The past year has seen continued focus on fire safety in the UK, highlighted by the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report and its proposals for reform. In their analysis, Hannah Eales and Darcy Moffat from Kingsley Napley review the key developments of 2024 and consider what lies ahead in 2025.

A Year On from New Obligations

It has been over 12 months since enhanced duties for Responsible Persons came into effect under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 ("Fire Safety Order").

Despite the time elapsed, many Responsible Persons are still grappling with the scope of their responsibilities. One particularly challenging area remains the revised requirements for risk assessments, which continue to generate questions. As noted in Kingsley Napley’s March 2024 article, breaches of these requirements are among the most common allegations faced by Fire Risk Assessors. Consequently, understanding these obligations and ensuring compliance remains critical for duty holders.

The Risks of Lithium-Ion Batteries

Throughout 2024, lithium-ion batteries were a significant fire safety concern, spurred by high-profile incidents both in the UK and abroad. Various developments highlighted the risks and regulatory focus on these batteries:

• Construction Site Safety: The London Fire Brigade issued safety advice on mitigating risks associated with lithium-ion batteries at construction sites.
• Legislative Developments: In July 2024, the Private Members’ Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Bill was introduced in the House of Lords. The bill addresses online sales, usage in e-bikes and scooters, consultation requirements, and potential regulations. While its progression through Parliament remains uncertain, the King’s Speech identified product safety as a key governmental focus.

Duty holders should remain vigilant about fire safety obligations pertaining to lithium-ion batteries and integrate these considerations into broader health and safety compliance.

New Requirements for Residential Settings

In September 2024, the UK Government announced that from March 2025, all new-build residential care homes in England must include fire sprinklers. Additionally, on 2 December 2024, the Government released its response to the Emergency Evacuation Information Sharing Plus (EEEIS+) consultation, introducing a new Residential PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan) policy.

According to Dame Diana Johnson DBE, this policy represents a ‘milestone’ in improving fire safety for vulnerable residents in high-rise and higher-risk residential blocks. The legislation will mandate steps such as:

• Defining building evacuation strategies;
• Identifying and supporting vulnerable residents through Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessments (PCFRAs);
• Sharing evacuation information with local Fire and Rescue Services (FRS);
• Providing FRS access to this information during emergencies.

The policy requires ‘reasonable steps’ to identify vulnerable residents and a ‘reasonable endeavours’ approach to follow up. Residential PEEPs will be required for all high-rise residential buildings and those between 11-18 metres with simultaneous evacuation strategies.

Updated Fire Safety Standards

November 2024 marked the release of updated fire safety standards (BS 9991:2024) by the British Standards Institution. These guidelines, which apply to residential buildings, replace the previous 2015 standards and include:

• A wider scope covering residential care homes;
• Updated guidance on single-stair building height limits;
• Recommendations for sprinkler installations and evacuation lifts.

Professionals involved in designing, constructing, or refurbishing residential buildings should familiarise themselves with these new standards.

The Government’s Remediation Acceleration Plan

In December 2024, the Labour Government unveiled its Remediation Acceleration Plan to address unsafe cladding in England. The plan outlines specific timelines for cladding removal:

• Buildings 18 metres and taller: Unsafe cladding must be removed by the end of 2029 if part of a government-funded remediation scheme.
• Buildings 11 metres and taller: By the end of 2029, unsafe cladding must either be removed or a remediation completion date established.

Failure to meet these deadlines could result in penalties for landlords. The plan also includes objectives to:

• Identify all buildings with unsafe cladding, regardless of height; and
• Mitigate the financial impact of remediation on residents while improving their experience of the process.

Further details are available in the Government’s policy paper released on 2 December 2024.

What to Expect in 2025

Fire safety is set to remain a priority in 2025, with changes likely to stem from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report, released in September 2024. Key recommendations include:

• Establishing a single independent construction industry regulator with responsibilities such as accrediting fire risk assessors, licensing contractors, and overseeing fire-related product testing;
• Requiring statutory fire safety strategies for higher-risk buildings constructed or refurbished;
• Formally recognising fire safety engineering as a regulated profession;
• Introducing a mandatory accreditation system for fire risk assessors.

The Labour Government has committed to responding to all 58 recommendations within six months, but implementation timelines remain unclear.

Staying Compliant

Fire safety is a shared responsibility across industries and individuals, guided by evolving legislation such as the Fire Safety Order and the Building Safety Act. Compliance remains paramount, and duty holders must stay informed about their obligations and the changes ahead in 2025.

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