06.2. Fire Safety Information - Regulation 38

Lester Morgan

Dec 19, 2023

486

(Building Regulations 2010 Fire Safety Approved Document B: Volume 2 Buildings other than dwellings 2019 Edition incorporating 2020 and 2022 amendments - for use in England)

Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations 2010 requires that fire safety information be provided to the responsible person upon completion of a project or when the building or extension is first occupied.

This regulation applies where building work:

(a) consists of or includes the erection or extension of a relevant building* ; or (b) is carried out in connection with a relevant change of use of a building, and Part B of Schedule 1 imposes a requirement in relation to the work.

The person carrying out the work must give fire safety information to the responsible person no later than the date of completion of the work, or the date of occupation of the building or extension, whichever is the earlier

The aim of this regulation is to ensure that the person responsible for the building has sufficient information relating to fire safety to enable them to manage the building effectively. The aim of regulation 38 will be achieved when the person responsible for the building has all the information to enable them to do all of the following.

a. Understand and implement the fire safety strategy of the building.
b. Maintain any fire safety system provided in the building.
c. Carry out an effective fire risk assessment of the building.

* Relevant Building - a building to which the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

This is a guide to the information that should be provided. Guidance is in terms of essential information and additional information for complex buildings; however, the level of detail required should be provided the Employer or their agent.

Information Requirement	Input Method	Author
Ref 19.3 - Essential information Basic information on the location of fire protection measures may be sufficient. An as-built plan of the building should be provided showing all of the following. Escape routes – This should include exit capacity (i.e the maximum allowable number of people for each storey and for the building) Location of fire-separating elements (including cavity barriers in walk-in spaces) Fire doorsets, fire doorsets fitted with a self-closing device and other doors equipped with relevant hardware Locations of fire and/or smoke detector heads, alarm call points, detection/alarm control boxes, alarm sounders, fire safety signage, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, dry or wet fire mains and other firefighting equipment, and hydrants outside the building. Any sprinkler systems, including isolating valves and control equipment Any smoke control systems, or ventilation systems with a smoke control function, including mode of operation and control systems Any high-risk areas (eg. Heating machinery, places of special fire hazard	Edocs Platform Checklists. File uploads direct to Edocs platform or file sync with CDE	Principal Contractor
Ref 19.4 - Essential information Details should be provided of all of the following. Specifications of any fire safety equipment provided, including routine maintenance schedules. Any assumptions regarding the management of the building in the design of the fire safety arrangements. Any provision enabling the evacuation of disabled people, which can be used when designing suitable personal emergency evacuation plans.	Edocs Platform Checklists. File uploads direct to Edocs platform or file sync with CDE	Principal Contractor
Ref 19.5 - Additional information for complex buildings A detailed record should be provided of both of the following. The fire safety strategy. Procedures for operating and maintaining any fire protection measures. This should include an outline cause and effect matrix/strategy for the building. Further guidance is available in clause 9 and Annex H of BS 9999.	Edocs Platform Checklists. File uploads direct to Edocs platform or file sync with CDE	Principal Contractor
Ref 19.6 - Additional information for complex buildings The records should include details of all of the following. a. The fire safety strategy, including all assumptions in the design of the fire safety systems (such as fire load). Any risk assessments or risk analysis. b. All assumptions in the design of the fire safety arrangements for the management of the building. c. All of the following i. Escape routes (including occupant load and capacity of escape routes). ii. Any provision to enable the evacuation of disabled people. iii. Escape strategy (e.g. simultaneous or phased). iv. Muster points. d. All passive fire safety measures, including all of the following. i. Compartmentation (i.e. location of fire-separating elements). ii. Cavity barriers. iii. Fire doorsets, including fire doorsets fitted with a self-closing device and other doors equipped with relevant hardware (e.g. electronic security locks). iv. Duct dampers. v. Fire shutters. e. All of the following. i. Fire detector heads. ii. Smoke detector heads. iii. Alarm call points. iv. Detection/alarm control boxes. v. Alarm sounders. vi. Emergency communications systems vii. CCTV. viii. Fire safety signage. ix. Emergency lighting. x. Fire extinguishers. xi. Dry or wet fire mains and other firefighting equipment. xii. Other interior facilities for the fire and rescue service. xiii. Emergency control rooms. xiv. Location of hydrants outside the building. xv. Other exterior facilities for the fire and rescue service. f. All active fire safety measures, including both of the following. i. Sprinkler system(s) design, including isolating valves and control equipment. ii. Smoke control system(s) (or heating, ventilating and air conditioning system with a smoke control function) design, including mode of operation and control systems. g. Any high-risk areas (e.g. heating machinery) and particular hazards. h. Plans of the building as built, showing the locations of the above. i. Both of the following. i. Specifications of any fire safety equipment provided, including all of the following. Operational details. Operators’ manuals. Software. System zoning. Routine inspection, testing and maintenance schedules. ii. Records of any acceptance or commissioning tests. j. Any other details appropriate for the specific building.	Edocs Platform Checklists. File uploads direct to Edocs platform or file sync with CDE	Principal Contractor
Responsible person must give the person carrying out the work a notice acknowledging receipt of the fire safety information and confirming the information provided is sufficient to enable them to understand, operate and maintain the building (and the fire safety systems in it) after the building work in question.	Edocs Platform Checklists. File uploads direct to Edocs platform or file sync with CDE	Principal Contractor

Notes:

Information must be submitted via Edocuments platform only to ensure a full audit trail is maintained.
All comments and reviews will be carried out on Springboard.

Accurate and validated as built information is required to accurately reflect the as built construction and to enable the end user to safely, economically and optimally operate and maintain the facility.