New Fire Safety Regulations: What Changes on 6 April 2026?

The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/797) come into force on 6 April 2026. These regulations implement key recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and introduce new requirements for residential buildings that directly affect contractors working on or within them.

If you work on residential buildings — especially high-rise — your RAMS and method statements need updating. Here is exactly what has changed and what your documentation must now cover.

Which Buildings Are Affected?

The regulations apply to buildings in England containing two or more sets of domestic premises that are either:

• 18 metres or more in height, or 7 storeys or more — all such high-rise residential buildings are covered
• Between 11 and 18 metres in height — if the building uses a simultaneous evacuation strategy

This is not limited to new builds. Existing buildings that meet these criteria are included. If you are carrying out refurbishment, maintenance, or any construction work on a qualifying building, these regulations affect you.

What the Regulations Require

The primary duties fall on the Responsible Person — typically the building owner or managing agent as defined under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. They must now:

1. Identify relevant residents — those with cognitive or physical impairments that could affect their ability to self-evacuate in a fire
2. Conduct person-centred fire risk assessments — individual conversations with each relevant resident to understand their specific evacuation needs
3. Prepare emergency evacuation statements for each relevant resident
4. Prepare a building emergency evacuation plan covering the whole building
5. Share the plan with the local Fire and Rescue Authority
6. Place a copy in the building's secure information box (where one exists)
7. Review all plans annually or sooner if circumstances change

What This Means for Contractors and Your RAMS

While the regulations place the primary legal duty on the Responsible Person, contractors working on these buildings have a practical obligation to ensure their work does not compromise the evacuation arrangements now required by law.

Your RAMS and method statements for work on qualifying residential buildings should now include:

1. Evacuation Route Protection

• Identify all evacuation routes within the building before work begins
• Document how your work will maintain clear, unobstructed evacuation routes at all times
• Detail temporary arrangements if work temporarily affects an evacuation route (barriers, diversions, signage)
• Include coordination requirements with the building's Responsible Person

2. Fire Compartmentation Integrity

• Document fire stopping measures for any penetrations through compartment walls or floors
• Detail how fire doors will be maintained or temporarily protected during works
• Include inspection and reinstatement procedures for any breaches to fire barriers

3. Vulnerable Resident Awareness

• Acknowledge that the building may contain residents with specific evacuation needs
• Detail how noisy, dusty, or disruptive work will be managed to avoid triggering false evacuation alarms
• Include procedures for coordinating with building management regarding resident notifications

4. Hot Works and Fire Risk Controls

• Hot work permits must reference the building's emergency evacuation plan
• Fire watch procedures should account for the specific evacuation strategy (stay-put vs simultaneous)
• Flammable material storage must be planned around evacuation routes
• Fire extinguisher provision must be documented in method statements

5. Emergency Procedures

• Your site-specific emergency plan must align with the building's evacuation plan
• All operatives must be briefed on the building's evacuation strategy before starting work
• Contact details for the Responsible Person and fire warden must be included in your RAMS
• Assembly points must be confirmed and documented

The Building Safety Regulator: Stricter Enforcement in 2026

These fire safety regulations sit alongside a broader tightening of construction regulation. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) became an independent body on 27 January 2026, moving out of the HSE to sit as a standalone executive non-departmental public body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

This independence gives the BSR:

• Its own legal personality — it can employ staff, enter contracts, and bring legal proceedings directly
• A more assertive enforcement approach than was possible under HSE
• Full responsibility for Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 building control applications for higher-risk buildings (18m+ / 7+ storeys)
• Oversight of the Golden Thread — the digital record of building safety information that must be maintained throughout a building's lifecycle

For buildings in the 11m+ band, the BSR is expanding its registration requirements, creating a more complete register of residential buildings. This means more buildings will have documented safety requirements that contractors must work around.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Non-compliance with fire safety regulations is a breach of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The penalties are serious:

• Magistrates' Court: Unlimited fine
• Crown Court: Unlimited fine and/or up to 2 years' imprisonment
• Fire and Rescue Authorities can issue enforcement notices, prohibition notices (where serious risk exists), and prosecute
• Non-compliance may also affect insurance coverage — insurers may decline claims where fire safety documentation was inadequate

While these penalties primarily target the Responsible Person, contractors who compromise fire safety arrangements through inadequate planning could face prosecution under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and CDM 2015.

What Else Is Coming in 2026

The fire safety regulations are part of a wave of regulatory change affecting UK construction this year:

Part B Building Regulations — 30 September 2026

Amendments to Approved Document B take effect on 30 September 2026, requiring:

• Second staircases in all new residential buildings where the top storey is 18 metres or more above ground level
• Evacuation lifts in all blocks of flats 18m+, with at least one evacuation lift per protected stairway
• Evacuation lift lobbies must provide refuge areas accessible to wheelchair users

These changes mean new method statements for dual staircase core construction, evacuation shaft fire-rated enclosures, and temporary evacuation arrangements during construction phases.

Single Construction Regulator — Summer 2026

The government consultation on a Single Construction Regulator closed on 20 March 2026. A response is expected in summer 2026. The proposal would consolidate twelve existing regulatory functions — covering buildings, construction products, and professional competence — under one independent regulator.

A related General Safety Requirement consultation (closing 20 May 2026) proposes bringing all construction products within the regulatory regime. Currently only about one third are covered. Non-compliance could carry unlimited fines and up to 2 years' imprisonment.

How to Update Your RAMS Now

Here is a practical checklist for updating your documentation before 6 April:

1. Identify affected projects — Review your current and upcoming projects for work on residential buildings 11m+ or 18m+
2. Request the building's evacuation plan — Contact the Responsible Person and obtain a copy of the emergency evacuation plan
3. Update your RAMS template — Add sections for evacuation route protection, fire compartmentation, and vulnerable resident awareness
4. Review hot work procedures — Ensure hot work permits reference the building's evacuation strategy
5. Brief your teams — Ensure all operatives understand the new requirements before starting work on qualifying buildings
6. Update your toolbox talks — Include fire safety regulation awareness in your next site briefing

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