The New Fire Safety Regulations
One of the outcomes of the Grenfell Tower enquiry Phase 1 report was that there was a lack of on-site information available to the Fire Brigade on the night of the fire. It is commonly believed that this lack of information, had the layout of the building been more complex, could have caused further issues for the brigade.
Consequently, The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 have made it a legal requirement as of 23 January for residential buildings that are at least 7 storeys or 18 metres or more in height to have secure information boxes containing key fire safety plans located on the premises.
What Information is Included inside the Document Box?
The new guidance will require a secure information box to be placed within relevant buildings. The document box must be maintained, and the information updated when necessary to ensure the fire and rescue service has the most up to date information available on the building.
In fact, the regulations require annual inspections of the secure information box by the responsible person to ensure its content is up to date. It also states that monthly checks of the contents and locks should also occur as well as post incident checks.
As per the regulations the document enclosure should contain the following:
- UK contact details of relevant persons and any other person who is permitted to access the building as the responsible person considers appropriate.
- A copy of the buildings floor plans including key fire-fighting equipment.
- A single-page block plan that identifies specified fire-fighting equipment.
According to the Code of Practice for the Provision of Premises Information Boxes in Residential Buildings, the Responsible Person is required to notify the Fire & Rescue Service of any significant changes to the building.
These include:
- significant fire safety issues any compartmentation, external wall system or other fire
- safety issues which may affect fire behaviour in the premises.;
- fire-fighting fixed installations including lifts not available for use;
- change to the evacuation strategy.
What is the Purpose of a Secure Information Box?
Whilst it is the obligation of responsible person to send the fire and rescue service building information digitally, the purpose of a secure information box is so that the information can be accessed on site by the fire and rescue service offline, with no need for connection to a network.
This is particularly important as it lessens the dependence on technology and the firefighting team can quickly process the information in the event of a fire.
The box itself can only be accessed via a key or code, which means the likelihood of unauthorised access and the information being vandalised, tampered with or stolen is low.
Where should the Secure Information Box be Located?
First and foremost, the secure information box should be in a location where it can be easily accessible by the Fire and Rescue Service. Typically, this would be the entrance of a building or lobby, however for larger more complex buildings it is advisable to have more than one secure information box located on the site.
Some of the key considerations when deciding on the location of the secure information box include:
- The box should be in fair proximity to the systems and resources that the Fire and Rescue Service will depend upon. This includes the smoke control systems and evacuation alert systems.
- The location of the information box should be easily accessible for maintenance purposes.
- Ideally, the secure information box will be located inside the building. This is to limit exposure to the elements but also to ensure that the chance of vandalism is decreased. In many cases the information box is located within the concierge as this area is under 24/7 surveillance.
How can Inbuild help?
Inbuild provides the highest quality products direct to your door at a competitive price. Truly accessible and straightforward, Inbuild offers you complete reliability, supplying the best products and getting them to you when you need them.
Secure Information Boxes like our Premises Fire Document Box with FB1 Firemans Lock have been designed to assist emergency services, providing fast access to important building information. There is an ever-growing need to provide information on building layouts as well as stored hazardous materials to the Fire & Rescue Service.
The Premises Document Box offers a recognised focal point for the provision of premises plans and information to attending fire crews in the event of an incident through the use of an FB1 Fire Service Key.
Order your Premises Fire Document Box with FB1 Firemans Lock today!
