Fire Safety - Falsh Cards

Question 1

What key legislation and regulations govern fire safety in the industry?

Answer 1

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, The Fire Safety Act 2021, The Fire Safety Regulations 2022 and the Building Safety Act 2022.

Question 2

What is the Fire Safety Order 2005?

Answer 2

Defines responsible person and places responsibility on them within an organisation to carry out risk assessments to identify, manage and reduce the risk of fire, provide suitable training, implement emergency procedures.

Question 3

What is the Fire Safety Act 2021?

Answer 3

Further guidance interned for the responsible person. It clarifies the scope of the Fire Safety Order making it clear it applies to structure, external walls and individual flat entrance doors between domestic properties.

Question 4

What is the Fire Safety Regulations 2022?

Answer 4

Implemented recommendations of the PH1 Grenfell report which required law change, improvement of fire safety within blocks of flats, imposed new duties of responsible person, covers full encapsulation of building.

Question 5

What does the Fire Safety Regulations 2022 imply the responsible person must do on high rise buildings?

Answer 5

Multi occupied building at least 18 meters or 7 or more stores - Share electronic building information with the FRS, keep info in secure fire info box on site, install wayfinding in high rise.

Question 6

What is the Building Safety Act 2022 and its purpose?

Answer 6

Act created clear framework for design, construction and Managment of safer and higher quality homes. Ensure building safety is paramount following Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Question 7

What are some key implementations within the Building Safety Act 2022?

Answer 7

Duty holder responsibilities - client, PC, BSA PD. Building safety Regulator - HSE for all high risk. Golden thread of information - Accurate recording and availability of information. Amendments to RRFSO - Improve and simplify responsible persons duties.

Question 8

What is the role of the BSA PD?

Answer 8

BSA or B.Regs Principal Designer duty holder must take all reasonable steps to ensure the design work on a project is co-ordinated to demonstrate compliance with the Building Regulations

Question 9

What is the definition of a high risk building?

Answer 9

At least 18 meters in height, or has at least 7 stories or more, contains at least 2 residential units and can be a hospital or care home.

Question 10

What legislation would you refer to when specifying works associated with fire safety?

Answer 10

Approved document B, BS9999

Question 11

What is within Approved Document B? Provide an example.

Answer 11

Fire Safety - Travel distances in commercial 1 direction 18m 2 directions 45m.

Question 12

What recent updates have been included in Part B?

Answer 12

Two escape stairwells needed in high risk, sprinkler systems needed in blocks of flats over 11m in height.

Question 13

What is within BS9999? Provide an example.

Answer 13

British Standard for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings - Defines risk profiles of building types, further expanding on travel distances for both two and one way escape routes.

Question 14

What is the summary of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 1 report?

Answer 14

Looked at the events of the night of the incident, and made recommendation to ban combustible cladding material, fire safety responsible persons duty changes, Building safety regulator.

Question 15

What is the summary of the recent Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 2 report?

Answer 15

Looked at the process leading up to the event - failings of the government, LA, manufacturers, BBA, management of fire safety in the buoding. Made recommendations to form single construction industry regulator, further review approved doc B, regulators put in place for FRA and fire engineering.

Question 16

What regulations have been implemented as a result of the Grenfell Tower enquiry?

Answer 16

Building safety Act 2022, updates to approved document B.

Question 17

What are the most common causes of fire and their location?

Answer 17

National Fire Protection Association list the five most common; cooking equipment, heating, electrical, lighting, smoking and arson.

Question 18

How would you go about protecting the structure of a building?

Answer 18

Timber - fire protective coatings, hard wood timbers burn slower, protect with fire linings, cavity barriers and fire stopping.
Steel - intumescent paint, protect with fire lining, cavity barriers and fire stopping.

Question 19

What are the regulations on escape requirements from a building?

Answer 19

Approved doc B defines means of escape as a structural means.
Commercial - 18m in one direction, 45m in two directions.
Residential - 9m in one direction, 18m in two directions.

Question 20

What is passive fire protection? Provide examples.

Answer 20

Built into the structure - walls, floors, ceilings, doors, fire stopping, protection of escape routes and vital structural members.

Question 21

What is active fire protection? Provide examples.

Answer 21

Detecting, stopping and escaping - Alarms, lighting, suppression, smoke ventilation, extinguishers.

Question 22

What are the different categories of fire and smoke detection systems?

Answer 22

L - Life, categories 1 - 5, M - Manual, P - Property.

Question 23

What are the different levels of a Life rated fire detection system?

Answer 23

1 - Highest, whole building covered. 2 - on and around escape routes. 3 - Around escape routes. 4 - Escape routes and circulation areas. 5 - All other situations.

Question 24

What is a place of relative safety?

Answer 24

Place where there is no immediate danger but there could be in the future, e.g.. escape route.

Question 25

What is a place of ultimate safety?

Answer 25

Place outside the building away from it where there is no danger.

Question 26

What is the Joint Fire Code Policy?

Answer 26

Refers to Fire Protection on Construction Sites: The Joint Fire Code. Covers all activities form design to construction, typically on projects above £2.5m

Question 27

What is the difference between a fire stop and a cavity barrier?

Answer 27

A cavity barrier fills concealed gaps within walls, ceilings etc. Fire stopping fills visible gaps around openings or joints in fire-rated walls.

Question 28

How can fires be contained by the structure of a building?

Answer 28

Use of compartments in the form of, fire rated partitions, cavity barriers, fire stopping.

Question 29

What three things are required to start a fire?

Answer 29

Heat / oxygen / fuel

Question 30

What is the principle legislation that describes the responsibilities of a building owner or manager?

Answer 30

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, supplemented by the updated regulations within the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, which introduces new duties for owners or managers.

Question 31

What is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005?

Answer 31

Covers general fire safety for England and Wales, consolidating previous sets of documents for clarity. Sets out responsibilities for owners or building mangers who have a responsibility to introduce steps to reduce risks and provide adequate escape in a fire. Including FRA.

Question 32

What is the purpose of a fire risk assessment?

Answer 32

Undertaken by a competent person, where they assess the building for fire risk and provide recommendation to make it safer.

Question 33

What are the five key steps in undertaking an FRA?

Answer 33

1. Identify the hazard, 2. Identify people at risk, 3. Evaluate risk, implement control or reduction methods, provide precautions to deal with remaining risk, 4. Record, communicate and document findings and actions, 5. Review and update regularly.

Question 34

Would a chartered building surveyor be competent to undertake a Fire Risk Assessment?

Answer 34

Law is not specific, they can if they are competent to do so meaning they have undertaken training and experience. Key info includes fire science, passive / active measures, B.Regs, legislation.

Question 35

What guidance can you refer to for fire safety in schools?

Answer 35

Building bulletin 100 - supports approved document B for interpretation of school requirements.

Question 36

What is a fire safety case report?

Answer 36

The Safety Case Report is a document that the Principal Accountable Person (PAP) must produce for all buildings with seven stories or more. It summarises the building’s Safety Case – all the information used to manage the risk of fire spread and building’s structural safety.

Question 37

What is a PAP (Principle accountable person)?

Answer 37

The principal accountable person is the one that owns or is legally responsible for the repair of the exterior and structure of the building. Typically, an organisation, such as a commonhold association, local authority, or social housing provider is the PAP.

Question 38

What are the sections within Part B?

Answer 38

B1: Means of warning and escape, B2: internal fire spread linings, B3: Internal fire spread structure, B4: External fire spread, B5: Access and facilities for the fire service.

Question 39

What is a fire strategy?

Answer 39

A document which reviews all aspects of a buildings safety features, including construction, compartmentation, means of escape, and other measures. Ensures the building is fit and safe for use by the intended user.

Question 40

Can a building surveyor produce a fire strategy?

Answer 40

No, Fire strategies can only be produced by qualified and competent fire engineers.

Question 41

What are the exit number requirements for means of escape?

Answer 41

1 - 60 people, 2 - 600 people, 3 - 600 more than 600 people. Also defines door with requirements per number of people.

Question 42

What information has RICS provided on fire safety?

Answer 42

Guidance for the public - responsibilities of landlords and tenants.