FIS has written to the Welsh Government to formally support the CPA response to the Safer Buildings in Wales consultation and highlighted the confusion caused by Regulation 7 and challenges in building classification. On the whole the consultation sets out an achievable path for Welsh Regulations to embrace the fundamental elements of the Building Safety Bill that is expected to be passed into law before the summer recess.
The consultation focussed on 7 key areas.
- Setting out the scope of the Building Safety Regime
- The Building Safety Regime (Design and Construction Phase)
- The Building Safety Regime (Occupation phase)
- Residents: Roles and Responsibilities
- Raising Concerns
- Regulating the Building Safety Regime
- General Requirements in Relation to Fire Safety Equipment
FIS is particularly encouraged by the recognition of the importance of compartmentation and the emphasis outlined and the importance of managing interfaces. We were also able to highlight recent collaborative work in the production of the Fire Stopping of Service Penetrations Guide that can be referenced in future official guidance to support the avoidance of design and construction issues in this space and support one of the aims identified in the consultation in terms of “verifying that all works that breach compartmentation (eg holes drilled through walls) use appropriate and adequate fire-stopping”.
The full response from the CPA can be downloaded here