Ian Gibbs Estate Management Ltd will be working with the Directors of your Management Company to ensure that it complies with these new regulations and laws. As these laws are very new, the exact costs relating to proper adherence to them are not yet fully known and the government and regulator will continue to provide new guidance. However, there will be a continued impact on service charge costs going forward.
Fire Doors (11m+ & 18m+ buildings)
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 place new requirements to:
- Provide all residents with fire safety instructions including information on fire doors, particularly flat front doors, and the part they play in containing a fire.
- All fire doors in communal areas must be checked at least every three months to consider required alterations/damage, gaps around the frame, seals, and hinges, closing mechanism, etc. Flat doors must be checked annually.
Registration and Responsibility (18m+ buildings)
The Building Safety Act 2022 places an obligation to register their higher risk building (HRB) with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). IGEM confirm that they have acted on behalf of the RMC and registered any 18m+ buildings with the BSR. Key building information has been provided to the BSR including building use, construction materials used, number of storeys, number of staircases, type of energy used, description of the evacuation strategy and a list of the fire and smoke control equipment within the HRB.
Building Safety Case (18m+ buildings)
Starting from April 2024 the BSR can contact us to request we present a building safety case report containing an assessment of the building safety risks and a brief description of any steps taken to mitigate the risks. A risk is defined as the spread of fire or structural failure. The legal duty to prepare a safety case starts from October 2023. The building safety case is a series of documents that evidences the building is safe for occupancy, i.e., risk assessments, building surveys, engagement strategy, and maintenance records. The PAP will have 28 days to provide the safety case report upon their request. This report is known as the golden thread of information. The building safety case is a ‘live’ document. Resulting from the building safety case, the BSR will issue a building assessment certificate to the PAP. The BSR will charge us for this assessment.
Resident Engagement Strategy (18m+ buildings)
The Building Safety Act places an obligation on us to produce a resident engagement strategy to promote the participation of residents in the decision-making process about the building safety risks. The strategy should contain:
- What information will be provided to residents.
- What residents will be consulted on.
- How residents’ views will be sought and considered.
- How effectiveness of the strategy will be measured (stage of occupancy, surveys, meeting attendance, feedback).
Information for the local Fire Service (18m+ buildings)
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 place new requirements on us to:
- Provide building plans to the local Fire Service in digital form.
- Provide information to the local Fire Service regarding the design and materials of the external wall system.
- Monthly checks must be undertaken on the firefighting lifts and any defects reported to the local Fire Service.
- Premises information boxes must be installed that contain contact details of copies of building plans.
- Wayfinding signage must be installed.
- Record an annual Fire Risk Assessment of the building.
Resident Engagement Strategy
Please read our draft strategy here . We are currently consulting with our residents of 18metre/7 storey high buildings to further define the strategy. “Have your say” by completing the survey here.
This consultation period will end on Friday 31st May.
At IGEM we take our role as accountable person seriously. We undertake regular checks on all buildings within our portfolio, these include but are not limited to:
- Regular Health & Safety and Fire Risk Assessments undertaken by a qualified specialist contractor, to ensure your buildings are safe and identify any works required. Issues raised are dealt with promptly by our team and contractors. Health & Safety and Fire Safety reminders are sent out to residents to raise awareness of potential risks and how to mitigate them.
- Monthly site visits
- Quarterly fire door checks
- Annual fire door and flat front door inspections
- Site maintenance plan – we have a detailed site maintenance plan for each development which lists all the safety checks that are undertaken, how often, and by a specialist contractor to ensure the safety of your development.
- EWS1 forms – rates the external wall system of a building based on risk and combustibility. This is only applicable to buildings over 18metres/7 stories high.
If you would like to review any of the information listed above, please do not hesitate to contact our team at safety@iangibbs.com or 020 8370 4810.
Useful Information
We’re here to help and guide you on Building Safety, however, you may like to do your own research and gain independent advice, this can be found via the following links.
CONTACT THE TEAM