APPENDIX A
REGULATION 38 Passing on the correct fire safety information to the responsible person (as defined under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) section A2) at the completion of a project is a requirement under the Building Regulations, and this is the requirement of Regulation 38. This regulation aims to ensure that information critical to the life safety of people in and around the building is communicated to the owner, occupier and/or end-user, so that the building can be operated and managed correctly. It should ensure that the fire safety strategy given to the responsible person is correct and accurately reflects the fire safety precautions in the building. This enables the responsible person to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for the building. It will accurately record the physical fire safety precautions in place, and so enable risks to the relevant persons in the building to be understood in a way that allows them to be appropriately addressed. The design team may not fully appreciate or understand the importance of providing the correct ‘as built’ fire safety information to the responsible person during the design and construction phases of a building. This must be considered to ensure the correct information is being collated during this process. It is important to note that the design team may be held responsible in the event of a near miss or a fire if this is not done. The approving authorities could contest the building’s fire risk assessment for not being suitable or sufficient to meet the requirements of the RRFSO 2005 if the information required by Regulation 38 is not provided by the design team. Guidance on Regulation 38 can be found in Approved Document B. Note: the above text is from the FIS guide Firestopping of services penetrations – best practice in design and installation.
41
Powered by FlippingBook