Government have now published a new document that sets out amendments to guidance previously published in Approved Document B: Fire safety, Volume 1 – Dwellings and Volume 2 – Buildings other than dwellings.

These amendments will be incorporated in the online available Approved Document B Volume 1 and Volume 2 as from 1 December 2022.  The changes highlighted in this amendment booklet take effect on 1 December 2022 for use in England.

The 2019 edition incorporating the 2020 amendments will continue to apply where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to, or full plans deposited with, a local authority before 1 December 2022 and either the building work to which it relates:

  1. has started before that day; or
  2. is started within the period of six months beginning on that day.

The changes focus on the following fire safety provisions:

  1. Ban of combustible materials in and on the external walls of buildings:
    Consequential amendments following the laying of the Building (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2022.
    Updated provisions in Section 10 and 12 of Volume 1 and 2 respectively for residential buildings (purpose groups 1 and 2) with a storey 11m or more in height.
  2. Secure information boxes: A new recommendation for secure information boxes in blocks of flats with storeys over 11m.
  3. Evacuation alert systems: A new recommendation for evacuation alert systems in blocks of flats with storeys over 18m.
  4. Clarifications and corrections: Clarification of further diagrams, further text clarifications and corrections.

A full copy of the document containing details of the amendments is available here.

The current Approved Document B: Fire safety, Volume 1 – Dwellings and Volume 2 – Buildings other than dwellings (2019 edition incorporating the 2020 amendments) is available for reference here

This announcement coincides with additional information published related to updated requirements for Non-Combustible Cladding.