The Government has published a document listing amendments to Volumes 1 and 2 of Approved Document B which will come into effect in September 2026.
These amendments principally concern:
- Threshold for the provision of a second staircase in blocks of flats with a storey 18m or more in height.
- Evacuation shafts are introduced to support the provision of evacuation lifts.
- Changes to provisions for fire doorsets.
- New terminology including definitions for evacuation shaft, evacuation lift lobby, interlocked stair and storey exit.
- Provisions for horizontal escape and vertical escape separated as per the structure of Volume 2.
The 2019 edition incorporating the 2020 and 2022 amendments will continue to apply where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to, or a building control approval application with full plans made to, the relevant authority before 30 September 2026 and either the building work to which it relates:
- has started and is sufficiently progressed before that day; or
- is started and is sufficiently progressed within the period of 18 months beginning on that day
You can view the amendments at the link below:
Fire safety: Approved Document B
FIS will publish further detailed guidance on these changes in the coming months.
See more news likes this
Celebrating the industry’s best
FIS today celebrated the finishes and interiors sector with the announcement of the winners of the FIS 2023 Contractors Awards. Members and their guests packed out the Nine Kings Suite at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London to see the winners in the 14 categories...
Innovations in Construction Material Reuse
The next in the series of newsletters from the Link Consortium is available here. FIS taking a lead on driving product re-use and standardising deconstruction processes. The Link project is a key part of this work, looking at streamlining the strip-out process and...
Construction: an industry of opportunity
Opportunity – for young people, employers and society – is central to the new Construction Leadership Council’s skills plan. The plan shows how much Construction and built environment has to offer society and provides solutions to short and long-term challenges....