Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

The Fire Safety Act 2021 (the Act) received Royal Assent on 29 April 2021 and commenced on 16 May 2022. The Act amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Fire Safety Order).

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service welcomes the commencement of the Fire Safety Act in England and Wales, and the Regulations in England, as important steps forward in strengthening the Fire Safety Order and improving fire safety. The Act clarifies that responsible persons (RPs) for multi-occupied residential buildings must manage and reduce the risk of fire for the structure and external walls of the building, including cladding, balconies and windows, and entrance doors to individual flats that open into common parts.

The Act applies to England and Wales. Information on how the Act applies within Wales can be found on the Welsh Government website.

Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022

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

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

Supplementary guidance has also been provided to support Responsible Persons on how to conduct routine checks on fire doors and provide information to residents.

To submit building safety documents to Hereford & Worcester Fire Service as part of the duty of these regulations please follow the link to our building safety notifications page.

You can also find out more in our FAQs and where to go for further information.