Fire Safety Policy

Contents

• Introduction
• Statement of Intent
• Policy
• Process
• Fire Risk Assessment
• Evacuation
• Delivery
• Additional Measures
• Responsive and Planned / Upgrade Works
• Management
• Contractors Competency
• Internal Competency
• Data
• Assurance
• Communication
• Implementation
• Consultation
• Equality Analysis (EA)
• Monitoring Performance
• Policy Review

Introduction

At the time of Policy approval Bassetlaw District Council owns and manages in the region of 6,698 tenanted properties. Some 1,500 of these properties are flats, a majority of which have communal/ common areas, which fall within the remit of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO).

This Policy explains how Bassetlaw District Council’s commitments to Fire Safety – within domestic and non-domestic properties funded via the Housing Revenue Account and as a result directly managed by Housing Services staff – will be met. It will be supported by a Fire Safety Management Plan providing more detailed guidance and procedures.

Statement of Intent

Alongside this Policy will sit Bassetlaw District Council's Corporate Fire Safety Procedures, which emphasise and illustrate the organisation's commitment and approach to Fire Safety compliance within its non-Housing Revenue Account funded facilities as managed by other staff of the Council outside of Housing Services.

A key objective of this Policy is to describe how Bassetlaw District Council will meet the required statutory, contractual and regulatory requirements in relation to Fire Safety. It will also cover how Bassetlaw District Council/Cabinet, as Duty Holder, will receive assurance of compliance.

The scope of this Policy includes:

• all properties that fall within the remit of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• the undertaking of Fire Risk Assessments (FRA), and the remedial works and actions arising from the FRA
• the cyclical maintenance of Fire Safety systems and equipment, automatic fire detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting, automatically opening smoke vents or smoke control systems, portable fire-fighting equipment, dry or wet risers, sprinkler/mist systems, fire-fighting lifts (or fireman lifts).
• general repair and maintenance activity which could have an impact on Fire Safety within a building or individual property.

Bassetlaw District Council will comply with all current and relevant legislation and specifically as detailed in the following:

• the Building Regulations 
• the Housing Act 2004 and 
• the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005

Bassetlaw District Council also acknowledges its obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Landlord Tenant Act 1985.

In addition, as a Landlord and provider of Social Housing Bassetlaw District Council must meet the requirements of the Regulator for Social Housing’s (RSH) Safety and Quality Standard. 

It is essential to ensure that customers, residents, employees and visitors remain safe in its premises (both individual homes and offices). Failure to properly discharge its legal responsibilities may also result in:

• Prosecution by the Fire and Rescue Service under the Regulatory Fire Safety Order 2005.
• Prosecuted under the Building Safety Act 2022
• Prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive under Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
• Prosecution under Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007.
• RSH scrutiny.
• Reputational damage to the organisation and staff.
• Loss of confidence by stakeholders in the organisation.

Policy

In order to comply with regulatory standards and legal obligations, and to manage the risk to customers, staff, and other visitors to its properties, Bassetlaw District Council will:

Process

• Provide clear lines of responsibility for all properties within the scope of this Policy supported by written guidance in the Fire Safety Management Plan.
• Ensure that a clear and consistent process including front-line engagement and enforcement is in place to obtain access to properties to conduct the safety checks and works, including legal action when required.
• Proactively assess available data for relevant information about the customer to help gain access (disability, vulnerability, local connections, etc.).
• Maintain a process for dealing with unsafe situations in accordance with the regulations.

Fire Risk Assessment

• Undertake suitable and sufficient FRAs in accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (as per the table below), record the significant findings and undertake necessary remedial work within the timescales recommended by the Competent Person who completed the FRA.
• Review all FRAs, no matter what the risk category, following any of the events below: 
  
  • a fire, near miss or threat of arson;
  • the introduction of new work practices;
  • any works affecting the means of escape or alarm systems; and
  • structural or material changes to the building or its use.

The above circumstances may prompt a new FRA not just a review.  This decision is made by the Responsible Person.  Outside of these circumstances, FRAs will be renewed on or before the date recommended by the Competent Person undertaking the previous assessment.  In any event, renewals of FRAs will be undertaken at frequencies not greater than those in the table below:

 

Risk profile of the premises	Example of property type	FRA programme year
All Stock, All Risks	Fire Risk Assessments to ALL communal blocks.	Year 1
High Risk	Fire Risk Assessment to High Risk locations – Premises with vulnerable occupants (for example Independent Living Schemes), Temporary Accommodation, Community Centres, converted premises, purpose built general needs residential blocks of 5 storeys or greater	Year 2
High/Medium Risk	Fire Risk Assessment to High Risk locations (As Year 2) plus: Medium Risk locations – Purpose built, general needs residential blocks of between 3 and 4 storeys (inclusive) above ground and blocks which contain flats which are located above commercial premises.	Year 3
High/Low Risk	Fire Risk Assessment to High Risk locations (As Year 2 and 3) plus: Low Risk locations – Purpose built, general needs residential blocks of no more than 2 storeys above ground.	Year 4
High/Medium Risk, Review Low	Fire Risk Assessment to High and Medium Risk locations and review of the Year 4 Fire Risk Assessments of Low Risk locations completed in Year 4.	Year 5

In addition to and in order to supplement FRAs completed to common parts of flat blocks of more than two stories, Bassetlaw District Council shall undertake an internal FRA within a sample of individual flats as they become void, working towards an initial minimum sample of 10% per flat block.

Evacuation

• Ensure each building has an evacuation strategy stated clearly in the FRA. The evacuation strategy will be agreed with the Competent Person undertaking the FRA, however as a general principle:

Residential accommodation (with common parts)

• Purpose built accommodation will generally have a ‘Stay Put’ Policy.  Occupants have the option to stay in the building provided they feel it is safe to do so.  The ‘stay put’ Policy may change based on the instructions of the Fire and Rescue Service during an emergency situation.  The appropriateness of a ‘Stay Put’ Policy will be considered by the Competent Person when carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment and should an alternative arrangement be deemed more suitable then their advice will be adopted accordingly.
• Converted accommodation will have a ‘total evacuation’ Policy.  All occupants to self-evacuate in the event of fire or once the fire alarm sounds.
• Residential buildings which are managed 24 hours or which house vulnerable residents may require bespoke evacuation strategies specific to the premises (outlined below in ‘Assisted Evacuation’).  

Commercial accommodation and community premises

• All premises to have a ‘total evacuation’ Policy.  All occupants to self-evacuate in the event of fire or once the fire alarm sounds.

Assisted Evacuation

• For commercial and non-residential premises it is the responsibility of each employee to inform their line manager of any physical or sensory impairment he/she may have, including temporary impairment, which may affect how they evacuate the premises.  Bassetlaw District Council will be proactive in becoming aware of people who may need assistance to escape in the event of a fire.
• In the case of community centres, hirers responsibilities are set out in the terms and conditions of hire.   These require that hirers make themselves familiar with the content of Fire Action signs within the premises, take charge of evacuations and ensure that appropriate help is available to those that require it.  In addition, regular hirers will have further responsibilities as detailed within the Management Plan.
• In residential premises, (1) General Needs - where practicable and should assistance be requested, the Council will provide advice and guidance to assist residents in developing their own means of escape plan in general needs premises.  This will not involve the assistance of staff in the evacuation.  (2) Independent Living Accommodation - Liaison will take place with the Fire and Rescue Service on how best to record and store information on disabled or vulnerable residents.  This will not involve the assistance of staff in the evacuation. (3) Extra-care – Where a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is in place a copy will be kept in the Gerda Box on site.
• Where appropriate, provide equipment to aid evacuation which should only be used by appropriately qualified or trained persons e.g. the Fire and Rescue Service.
• Bassetlaw District Council Staff/Wardens will be mobilised to assist the welfare of residents following the evacuation of Independent Living Schemes.
• Evacuation drills will be carried out in all non-residential buildings and a selected set of residential buildings.  In case of Community Centres, drills will be targeted towards regular hirers of the facility.  The FRA will determine any specific requirements. Where there is a legal requirement to carry out an evacuation drill annually Bassetlaw District Council will endeavour to go beyond this requirement by conducting drills twice annually. Residential premises with alarms will be assessed as to the appropriateness of regular fire drills on an individual basis.  Results will be monitored to ensure evacuation in a safe and timely manner and improvements to evacuation processes made where necessary.
• All new staff to the organisation will be instructed in the fire evacuation procedure on induction.

Delivery

Remedial Works

• Ensure that priorities and completion targets for remedial actions are defined by the Competent Person undertaking the FRA. Any changes will be agreed by the Fire Action Group and will be subject to the written agreement of the Competent Person who undertook the FRA.
• All Fire Safety remedial work should be carried out in accordance with the relevant British Standard, approved code of practice or associated best practice guidance.  The fire risk will be reviewed regularly from the time of FRA completion until remedial works have been completed.  Upon completion of all remedial works an FRA review or renew will be undertaken to provide assurance that customers, residents, employees and visitors remain safe in the premises and in line with the RRFSO 2005.
• Test and maintain all Fire Safety equipment within the scope of this Policy in accordance with regulatory and statutory requirements and considering manufacturer’s requirements.

Domestic Smoke Detection

• Ensure that all properties owned by Bassetlaw District Council (including leasehold but excluding shared ownership) will have mains or battery-operated fire detection systems. Upgrading to mains operated systems across all properties will be part of ongoing investment work programmes.   
• Check smoke detection annually as part of the heating servicing contract or, where properties are not part of heating contracts, through other cyclical maintenance contracts.  
• Where works are refused by the customer, Bassetlaw District Council will treat the situation sensitively but will be clear that the work must be completed to ensure their health and safety and that of others in the property and will take legal action as appropriate and where necessary to undertake required works.

Additional Measures

• Ensure that residential properties will receive further checks which contribute to reducing the risk of fire, including annual gas and other heating installation checks, electrical safety checks, and portable electrical appliance checks to any appliances provided and supplied by Bassetlaw District Council, Housing Services.
• All new prospective tenants of Flat Blocks, Houses in Multiple Occupation or Independent Living Schemes shall be assessed in order to confirm that they are able to comply with the evacuation strategy for the building.  

Responsive and Planned / Upgrade Works

• Ensure that contractors (internal and external) have a general awareness of Fire Safety and undertake a risk assessment considering Fire Safety when undertaking responsive repairs that may have an impact on Fire Safety. Repairs to be carried out in accordance with the relevant British Standard, approved code of practice or associated good practice guidance.
• Ensure contractors maintain suitable method statements relating to fire stopping and compartmentation. Carry out a sample of ‘during’ and ‘post work’ inspections to ensure compliance.
• Risk assess planned maintenance or upgrade programmes to consider any impact on Fire Safety. Current reports/examinations/FRAs should be provided together with any historic works records, both responsive and planned.  
• At the time of major works within a flat, where compartmentation is exposed or accessible the compartmentation will be subject to a detailed check by a Competent Person so that a detailed record can be built up to confirm the level of compartmentation provided.
• Ensure that a post project Fire Safety check is completed by a Competent Person, independent to the contractor, where the risk assessment indicates a likely impact on existing Fire Safety measures in a building. 

Management

• Comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations and other relevant Fire Safety legislation when carrying out any works.
• Prohibit the storage of any items in communal areas and escape routes without Bassetlaw District Council’s express permission. Maintain a no smoking Policy in all communal areas.
• Implement a risk-based approach to the periodic inspection of communal areas and escape routes in line with the Fire Safety Management Plan to enforce the above.
• Ensure that, where provided, furniture is compliant with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988.
• Ask residents to alert Bassetlaw District Council to the presence of stored oxygen so that it can alert the Fire and Rescue Service to its presence. 
• Ask residents to remove any alterations that they have made if the FRA indicates that this is required. Bassetlaw District Council will take a reasonable approach according to the risk presented but will take enforcement where required.

Contractors Competency

• Only engage with companies assessed and registered under BAFE SP205-1 in providing fire risk assessment services.  External fire risk assessment providers (whether individuals or companies) should be able to demonstrate reasonable experience of undertaking fire risk assessments in housing stock.
• Only engage with contractors assessed as being suitably competent to undertake the work for which they are being considered.  Contractors, where possible, should be third party accredited to a nationally recognised scheme, such as BAFE SP203 (relevant part) for fire alarm contractors, BAFE SP101 for fire-fighting equipment etc.
• Carry out an assessment of all contractor competencies annually or at change of contract/contractor, as detailed within the Fire Safety Management Plan.

Internal Competency

• Maintain a skills/training matrix to ensure that all staff undertaking key roles within the scope of this Policy have appropriate training.
• Operate a detailed competence framework including regular appraisals as part of the Fire Safety Management Plan.

Data

• Maintain an up to date Master Database of all properties where it has a responsibility to provide Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) and/or maintain Fire Safety equipment as set out in the scope of this Policy.
• Where a requirement exists, hold information including but not limited to: UPRN, property designation, construction type, building management, shared responsibilities, risk profile, evacuation strategy, type of equipment, manufactures requirements and associated testing/servicing frequency date of the last two FRAs and next FRA due date.
• Maintain current and up to date records of remedial works for the entire portfolio, which will detail all recommendations from the FRAs. The records will include; address and risk profile of the property, detail of the work item required, priority and target completion, person responsible, when the work was completed and who it was signed off by, and evidence of completion.
• Hold Fire Safety maintenance records electronically in the Master Database with other Landlord Compliance records.  There may be instances where a hard copy is kept on site and these will be detailed in the Management Plan.
• Where required, and in agreement with the Fire and Rescue Service, provide specific site information within a Gerda Box on site.

Assurance

• Ensure that all persons involved with the management of Fire Safety are properly trained and accredited in accordance with this Policy. 
• Where necessary, operate a permit to work system when safety critical work is being carried out. 
• Carry out works-based assurance activity including checks on certification and post-inspection of onsite works to the level stated within the Fire Safety Management Plan. A proportion of such checks will be carried out by an Independent 3rd Party.
• Set a timetable for the review of the Fire Safety Policy and the associated Management Plan.

Communication

• Operate a Fire Safety Group comprising of a cross organisation team of staff. Terms of Reference of the Group will be included in the Fire Safety Management Plan.
• Communicate with staff through training, fire drills, appropriate signage and the intranet.
• Communicate with residents through appropriate ‘Fire Action’ signage in conjunction with other forms of communication provided on a regular basis such as web-site, newsletters, leaflets and home information packs.
• Comply fully with Article 22 of the RRFSO and ensure that where Bassetlaw District Council are considered jointly responsible for a property or common area, it will share its Fire Risk Assessment with other relevant parties, and co-operate with them so far as is necessary to ensure the safety of relevant persons.
• Engage in a regime of regular communication with the Fire and Rescue Service to ensure good lines of communication and operational familiarity.

Implementation

This Policy will be effective from 17th March 2020, following Council/Cabinet approval. 

Staff will be made aware of the Policy at priority training and a copy will be available on the intranet. The Policy will be uploaded to the Bassetlaw District Council web site. 

This Policy should also be read in conjunction with the Compliance Strategy and Fire Safety Management Plan

There will be training provided for all those staff involved with the delivery and implementation of the Compliance function both operationally and legislatively.

Consultation

This Policy is based on legislative and regulatory requirements and as such consultation with customers has not taken place. There has been consultation with teams within Bassetlaw District Council. 

Equality Analysis (EA)

We believe all people should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race (including, nationality, ethnic or national origins), religion, belief or non-belief, sex, or sexuality or by association with someone with any of these characteristics or perception of having any of these characteristics.

The Equality Assessment was undertaken on October 2019 and no adverse discrimination was found. 

The Council Plan 2019 to 2023 has actions to ‘Improve the quality and performance of Bassetlaw’s housing stock, by regularly inspecting them to ensure that they are maintained to the highest possible standard’ and ‘Ensure that our housing stock is safe and compliant’.

The Council, as a Landlord has statutory, regulatory and legislative requirements it must comply with in respect of areas of compliance.  

These include but are not restricted to Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Construction (Design Management) Regulations 2015, Control of Asbestos Regulation 2012, Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Housing Act 2004.

Failure to comply with these requirements could expose tenants and residents to injury, extreme harm or death and the Council being fined or prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive.

Monitoring Review

The following KPIs will be reported:

• •% of properties with a completed and in date FRA where required. Ref: C008
• % of buildings with Fire Safety systems/equipment present where all systems/equipment has been tested/maintained in accordance with this Management Plan. Ref: C009
• The total number of reportable incidents under RIDDOR for all 6 compliance areas. Ref: C016 

Commentary will be provided for any overdue requirements to include the date they became overdue, days overdue, and proposed action to bring them back into a compliant position. To provide additional context commentary will also include information on the proportion of activities within the reporting period that were undertaken before and after their due date. 

A detailed PI suite will be defined within the Management Plan.

The following assurance activity will be undertaken and reported in line with the Management Plan:

• Internal Audit.
• Strategic Review.
• 3rd Party Assurance.

Policy Review

This Policy will be reviewed every 12 months or earlier if deemed necessary though the performance monitoring process. 

Version 6.0

---

Last Updated on Wednesday, April 22, 2026