FIRE RISK
Summary
- This guidance provides an overview of cladding remediation and how this definition will impact you in practice.
- It has become clear that many residential blocks, flats and houses have serious historical fire safety defects associated with their original construction or a subsequent refurbishment. Most notably, this has included the use of unsafe cladding on the external walls of these buildings.
- The Building Safety Act 2022 changes the regulatory regime so we can have confidence in the future about new buildings.
- Due to the risks posed by these existing fire safety defects, remediation work can be necessary. In the most concerning cases, the entire cladding system for a building may need to be replaced, or proper fire compartmentation installed between flats and houses.
What is a cladding system?
a.Ā it forms the outer wall of an external wall system
Building safety
It is for boards and councillors to understand landlordsā legal obligations in relation to managing the safety of buildings and seek assurance that they are being met, and that any identified risks are being well managed and promptly remedied. Ensuring organisations have robust systems and processes, underpinned by accurate and up to date data on fire safety and their management, is a key aspect of ensuring that tenants homeowners are safe in their homes.
We recognise the seriousness with which landlords take these obligations, and it is important that the work landlords are doing to address fire safety risks in buildings continues at pace, including the remediation of dangerous cladding. Where necessary, landlords are expected to provide measures to mitigate and manage the risks to the safety of tenants until remediation works can commence and/or complete. Landlords should be aware of the Remediation Acceleration Plan published by the government in December 2024, which proposed new expectations of landlords on their completion of remediation works or the plans they have in place, dependent on building height.
What you should be told about cladding removal or other fire safety works when buying a property
Many buildings are having unsafe cladding removed, getting other fire safety issues fixed or waiting for these works to start (all also known as remediation).
Your building owner or manager should tell you:
- if your building has been checked
- if it needs any fire safety works
- how those works will be done
- when they will start, or how theyāre preparing for them
Areas We Cover
