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Scottish government issues post-Grenfell fire rules
New fire safety regulations are to be implemented in Scotland including some elements that go further than the measures in England.
Coming into force in October, the new building standards will ban combustible materials in buildings of higher than 11m – compared to 18m in England.
However, they will continue to allow combustibles if justified by a large scale test, known as a BS-8414 test, while England has opted for a total ban.
They will also mandate that new tall buildings have at least two fire exits, a rule that has not been introduced south of the border.
The new rule will stipulate that the external wall cladding of buildings over 11m should be constructed using materials with European classification A1 or A2, which are non-combustible.
This clause has also been extended to include materials used to construct balconies, solar panels and solar shading.
Last month a huge balcony fire damaged 47 flats in a 13.75m tall building in Barking, east London.
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Inside Housing revealed that the balconies had been built using a material called ThermoWood, with a Class D fire rating.
In England and Wales, combustible materials are currently banned only on the outside of buildings over 18m.
The Scottish government set up a ministerial working group to review its fire safety regulations a week after the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017.
In addition to the regulations on cladding, the new rules state that at least two escape stairways should be provided in every domestic building over 18m.
Evacuation alert systems and storey identification signs have also been introduced in the event that fire services are required to evacuate a building.
Kevin Stewart, Scottish housing minister, said: “The tragic events at Grenfell Tower just over two years ago were a painful reminder of how important building and fire safety is.
“That is why we established our ministerial working group and undertook a thorough and critical review of the regulations we have in place. I’m pleased to see the first phase of this work completed and changes to the building standards and guidance published today.”
