Who is responsible for fire safety in tower blocks?

Recently it’s not surprising that so many people are now querying just who is responsible for fire safety in residential blocks. There are a number of fire safety measures which should be in place in tower blocks and these include clear escape routes, smoke detectors and adequate fire doors. Many of the responsibilities for fire safety in tower blocks are split between the residents and the landlord.

Responsibility for fire safety in tower blocks

The landlord, or managing agent, of any tower block will have the following responsibilities for fire safety:

1. Responsibility for all common areas, which includes the corridors and stairs, although in some cases this will be dealt with by a member of the Residents’ Association. It is a legal requirement to have a person that is responsible for fire safety. The responsible person will hold this official designation and all residents should be notified accordingly and be given details of all fire safety procedures and policies that are in place. The Responsible Person will also need to make sure that a valid fire risk assessment is in place for all common areas.

2. Residents should get in touch with the Responsible Person for any additional information required about fire safety measures within the tower block.

The responsibilities of tower block residents include:

A requirement for all residents, tenants or leaseholders to ensure there are adequate smoke detectors within their home and these should be maintained in proper working order.

1. Where your home is freehold, the owner should ensure that a proper fire door of the correct standard is fitted at the front door.

2. When the property is leasehold, the landlord and tenant are jointly responsible for ensuring there is a suitable fire door at the front door.

Visit Surrey Fire for more information.

Enfield Doors provide a wide range of fire resistant doors, including FD30 and FD120 certified fire doors. We also produce bespoke fire doors to meet customer specifications. Contact us for more information.

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