As a property manager or facilities manager you should be aware of the requirements necessary to ensure fire safety compliance is achieved across your properties.

We recommend fire risk assessments are carried out by an independent and suitably qualified assessor / company that is not associated to the company responsible for providing the premises fire safety service and maintenance services to avoid any potential conflict of interests. RES do not undertake fire risk assessments for this reason.

The premises fire risk assessment should be kept up to date, detailing the fire safety measures in place with the assessor making recommendations to ensure they are compliant.

Residential properties may have, for example, fire detection and alarm system, emergency lighting, fire doors, dry risers, smoke control systems and portable fire equipment

Fire alarm systems must be serviced every six months as required by British Standard 5839

Various grades of system are appropriate for residential properties, from Grade A, providing the highest level of fire detection and alarm system, to a Grade D1 system.

Various fire alarm equipment is available and more information on these can be found on our fire alarm service page

RES are BAFE SP203-1 certificated for Fire Detection and Alarm Systems: Third-party certificated by BSI, giving you assurance and peace of mind.

Emergency lighting is a requirement in HMOs under British Standard 5266-1 and an engineer should attend site twice a year to complete a full service across all devices.

There are various types of emergency lights which are outlined in our emergency light service page

RES have BAFE SP203-4 Emergency Lighting: Third-party certificated by BSI, giving you assurance and peace of mind.

Effective fire-resisting doors are vital to ensure occupants are able to evacuate to a safe place.

As per the “Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022”, routine fire door checks should be undertaken by the responsible person.

Any damage or defects are reported and remedied in a timely manner by the responsible person.

RES are BM-Trada Q Mark registered for fire door maintenance and installation.

A Dry Riser is a system of pipes and valves installed in tall buildings or building with restricted access that enables the fire brigade to pump water to specific predetermined points within the building.

The buildings “Responsible Person” (RP) is required to maintain the system to BS 9990 – Code of practice for non-automatic fire fighting systems in buildings, and ensure maintenance frequency and procedures are in accordance with BS 9999 – Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings, or as specified  by the buildings Fire Risk Assessment (FRA).

BS 9990 requires the system to undergo an annual static pressure test and inspection and a six monthly visual inspection, by a competent person. Thus ensuring the Dry riser system is maintained and functioning correctly for the fire brigade at all times.

Smoke control and ventilation systems vent smoke out of a building in the event of a fire and are used in residential, commercial, healthcare or educational premises.

Smoke Vent Systems should be serviced a minimum of once a year as per the RRO (The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17) and  BS 7346-8:2013 and relevant parts of BS EN 12101 for Smoke and heat control systems.

RES can provide a comprehensive Smoke Control and Ventilation service.

The annual servicing of fire extinguishers is a requirement of British Standard 5306

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) should have fire extinguishers installed. The quantity and placement of these would be outlined in the fire risk assessment.

There are various types of fire extinguisher as outlined on our fire extinguishers service page

RES provide a comprehensive fire extinguisher service and are BAFE (SP101) registered, giving you assurance and peace of mind.

RES use the leading fire and security maintenance platform Uptick, which provides us and our customers with a clear picture of the service schedules, any defects and invoices. Each customer can be provided client portal access which gives accurate and up-to-date information on all their managed properties in once place.

Whether you are managing one, or a portfolio of properties, our service and maintenance services will help to ensure your premises are fire safety compliant.

Common questions often asked are ‘what fire signs does my premises require? and ‘why do we require so many signs?’

Fire safety signs are designed to warn building occupants of any fire hazards, provide information on fire safety equipment and procedures, and give concise instructions about the actions all occupants at anytime should take in the event of a fire. Installing and maintaining fire safety signs is not only essential to saving lives and protecting property, but is also a legal requirement.

The Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 outlines the types of fire signs, their placement, and the importance of maintenance, while the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005 requires the Responsible Person to take responsibility for fire safety within commercial premises.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 which came into effect in England from 23 January 2023 made it a legal requirement for way finding signs to be installed in all high-rise residential buildings in England, including clear markings identifying floor and individual flat numbers to assist the Fire and Rescue Service.

There are several types of fire safety signs. Carrying out a Fire Risk Assessment, as required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, should ultimately determine which signs are essential for your premises.

• – Fire exit signs highlight the safest evacuation route and nearest emergency exit of a building.
• – Fire door signs provide mandatory instructions to ensure effectiveness.
• – Fire alarm signs highlight the nearest fire alarm and provide information regarding its activation.
• – Emergency door operation signs offer simple instructions on how to operate emergency exit doors.
• – Stairway and floor level identification signs enable occupants of multi-storey high-rise buildings to accurately and quickly inform Fire and Rescue Services of the location of a fire and assist firefighters in navigating their way around the building.
• – Fire assembly point signs show where a building’s assembly point is located to enable evacuees to report to their designated point and identify any missing persons quickly.
• – Fire extinguisher signs indicate the position and type of extinguishers present in a premises, show the classes of fire they can be used on and how to operate them safely, and help identify any missing extinguishers that need replacing.
• – Fire equipment signs ensure that equipment is present, and correctly and clearly identified (where provided) to enable firefighters to gain immediate access to facilities such as rising main outlets on arrival at the scene of a fire.
• – Fire safety notices reinforce important messages of life safety arrangements to occupants.
• – Fire action notice signs include step-by-step instructions for occupants to follow in the event of a fire.
• – Hazard signs identify the location of potential hazardous materials or environments.

In the event of a fire, smoke and power outages can reduce sign visibility. Photoluminescent signs which function without the need for any additional illumination help maintain their visibility.

RES FIRE supplies high quality, affordable internal and external fire safety signage in a range of different formats and sizes to ensure your premises is compliant.

For further details on fire safety signage audits and maintenance or to ensure your premise emergency escape/exit lighting is fit for purpose please call RES FIRE on 0800 731 0727

For HM Government Wayfinding Regulations go to:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-england-regulations-2022/fact-sheet-wayfinding-signage-regulation-8