Additional information about high rise

Read about temporary changes to simultaneous evacuation, the Building Safety Regulator and what it does, and the Waking Watch Replacement Fund.

Temporary changes to simultaneous evacuation

After the Grenfell Tower disaster in June 2017, guidance was published regarding initial and temporary changes to evacuation strategy for high rise buildings to ensure all residents could be alerted and evacuated. This guidance was reviewed and updated in October 2020, and was updated again in August 2022. 

Th 2022 updated  ‘Guidance to support a temporary change to a simultaneous evacuation strategy in purpose-built blocks of flats' (‘the Guidance’) contains updates and improvements. Go to the updated Guidance

Main aims of the 2022 updated guidance

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) describe the main aims of the Guidance as:

  • ‘ensuring those with responsibility for buildings fully understand the decision-making process before deciding that a change in evacuation strategy is required.
  • clearer emphasis on resident engagement.
  • an end to risk averse ‘one size fits all’ application of on-site staffing (waking watches or evacuation management) when this is disproportionate to the risk.’
Understanding the new 2022 edition of the Guidance

The National Fire Chiefs Council have produced:

Responsible persons and building owners are encouraged to view and read these.

Key changes in this guidance 

The key changes in this guidance have been summarised by the NFCC in the 'Frequently Asked Questions' which can be found on their website, as follows:

  • Addresses concerns raised about RPs and Fire Risk Assessors failing to act proportionately and take the right steps before they change their evacuation strategy, by clearly signposting readers to the newly published PAS 9980.
  • Reinforces the clear expectation that RPs will seek to reduce or remove the dependence on waking watches as soon as possible, by providing more detail within the timeline on what actions enforcing authorities expect RPs to take, and by when.
  • Discourages the risk adverse behaviour of having onsite staff where they may not be needed.
  • Clearly signposts readers to a wider range of supporting information, including Article 50 guidance they may need to consider in respect of persons who might find themselves in vulnerable positions.
  • Includes a published Equalities Impact Assessment.
  • Responds to the learnings from the New Providence Wharf Fire by incorporating a previously separate addendum into the main guide.
  • Includes updates to relevant sections following the commencement of the Fire Safety Act 2021 and introduction of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022.
  • Includes significant revisions to evacuation management content to:
  • improve distinction between where evacuation management is used to describe a job/role, and where it is used to describe a general set of duties or activities.
  • highlight that (like the decision to change evacuation strategy) a decision to have onsite staff to manage an evacuation should be informed by advice from a competent person in conjunction with a holistic review of the Fire Risk Assessment.
  • clarify that (like members of a waking watch team) any persons with appropriate training can perform evacuation management duties where they are recommended by the Fire Risk Assessment/Competent Person.

 

Building Safety Regulator

The role of the Building Safety Regulator was created by the Building Safety Act.

The new Regulator is the Health and Safety Executive. They are responsible for regulating high-rise residential building that have at least:

  • 7 floors, or are a minimum of 18 metres high
  • 2 residential units

and also regulate the design and building of care homes and hospitals.

As well as regulating high-risk and higher-risk buildings, the Regulator helps to 'raise the safety standards of all buildings' and assists professionals involved in the design and build of such buildings. 

The Regulator and high rise

 Part of the role of the Regulator is to keep '...a register of high-rise residential buildings and their accountable persons...'. 

An Accountable person can be an organisation such as a management company or commonhold association or a freeholder or landlord, who owns or is legally required to repair:

  • the common parts of the building that residents use such as corridors and staircases
  •  the structure and exterior of the building.

They must also liaise and engage with residents. You can learn more on our Accountable Persons page, and from the Government guidance.

Where should residents go for information

Useful information for residents can be found on the websites of the National Fire Chiefs Council and  Lease (the Leasehold Advisory Service

Waking Watch Replacement Fund

History of the Fund

As a result of the Grenfell Tower Disaster, the Building Safety Fund was established in 2020 to provide funding for the removal and replacement of unsafe non-Aluminium composite Material (ACM) cladding systems on high-rise residential buildings.

 In December 2020, the government announced the introduction of the Waking Watch Relief Fund in addition to, but not a substitute for, the Building Safety Fund.

On the 10 January 2022, the Government announced the Waking Watch Replacement Fund. This fund provided for  '...a further £27 million to fund the installation of alarms and replace costly Waking Watch measures in all buildings in England where a Waking Watch is currently in place at cost to leaseholders.' 

Applications to the Waking Watch Replacement fund for 2023 closed in March of 2024.

Responsible persons and building owners are encouraged to monitor government guidance regarding the fund and any future opportunities to apply. 

Applying to the Fund

The responsibility for applying for the fund rests with the Responsible Person for the building. 

Responsible Persons in Kent wishing to apply are encouraged to liaise with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and to ensure leaseholders are kept informed.