Industry News


Minister tightens rules on electrical safety to protect renters


Warning of fire-spread risks two years before Grenfell tragedy


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Private tenants will receive better protection as a result of new measures designed to ensure mandatory electrical inspections are carried out by competent and qualified inspectors. As part of the Government’s drive to raise


standards in the private rented sector, landlords will be legally required to ensure the inspectors they hire to carry out safety inspections have the necessary competence and qualifications to do so. Tough financial penalties will be imposed on those who fail to comply. New guidance is to be published setting out


the minimum level of competence and qualifications necessary for those carrying out these inspections, so both landlords and tenants can be assured their home is safe from electrical faults. Minister for Housing and Homelessness


Heather Wheeler said: “Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home. While measures are already in place to crack down on the small minority of landlords who rent out unsafe properties, we need to do more to protect tenants. “These new measures will reduce the risk of


faulty electrical equipment, giving people peace of mind and helping to keep them safe in their homes. It will also provide clear guidance to landlords on who they should be hiring to carry out these important electrical safety checks.” As well as making homes safer for tenants,


improving electrical safety benefits landlords by making a material improvement to their property and helping to prevent fires, which can cause costly and significant damage. The Government announced last July that


regulations would be introduced requiring private sector landlords to undertake 5 yearly safety checks of electrical installations in their properties. It is expected the new guidance will be broadly in line with existing regulations in Scotland. A decision on penalties for non-compliance


will be made before the secondary legislation is introduced. Penalties are likely to include a range of sanctions, with local authorities being given discretion to decide which is the most appropriate in particular cases.


xperts warned both the Government and the construction sector two years before the Grenfell Tower disaster that not enough was


being done to tackle the risk of fire spreading through concealed cavities in buildings. Studies by fire experts at the Building Research


Establishment produced in March 2015 warned of potential fatalities unless officials addressed the danger of flames passing through concealed cavities. Their advice has only just come to light after


being published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Officials said this is so they can inform a review of the fire regulations for buildings. BRE experts referred to 20 fires between 2003


and 2013 that involved inadequate, missing or badly fitted cavity barriers. They urged Government to consider new building regulations guidance and new ways for building inspectors to check works were safe. They also advised that builders needed education on the dangers of getting things wrong, but it is unclear what, if any, action was taken at the time. One of the studies presented to officials in the building regulations division of MHCLG said


Publication of the BRE reports now has sparked anger from Grenfell United, the support group for survivors and bereaved families


barriers intended to stop fires spreading were “often found to be missing or incomplete or incorrectly positioned”. Another study warned that people had died because of fire or smoke spread in concealed spaces and “the potential risks and the potential losses remain high”. Publication of the BRE reports now has sparked


anger from Grenfell United, the support group for survivors and bereaved families. The group said the reports showed “people and organisations that were meant to keep us safe knew the dangers and didn’t care enough about our lives and the lives of our loved ones to act”.


Ban on sale of fire doors lifted


A ban on the sale of composite fire doors has been lifted after talks between the Government and industry representatives resulted in agreement over a new set of compliance standards. The ban was originally imposed after it


emerged that fire doors widely used across the housing sector and at Grenfell Tower had failed safety tests, by resisting flames for just half of the 30 minute minimum standard set out in building regulations. Tests on the fire doors revealed that many


of the products on sale differed from the approved specification of the doors used in official safety tests. The new tests had been ordered after news emerged that fire doors installed in Grenfell Tower suffered a range of failures. These problems were compounded by broken or defective closures and door furniture that further compromised fire retardant qualities. Andrew Fowlds, chair of the Association of


Composite Door Manufacturers, said: “The cost to the composite door industry during this period has been very heavy, with a number of casualties in terms of jobs and revenue. However, as long as all manufacturers of such products have completed bilateral testing in strict accordance with the


20 | HMM February/March 2019 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


building regulations, and provided the necessary written confirmation to their supplier, then supply may resume.” The ACDM will become the governing body for


the composite door industry, leading on the development, implementation and policing of standards while also promoting the use of composite doors. It will compile a database of all fire door products tested by members and provide technical advice. A Government spokesman said: “We are pleased


the industry has taken steps to ensure their products meet the required standards to be sold on the UK.”


“Fire doors must meet the safety requirements as set out in building regulation advice and we are continuing to work with the industry and local authorities to make sure this is the case.”


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