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
HS&E test price increase
On 1 April 2021 CITB will be increasing the price of the Health, Safety and Environment (HS&E) test products by £1. This price increase was delayed by a year due to COVID-19. It will ensure that CITB can continue to invest in the test, so that it remains up to...
2021 is a CITB Consensus Year
A proposed offer to industry stating what priorities CITB has identified in order to train and qualify the construction industry and how CITB levy will be collected for the next three years, 2022 to 2025, will be distributed in April 2021. This is not a vote to retain...
How to manage expired CSCS cards in a Lockdown
Update 22.1.2021 HS&E Tests There have been updates to the provision of HS&E Testing across all three nations. Testing remains in place in England and has resumed again in Wales, but in Scotland, updated government guidance has meant Pearson VUE have ceased...