Leaseholder run management company refusing to share Fire safety report

[Robert Burrage]

We are leaseholders & all members of a management company. some of the leaseholders were nominated to be directors. we had a fire safety report carried out & the directors are refusing to provide the report to us citing privacy issues. we have agreed that they should redact any personal information but they are still refusing to provide the report yet as leaseholders themselves, they have seen it.

[Mike North]

Surry fire & rescue

How can I get a copy of my building’s Fire Risk Assessment?

It is absolutely your right as an occupant of a building to have access to your premises’ Fire Risk Assessment if you choose.

Your first port of call should be the Responsible Person for your building.  If you’re not sure who this is, then the business owner, the facilities department, the landlord or managing agent would be good places to start.

If you find that your building doesn’t have a valid Fire Risk Assessment, then you should request that your Responsible Person has one carried out as soon as possible.

If you feel that you are not having your concerns treated seriously by your building’s Responsible Person, then, as a last resort, you could get in touch with your local fire brigade.

However, please don’t contact the fire brigade with trivial concerns, they are busy people.  And of course, do not use the 999 emergency number!  You will be able to find your local fire brigade’s general enquiries number on the internet.

[AnthonyB]

It's a legal requirement for them to share relevant details under s156 of the Building Safety Act

 

Provision of information to residents

The amendments made to the Fire Safety Order should make people feel safer in their homes and ensure that residents understand what you are doing to comply with your responsibilities. We have already mandated specific instructions that you must provide to your residents under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022, but these new requirements go further to enhance the provision of information and help residents feel informed and involved. It is also important that you record your name and a UK address in the fire risk assessment to make it easier for enforcement authorities to identify you and, where necessary, take enforcement action.

You must provide residents with the following information:

• any risks to residents identified in the fire risk assessment

• the fire safety measures provided for the safety of any or all occupants (such as the means of escape, the measures to restrict the spread of fire and what people should do in the event of a fire)

• the name and UK address of the Responsible Person

• the identity of any person appointed to assist with making or reviewing the fire risk assessment

• the identity of any competent person nominated by the Responsible Person to implement firefighting measures

• any risks to relevant persons throughout the building that have been identified by other Responsible Persons in the building

You should consider providing contact details, if different to your contact details as the Responsible Person, for residents to be able to inform you of any concerns or queries they have about fire safety matters, or the information provided to them.

Government may, by regulation, update the list of information to be provided to residents to reflect future developments in fire safety and specify the frequency and format in which the information should be provided.

The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 already mandate fire safety instructions that must be shared with residents of multi-occupied domestic premises where resident evacuation would be through common parts, such as the evacuation strategy, how to report a fire and what they must do when a fire occurs. In addition, the Regulations require Responsible Persons to provide information on fire doors including that they should be kept shut when not in use, that residents should not tamper with self-closing devices and that residents should report any faults with doors immediately. The Regulations stipulate that information on fire safety instructions should be displayed in a conspicuous part of the building with a copy provided to new residents when they move in and existing residents on an annual basis.

If you are the Responsible Person for a building located in England, you should provide both the instructions required under the Regulations and the information required as a result of the changes to the Fire Safety Order. Under the Building Safety Act 2022, Accountable Persons also have responsibilities to share information with residents. It may be helpful to cooperate with Accountable Persons to provide all sets of information as a single package so that all necessary information is in one place and format for residents.

You can find the requirements contained within the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 here.

[Robert Burrage]

On 23/09/2024 at 11:33, Mike North said:

Surry fire & rescue

How can I get a copy of my building’s Fire Risk Assessment?

It is absolutely your right as an occupant of a building to have access to your premises’ Fire Risk Assessment if you choose.

Your first port of call should be the Responsible Person for your building.  If you’re not sure who this is, then the business owner, the facilities department, the landlord or managing agent would be good places to start.

If you find that your building doesn’t have a valid Fire Risk Assessment, then you should request that your Responsible Person has one carried out as soon as possible.

If you feel that you are not having your concerns treated seriously by your building’s Responsible Person, then, as a last resort, you could get in touch with your local fire brigade.

However, please don’t contact the fire brigade with trivial concerns, they are busy people.  And of course, do not use the 999 emergency number!  You will be able to find your local fire brigade’s general enquiries number on the internet.

Thank you for your answer. the development is split into 4 buildings but my building seems to have received personal attention. they appear to have removed locks from my demised escape route & replaced with coded locks. citing fire safety advice so ive asked to see the whole report they have now said I can go to the management premises to view it only for my block. i. cant have a copy...this is the leaseholder run management comany whose directors (leaseholders) have seen the report in its entirety but are refusing for other leaseholders to view. somethings not right...do I have a right to view the whole report if its readcted to remove personal information

 

[Bob B]

The Directors didn't pay for the FRA themselves alone. You all contributed through your payments to your management company. Therefore, the report belongs to all of you. Bloody cheek!