Staying on top of Ever-Changing Fire Safety Regulations

UK Fire Magazine Article by Peter Lackey, Fire Manager UK, Johnson Controls

More than ever before, fire-safety regulations are under intense scrutiny as time passes since the Grenfell Tower tragedy. However, when it comes to legal obligations around fire safety, many UK businesses are still worryingly unaware of the rules and the consequences – despite growing calls to make real changes to the health and safety regulations that are currently in place.

A major stumbling block faced by the industry is that if regulations are introduced bit by bit, then they will also be implemented bit by bit, which can be more of a hindrance than a help. This means that, despite the same shared goals, every business will have its own level of commitment to fire safety. But best practice and regulation alone are not enough to ensure occupant safety across the board; there are many pieces to the puzzle. The safest bet is a complete, end-to-end overhaul of the way businesses understand and apply fire-safety regulations. While the ongoing public inquiry is driving momentum behind this, there is always more work to be done.

This article originally appeared in the May 2019 edition of UK Fire magazine.