Fire and safety essentials

By the end of this module you will be able to understand:

• Why the Building Safety Act was introduced
• It’s key provisions relating to regulations of buildings and enforcement
• The timetable for implementation
• The gateway process
• The Golden Thread definition and requirements
• The Regulator’s role including investigatory and enforcement powers
• Obligations relating to the registration of high-risk buildings
• How to assess safety cases during building occupation
• Legal obligations and liabilities for architects
• The Defective Premises Act (DPA)
• The Building Act (BA)
• Building Liability Orders (BLO)
• Contribution claims
• The role of fire safety engineering within the built environment
• The process to quantify fire risk and demonstrate safety throughout a building’s life cycle
• The significance of demonstrating compliance and safety, including the differences between a prescriptive and performance-based approach
• The challenges and uncertainties associated with predicting fire behavior and the importance of understanding human behavior, fire dynamics and structural response
• How to assess the competence of a fire safety engineer and the implications of liability and responsibility in fire safety engineering
• The concept of Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) versus Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) and its role in fire safety assessments
• The importance of understanding and correctly applying guidance documents to ensure building compliance and safety
• The limitations on the use of guidance documents
• The impact of new technologies and materials such as mass timber, green walls and electric vehicle chargers on fire safety strategies