From BSR reform to AI-assisted fire engineering — here's how building fire safety in the UK is evolving.
13 August 20244 min readFire Safety Services
A Sector in Transformation
UK building fire safety is undergoing its most significant transformation since the Building Act 1984. The Building Safety Act 2022, the establishment of the Building Safety Regulator, the competence frameworks emerging from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, and the rapid development of new technologies in fire detection, modelling, and building management are collectively reshaping how fire safety is designed, delivered, and managed in the UK built environment. Understanding where the sector is heading is important for everyone involved in the design, construction, and management of buildings.
The Evolving Regulatory Landscape
The Building Safety Regulator is still in its early years of operation. Its gateway process is becoming more established, but the BSR continues to refine its approach to assessing Gateway 2 applications, and developers and their fire engineers are still learning what the BSR expects at each gateway. Over the next few years, the BSR's decisions on complex cases will establish a body of precedent that clarifies expectations across the sector.
The competence framework for higher-risk building work is also developing. The registration requirements for principal designers and principal contractors are now in force, and the professional bodies — the IFE, IMechE, RIBA, RICS, and others — are developing more detailed competence standards for their members working on higher-risk buildings. This will drive a more consistent standard of fire safety work across the sector.
The direction of travel in UK building fire safety regulation is clear: greater scrutiny, higher competence requirements, and more accountability for those who design, build, and manage buildings. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry's Phase 2 report will drive further legislative and regulatory change over the coming years.
Single Staircase vs Dual Staircase: The Ongoing Debate
The question of whether new residential buildings over 18 metres should be required to have two staircases has been one of the most significant debates in the UK building safety sector since 2022. NFCC guidance recommends dual staircase provision for new buildings over 18 metres, and the BSR has applied this expectation to most Gateway 2 applications for tall residential buildings.
The government has been consulting on whether to make dual staircase provision a mandatory requirement in Approved Document B for new buildings over a certain height threshold. The outcome of this consultation will have significant implications for the design and economics of tall residential development in the UK, particularly in London where land constraints make dual staircase provision more challenging.
Cladding Remediation: An Unfinished Task
Despite significant government investment and developer commitments, the remediation of buildings with dangerous cladding remains an unfinished task. Many buildings with potentially dangerous external wall systems have not yet been assessed, and many that have been assessed have not yet had remediation works completed. The pace of remediation, the availability of contractors and materials, and the financial and legal frameworks for funding remediation all remain challenging.
Technology and Innovation in Fire Safety
Technology is beginning to reshape fire safety design and management. Advanced fire detection systems capable of earlier detection of smouldering fires, wireless alarm systems that are easier to retrofit in existing buildings, and AI-assisted fire modelling tools that reduce the time and cost of performance-based analysis are all emerging. Building information modelling (BIM) is increasingly used to integrate fire safety information into the digital record of a building, supporting the golden thread requirements of the Building Safety Act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will dual staircase provision become mandatory for all tall buildings?
The government has been consulting on this question. At the time of writing, dual staircase provision is an expectation of the BSR for new higher-risk buildings at Gateway 2 but is not yet a mandatory requirement in Approved Document B. This position may change following the consultation.
What is the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report's significance for future regulation?
The Phase 2 report, published in September 2024, made wide-ranging recommendations covering the construction industry, regulatory bodies, local authorities, and the fire and rescue service. Many of these recommendations will require legislative action and may lead to further changes to building regulations, fire safety legislation, and industry practice over the coming years.
How is the cladding remediation programme progressing?
Government data indicates that thousands of buildings with dangerous cladding have been identified, but remediation has been completed on only a fraction of these. The pace of remediation is constrained by contractor capacity, materials availability, and the complexity of funding arrangements for buildings where developer liability is disputed.
Will fire safety requirements become more or less stringent in future?
The direction of travel is clearly towards greater stringency — higher competence requirements, more rigorous regulatory scrutiny, and more detailed documentation requirements. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry's Phase 2 recommendations will drive further tightening of standards. There is no indication of a return to the deregulatory approach that the Hackitt Review criticised.
How is technology changing fire safety engineering?
CFD fire modelling tools are becoming faster and more accessible. AI-assisted evacuation modelling is emerging. Wireless fire detection systems are making retrofitting easier. BIM integration is improving the quality of fire safety information in the golden thread. These developments are increasing the sophistication of fire safety design without reducing the need for competent human judgement.
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