c) …
Unknown
RONA-30 — Disconnect gas from tall blocks susceptible to progressive collapse until strengthened
Recommendation: If any existing tall block is found to be susceptible to progressive collapse, the gas supply should be disconnected until it has been strengthened {paragraph 191}.
Unknown
PFD Reports (5)
Liam Allan
Concerns: Inadequate visibility of riverside buoyancy aids and slow, telephone-based police-to-fire service communication create critical delays in emergency response, increasing drowning risks.
Responded
William Erskine
Concerns: Current building regulations do not mandate fixed window restrictors in high-rise residential buildings, including existing ones, allowing windows to open fully and posing a significant fall risk.
Overdue
Henry Boddy
Concerns: There is a gap in enforcement powers to effectively address fire risks in residential properties, specifically concerning fire loads arising from hoarding behavior.
Responded
Zainab Hashim and Tafaoul Abdulkarim
Concerns: Residents in council-owned blocks of flats were unaware of the "Stay Put" fire policy, and communication methods have not changed despite this proven lack of awareness, risking future deaths.
Responded
Kevin Branton, Richard Smith, Audrey Cook, Alfred Cook and Maureen Cook
Concerns: The absence of a national database for gas appliances hinders rapid identification and tracing of dangerous items. Lack of mandatory recording impedes urgent communication and tracing between stakeholders.
Overdue