Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: What Responsible Persons Must Do Now

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 set specific fire-door duties for relevant residential buildings. This guide explains the inspection, access-record and resident-information requirements.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 came into force on 23 January 2023. Regulation 10 creates specific fire-door duties for responsible persons in relevant residential buildings, while separate resident-information duties apply in residential buildings with common parts. The precise duties depend on the building and its height.

What the Regulations Require

The 2022 Regulations sit alongside the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021. They apply to the responsible person and introduce separate fire-door and resident-information duties for relevant residential buildings.

1. Quarterly Fire Door Checks (Buildings Over 11 Metres)

For relevant residential buildings above 11 metres, responsible persons must check communal fire doors at least every 3 months. Government guidance describes checks of the door’s condition and the efficiency of self-closing devices. The appropriate inspection scope should take account of the fire strategy and the type of door being considered.

2. Annual Flat Entrance Door Checks

Responsible persons must use best endeavours to check flat entrance doors at least every 12 months. This requires a planned approach to gaining access. Where access is not obtained, the responsible person should retain a record of the steps taken.

3. Resident Information Requirements

Responsible persons must provide residents with fire-door information in the circumstances set out in the Regulations and Government guidance. This includes information on the importance of keeping fire doors shut when not in use and not tampering with self-closing devices.

What a Compliant Fire Door Check Must Cover

The Regulations do not prescribe one universal technical checklist. Government guidance explains the purpose of the routine checks; the detailed scope should be selected for the door, premises and fire strategy. A project-specific inspection may consider the following:

• Door leaf condition — no visible damage, warping, or delamination
• Frame and architrave integrity — no gaps, cracks, or loose fixings
• Intumescent strips and smoke seals — present, undamaged, and correctly fitted
• Self-closing device — functioning correctly and closing the door fully from any position
• Hinges — correct number, correct specification, securely fixed
• Glazing — intact, correctly specified, and properly beaded
• Signage — correct 'Fire Door Keep Shut' or 'Fire Door Keep Locked Shut' signage in place
• Gaps — maximum 3mm around the door leaf when closed, maximum 8mm at the bottom
• Hardware — all ironmongery present, correctly specified, and functioning

Who Counts as a Responsible Person?

The term 'responsible person' is defined in Article 3 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In a residential building, this is typically the building owner, the freeholder, the managing agent acting on behalf of the freeholder, or the residents' management company. In commercial premises, it is the employer or the person in control of the premises.

Critically, the responsible person cannot transfer their legal obligations to a third party. They can appoint a competent contractor to carry out checks on their behalf, but the duty to ensure those checks are carried out — and documented — remains with the responsible person.

Enforcement and Penalties

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the enforcing authority is ordinarily the fire and rescue authority. Enforcement action and penalties depend on the facts, the relevant statutory provision and the enforcing authority’s powers. Responsible persons should obtain appropriate legal and fire-safety advice where enforcement action is possible.

How Eagle Fire Can Help

Eagle Fire offers fire door inspection and survey work across North West England.