Causeway Council provides input to fire safety consultation

The consultation proposes legislative amendments “to uplift fire safety protection measures in a range of buildings”.

According to the consultation, fire safety measures in buildings established through the Building Regulations “contribute significantly to maintaining life safety standards for occupants, residents and firefighters and contribute in terms of property protection”.

A report submitted to the council’s Environmental Services Committee explains the changes proposed are “mainly focused on residential buildings and in particular domestic multi-residential buildings, to provide assurance and additional safety measures to residents”.

It adds: “Some amendments are aimed at assisting the Fire and Rescue Service to ensure they can provide an effective operational response.”

The aim of the proposals is to reduce the consequences of fire “through saving lives and preventing injuries” with the Department of Finance seeking views to help inform the development of final policy proposals.

The proposals include a new functional regulation to require the person carrying out work to provide adequate fire safety information to the person who has fire safety duties in any “relevant premises”.

In its response, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council emphasised the need for the dissemination of “all ‘as built information’ on active and passive fire safety measures”.

The response continues: “An adequate period of time is required post-completion prior to occupation to collate this information and hand over to the person responsible for fire safety matters to ensure it is understandable, accurate and represents ‘as built’ construction and not simply a tick box exercise.”

A new regulation would also require the provision of suitable automatic fire suppression systems (for example sprinklers) in certain types of buildings. These buildings will include buildings containing flats and specific purpose-built student accommodation, both with a storey more than 11m above ground level.

All residential care premises, including residential care homes, nursing homes, children’s homes and family resident centres, will also be included.

The council said it would welcome “the requirement for automatic suppression systems”, adding that the “mandatory nature of this requirement ensures these systems must be incorporated in these buildings and cannot be designed out”.