High-rise residential fires have been well publicised in the past decade due to the tragic events at Grenfell back in 2017. Whilst the number of fires in high-rise buildings has decreased over the past decade, fire safety has never been as important as it is right now.

The inquiry into Grenfell revealed huge systematic failures across the board; from regulatory failures, malpractice from material suppliers and missed opportunities for compliance by government and the private sector. Updates to legislation and regulations in recent years have been greatly received. The new rules and regulations are a means to protect those most vulnerable – homeowners and residents.

The code of practice for the remediation of high-rise buildings was introduced in July 2023.  This outlined general practices that need to be implemented as minimum standard to ensure residents can live their lives with minimal disruption, in what is already a very stressful situation for them.

To strengthen the residents’ position, additional roles and responsibilities have been introduced to projects as part of the code of practice and golden thread of information which promote improvements in communication, efficiency, accountability, and execution.

Keeping residents informed through regular, meaningful engagement is crucial in alleviating concerns about the work and mitigating its impact. We have found it helpful to outline potential safety issues and communicate what we need from residents to ensure minimal disruption. For example, in our initial open consultations, we outline the importance of using designated zones for smoking whilst remediation works are ongoing, and not smoking from balconies or out windows. We also put in place preventative measures such as restrictors on doors and windows in the working zones to reduce risks. This reduces the potential of an accidental fire from a discarded cigarette.

Before commencing works, Anamore ensures that a fire risk assessment and escape strategy are in place. To make things as familiar as possible for residents, we will follow the fire strategies that are in place. Updates to fire door regulations in 2023 outlined that apartment entrance doors, in buildings over 11m, must withstand fire for a minimum of 30 minutes (FD30) and that they should be checked annually.

These checks include closers and ironmongery. Fire doors in communal areas should be checked quarterly and any discrepancies or faults in the door, closers or ironmongery should be actioned immediately. Apartment entrance doors must be included in a buildings fire risk assessment. It is imperative that all this information is stored as part of the golden thread information available on the building.

This small measure can have a massive impact on protections against the spread of fire in a high-rise building. It also ensures compliance with legislation and gives peace of mind to residents that all measures to mitigate fire are being implemented.

Fire Safety is a complex issue in the midst of remediation works, but with open communication and the correct procedures and strategies in place, it should not cause any additional burden to residents and anyone else effected by remediation works.

To deliver building safety across the UK, Anamore is leading the way in building remediation. Amid expected changes to the Building Safety Act such as the expansion of the Building Safety Regulator’s powers and the commitment to expand “high quality” housebuilding, building stakeholders must provide a sustainable, value-for-money remediation programme that meets safety standards and expectations.

Anamore will be exhibiting at the Fire Safety Event 2025 in Birmingham, find us at stand 4/K109.