When completing a fire risk assessment for a flat, you must remember that the primary area of risk is the shared area of the building, not the individual homes.
Communal Escape Routes
Corridors and Stairwells – cleared of blockages, suitably lit and correctly signposted. Can stored bikes, abandoned furniture and piles of boxes be cleared immediately from communal areas?
Fire Door Condition
The condition of fire doors, their self-closing ability, the presence of intumescent strips and the size of any gaps between the door and frame are recorded and any problems with hinges or doors found to be wedged open are reported immediately.
Flat Entrance Doors
The Front doors of Flats are part of the buildings compartmentation and therefore are checked to ensure they are of sufficient fire resistance in accordance with current legislation, often older doors in converted properties fail to meet the current standards.
Compartmentation Integrity
Integrity of the compartmentation – gaps around service penetrations through walls and floors, hidden within ceilings and roof spaces, which allow smoke to pass through and enable fire to travel between floors. Such breaches need to be sealed with an appropriate fire resistance using fire rated materials, in line with current guidance on fire safety in residential buildings.
Emergency Lighting
The lighting in stairwells and corridors should come on automatically in the event of a power failure. Assessors check the coverage and duration of time that the lighting and any battery back-up will last.
Keeping the Assessment Current
The Assessment should be re-viewed following any change of tenancy, refurbishment or alteration to the building, not necessarily on an annual basis.
For flat managers it is simple – a current, site-specific Fire Risk Assessment Northamptonshire is probably the most effective thing you can do to ensure the safety of your residents.
