Understanding fire safety requirements for high rise buildings

Abstract

The final report from the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety1 (led by Dame Judith Hackitt) was published in May 2018, proposing radical changes to how the construction industry tackles the issue of fire safety in Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs). If the recommendations in the report are adopted by government, it will take a considerable amount of time, and a huge cultural shift to implement the full scope of what is proposed. In the meantime, there has been a specific focus from the media and other interested parties on which materials should be permitted in rainscreen cladding applications. This paper sets out the current requirements, what the issues are and how the Hackitt Review could revolutionise the way in which we build.