Fire Safety Policy

Fire Risk Assessments (FRA)

The local authority will ensure all communal blocks and other properties with common areas, that it owns and manages, have an FRA in place where it has the legal obligation to do so.

Thereafter, the Council will maintain a programme of FRA reviews, in a timescale appropriate to the premises and/or occupation fire risk level. (They are full FRA's not a short review). This timescale can be determined by the fire risk assessor carrying out the FRA however, in general all high-rise blocks, APUs and high priority public buildings will be visited on an annual programme, and medium and low-rise blocks on a three-year cycle.  For general public buildings, the frequencies will vary dependant on the risks identified.

All FRAs will be Type 1 surveys (communal areas / non-intrusive).  Other FRA surveys may be commissioned where it is deemed appropriate for a particular block.

There are four types of fire risk assessments including:

• Type 1 - Common Parts Only / Non-Destructive
• Type 2 - Common Parts Only / Destructive
• Type 3 - Common Parts and Flats / Non-Destructive
• Type 4 - Common Parts and Flats / Destructive

The Council will ensure that a pre-occupation FRA is carried out on all new build schemes or new acquisitions where it has an obligation to do so, followed by a post-occupation FRA, a maximum of three months after the first tenant moves in.

Properties managed by others 

The Council will obtain FRAs where our properties are managed by a third party. If the third party does not provide the FRA, it will carry out the FRA and re-charge them for the cost of this work.

Fire door checks 

To comply with the The Fire Safety Act 2021 and Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (opens new window), the local authority will undertake quarterly checks of communal fire doors fitted with self-closing devices and annual checks of flat entrance doors to all buildings over 11 meters in height. Fire doors which are kept locked and without self-closing devices, for example service shaft doors, will be checked during the annual fire risk assessment process.

For all other communal blocks and other properties with common areas, the local authority will undertake a six-monthly check of all communal fire doors with self-closing devices, and an annual check of 25 per cent sample of flat entrance doors. This sample will increase if issues are found on the initial sample. Fire doors which are kept locked and without self-closing devices, for example service shaft doors, will be checked during the annual fire risk assessment process.

Servicing

The Council will carry out a programme of servicing, maintenance, and testing, in accordance with all relevant British Standards and manufacturer's recommendations, to all fire detection, prevention and firefighting systems and equipment within buildings the local authority owns and manages.

Regular inspections

The Building Safety Team will carry out a programme of regular inspections to all High-rise blocks to ensure they are being managed correctly.