Aegis guidance library
Useful links.
Useful context.
Finding the right fire safety guidance should not take all day. Here are the sources people actually need, with a clear explanation of what each one is for.
Official sources, sorted
Find the guidance you need.
18 resources found
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
The main fire safety legislation for workplaces and the common parts of residential buildings in England and Wales.
legislation.gov.uk
Fire Safety Act 2021
Clarifies how the Fire Safety Order applies to a building’s structure, external walls and flat entrance doors.
legislation.gov.uk
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
The regulations introducing additional duties for responsible persons in residential buildings occupied by more than one household in England.
legislation.gov.uk
Guide for people with duties under fire safety law
A clear Home Office guide to responsible persons, duty holders and the records they are expected to keep.
GOV.UK
Fire safety guidance for people with legal duties
The government’s central collection of fire risk assessment guides, arranged by premises type.
GOV.UK
Fire risk assessment: offices and shops
Government guidance for offices, shops and similar premises, including hazards, escape and fire precautions.
GOV.UK
Fire risk assessment: sleeping accommodation
Guidance for premises providing sleeping accommodation, including hotels, hostels and certain shared houses.
GOV.UK
Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats
Practical guidance for assessing and managing fire safety in purpose built blocks. Read the notice on the page about its status and scope.
GOV.UK
Making a small block of flats safe from fire
Simplified government guidance for qualifying small, purpose built blocks with a stay put strategy.
GOV.UK
Fire Safety (England) Regulations: responsibilities
A practical explanation of the additional duties that apply to responsible persons for residential buildings in England.
GOV.UK
Residential PEEPs: guidance for responsible persons
Current guidance on Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans and building emergency evacuation plans in scope in England.
GOV.UK
Approved Document B: fire safety
Statutory guidance supporting the fire safety requirements of the Building Regulations in England.
GOV.UK
Fire safety in new and existing school buildings
Department for Education guidance, including routes to Building Bulletin 100 and risk assessment guidance for schools.
GOV.UK
Fire safety in construction
HSE guidance on fire risk during construction, alteration, demolition and refurbishment work.
Health and Safety Executive
HTM 05-01: managing healthcare fire safety
NHS guidance for establishing and operating a fire safety management system in healthcare organisations.
NHS England
HTM 05-02: fire safety in healthcare design
NHS guidance supporting the functional fire safety provisions used in the design of healthcare premises.
NHS England
Fire Safety (England) Regulations: fire door guidance
Government guidance on the checks required for communal and flat entrance fire doors in blocks of flats.
GOV.UK
Fire Door Alliance guides and checklists
Industry guides covering fire door selection, installation, maintenance and compatible components.
BWF Fire Door Alliance
Straight answers
Start with the question, not the jargon.
These are general explanations, not a verdict on a particular building. That needs evidence, context and a clear scope.
How often should a fire risk assessment be reviewed?
Review it regularly, and sooner if there is a significant change or any reason to think it is no longer valid. A change of use, refurbishment, a fire, new vulnerable occupants or repeated faults can all matter. The right interval depends on the building and its risk; “once a year” is not a universal answer for every premises.
Do sprinklers remove the need for compartmentation?
No. Suppression and compartmentation do different jobs and are normally considered together as part of the building’s fire safety strategy. Whether an existing arrangement is acceptable depends on the building, its use, the evidence available and the standards that apply. One product does not decide it.
Can a damaged fire door be repaired?
Sometimes. A repair has to be supported by suitable evidence and return the complete doorset, rather than just the visible leaf, to the performance required. Incompatible ironmongery, extensive damage or missing identification can make replacement the more defensible option.
What does a compartmentation survey inspect?
It looks at the fire resisting construction that divides a building: walls, floors, doors, service penetrations, risers and accessible voids. A useful report also records where access was limited, what could not be verified and which defects need investigation or repair first.
Does official guidance tell me exactly what to do?
Not always. Guidance helps explain accepted approaches, but buildings rarely arrive in neat textbook condition. Age, alterations, occupancy, management and the original fire strategy can all change the answer. The evidence still has to be applied to the actual building.
Guidance found. Building still complicated?