2005 — Fire Safety Order
The operational foundation for responsible persons, risk assessment and general fire precautions.
Law, regulations and standards
Fire safety regulations in England
Use this independent guide library to understand how the Fire Safety Order, later Acts, residential regulations and technical standards fit together—without confusing legal duties with voluntary guidance.
Page summary
Core legislation, building-safety guidance and eight practical workplace regulation guides.
Reviewed 9 September 2026Legislative timeline
How the main fire-safety reforms connect
Later legislation clarified and added duties; it did not erase the Fire Safety Order. Several parts of this framework can apply to the same building at once.
2021 — Fire Safety Act
Clarified that the Order includes structure, external walls and flat entrance doors in relevant residential buildings.
2022 — Building Safety Act
Created the higher-risk-building regime and strengthened Fire Safety Order recording, cooperation and information duties.
2022 Regulations
Added building-specific duties for multi-occupied residential buildings in England, with most duties commencing in January 2023.
October 2023
Section 156 changes brought fuller FRA recording and additional responsible-person duties into force.
Scope note: Acts, regulations and standards sit at different levels. PAS and BS documents can support competent work but are not themselves legislation.
How the framework fits together
Begin with the duty, then choose the right evidence
A single premises can sit under several regimes at once. Work from scope and control—not from the title of a document.
Foundation
Fire Safety Order 2005
Sets the responsible-person, fire risk assessment and general fire-precaution duties for most non-domestic premises.
Clarification
Fire Safety Act 2021
Confirms the Order covers structure, external walls and flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings.
Specific duties
England Regulations 2022
Add recurring information, door-check and high-rise operational duties for blocks of flats.
Wider regime
Building Safety Act 2022
Creates the higher-risk-building regime and strengthens Fire Safety Order record and cooperation duties.
Voluntary methodologies
PAS 79-1 and PAS 9980
Support consistent assessment methods within their respective scopes. They do not replace legal judgement or make every recommendation a statutory requirement.
Detailed guide library
Six core fire-safety guides
Each page includes a plain-English summary, scope tests, duty tables, practical steps, FAQs and links to primary sources.
01
Primary fire-safety legislation
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
A practical guide to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, responsible persons, fire risk assessments, general fire precautions and enforcement in England.
- Status
- In force, as amended
- Applies
- England and Wales
02
Amending legislation
Fire Safety Act 2021
Understand how the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified FRA duties for structure, external walls, balconies, cladding and flat entrance doors in multi-occupied residential buildings.
- Status
- In force
- Applies
- England and Wales
03
Secondary legislation
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
A clear guide to Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 duties for blocks of flats, including 11m fire-door checks and high-rise building information.
- Status
- In force since 23 January 2023
- Applies
- England only
04
Building-safety legislation
Building Safety Act 2022
Understand the Building Safety Act 2022, higher-risk buildings, accountable persons, safety cases, golden thread and its relationship with fire risk assessments.
- Status
- In force in stages
- Applies
- Principally England; provisions vary
05
British standard methodology
PAS 79 fire risk assessment
Understand PAS 79-1:2020 for non-housing fire risk assessments, its legal status, methodology and the new BS 9792:2025 housing standard.
- Status
- PAS 79-1:2020 current; housing guidance has changed
- Applies
- Voluntary UK standard
06
British standard methodology
PAS 9980 external wall assessment
Understand PAS 9980 fire risk appraisals of external walls, when a FRAEW may be needed, competence, outcomes and the difference from EWS1 forms.
- Status
- PAS 9980:2022 current
- Applies
- Voluntary UK standard
Building-safety library
Higher-risk buildings, external walls and evacuation
Guidance for owners, managing agents, accountable persons, residents and professionals navigating the post-Grenfell framework.
01
Building-safety regulator
Building Safety Regulator
Understand the Building Safety Regulator, higher-risk building registration, building control approval, enforcement and its standalone role from 2026.
- Status
- Standalone regulator since 27 January 2026
- Applies
- England; competence functions extend wider
02
External-wall valuation process
EWS1 forms explained
Understand when an EWS1 form may be requested, A1 to B2 ratings, five-year validity, competent signatories and how EWS1 differs from a FRAEW.
- Status
- RICS third edition current; lender policies vary
- Applies
- UK process; this guide focuses on England
03
Public inquiry and reform guide
Grenfell Tower fire and inquiry
A respectful, source-led account of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Inquiry findings, recommendations and resulting fire and building-safety reforms.
- Status
- Inquiry closed; recommendations in implementation
- Applies
- United Kingdom, with many reforms focused on England
04
Occupied higher-risk building guide
Higher-risk buildings and accountable persons
Check the higher-risk building definition and understand accountable person, principal accountable person, registration and occupied-building duties.
- Status
- Part 4 regime in force
- Applies
- England
05
Higher-risk building assurance guide
Building safety case reports and the golden thread
Learn what a higher-risk building safety case report should contain, how the golden thread supports it and what BSR expects for assessment.
- Status
- Ongoing legal duties in force
- Applies
- England
06
Residential evacuation legislation
Residential PEEPs and evacuation plans
Understand the Residential PEEPs duties in force from 6 April 2026, including scope, person-centred fire risk assessments and building evacuation plans.
- Status
- In force since 6 April 2026
- Applies
- England
07
Government data tracker
Cladding remediation tracker
Explore national, regional and local-authority remediation progress using the June 2026 MHCLG data release.
- Snapshot
- 30 June 2026
- Coverage
- England, buildings 11m and over
Quick scope check
Which rules may apply?
This is an orientation tool, not a legal determination. Several rows can apply to the same building.
Start with the Fire Safety Order
Confirm the responsible person, full recorded FRA, general fire precautions, cooperation, maintenance, emergency planning and review.
Fire Safety Order guideAdd the residential scope changes
Consider structure, external walls, balconies and flat entrance doors under the Fire Safety Act, plus the England regulations where their scope test is met.
Fire Safety Act guideAdd recurring door checks
Annual flat entrance door checks using best endeavours and quarterly communal fire-door checks apply, with records.
2022 Regulations guideCheck both high-rise regimes
The 2022 fire regulations add specific duties. The Building Safety Act occupation regime also applies where the building has at least two residential units and meets its detailed definitions.
Building Safety Act guideConsider PAS 79-1:2020
It is current for premises other than housing. For housing within scope, BS 9792:2025 has succeeded the withdrawn PAS 79-2.
PAS 79 guideConsider a specialist PAS 9980 FRAEW
A competent specialist may need to appraise external-wall fire spread and feed the outcome into the whole-building FRA.
PAS 9980 guideAccuracy notes
Common claims that need correction
PAS is not legislation. PAS 79 and PAS 9980 are standards. They may support competent work, but legal duties come from legislation.
The door-check threshold is above 11 metres. It is not limited to 18-metre or seven-storey high-rise blocks.
Full FRA recording came through section 156. The Building Safety Act amendment took effect on 1 October 2023; it was not created by the 2022 England Regulations.
PAS 79-2 is no longer current. BS 9792:2025 now covers fire risk assessment in its defined housing scope.
Frequently asked questions
Fire safety regulation FAQs
What is the main fire-safety law for businesses in England?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the principal day-to-day fire-safety regime for most workplaces and non-domestic premises. It requires the responsible person to assess risk and manage appropriate general fire precautions.
Are PAS 79 and PAS 9980 fire-safety regulations?
No. They are voluntary standards and methodologies. PAS 79-1 supports non-housing fire risk assessments; PAS 9980 supports specialist external-wall fire risk appraisals. Law may require a suitable assessment without prescribing either standard in every case.
Which rules apply to blocks of flats over 11 metres?
In England, multi-occupied residential buildings above 11 metres have annual flat entrance door checks using best endeavours and quarterly communal fire-door checks under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Other duties can apply regardless of height.
Is every seven-storey building a higher-risk building?
Not automatically. For the Building Safety Act occupation regime, it must meet the storey or height threshold and contain at least two residential units, subject to detailed definitions and exclusions. Other regimes use their own scope tests.
Do these pages replace legal advice or an FRA?
No. They are independent general guidance. Building use, control, height, construction and occupants can change the legal position and the necessary scope of professional assessment.
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Editorial note
Guides are based on legislation.gov.uk, GOV.UK, HSE and official BSI status information reviewed on 9 September 2026. They provide general information for England and are not legal advice or a substitute for a site-specific assessment.