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Landlords must consider moving tenants out of most dangerous buildings, government says
Social landlords must consider moving tenants out of high-rise buildings most at risk from fire, the government has said.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has written to all housing association and council chief executives today with orders on what steps to take if they discover flammable cladding on their buildings.
It said social landlords must act immediately if tests reveal their cladding is “unlikely to be compliant with the requirements of the current building regulations”.
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It remains unclear whether cladding with a flammable core would comply with building regulations, which focus on the surface material of a composite panel, not its interior.
Theresa May repeatedly refused to confirm whether the panels on Grenfell Tower were compliant with building regulations in a debate in parliament earlier today.
Testing has currently identified seven buildings with similar cladding to Grenfell, and 600 in England with cladding of some kind.
The letter said that in cases of the most serious risk social landlords must consider “moving all residents out of the block until satisfactory remedial work has been done”.
It said in all cases they must immediately notify their local fire and rescue service about the presence of non-compliant panels.
It also said they must check if a fire risk assessment has been carried out within the past 12 months, and if not commission one immediately from a “competent person” – referring to Chief Fire Officers Association guidance on this point.
Current legislation does not demand annual fire risk assessments, nor does it specify the qualification of the person who should carry it out.
The advice says landlords must “engage with residents to ensure they fully understand the emergency fire procedures in the building, particularly the meaning of ‘stay put’”.
Many residents who followed ‘stay put’ advice given to them during the Grenfell Tower disaster are believed to have died.
Landlords are also required to check balconies for combustible materials, check that fire doors are fully working and check walls for gaps which may allow smoke through.
It also asks for checks on smoke control systems and any facilities to assist fire fighters.
If the building is not protected by sprinklers it also suggests interim measures such as the closure of car parks due to the risk of a vehicle fire, the provision of a communal alarm system, or a 24-hour fire watch team.