.jpg "Image illustrating Approved Document B on Fire Safety upcoming changes published")
On 2 September 2024, the Ministy for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published pending updates to:
The updates have not been incorporated into the Approved Documents yet, but are expected to be made in due course.
There are three separate updates to the Approved Documents, each of which will take effect on a different date.
March 2025 amendments
The first updates to Volumes 1 and 2 of Approved Document B take effect on 2 March 2025.
These amendments replace and expand the sections on Regulation 38 and fire safety information to take account of more detailed obligations on the responsible person and relevant dutyholders.
They also remove the national classes (BS476) used for reaction to fire and roofs. These National Classes are seldom used by industry, but certain sectors still rely on fire resistance tests for their products. Instead the European Standard (BS EN), deemed more current and robust than the National Classes, will be the sole route of specification within Approved Document B for reaction to fire and roofs classifications.
Finally they also introduce new provisions for sprinklers in care homes. Following consultation, the government decided to extend the provision of sprinklers to all new care homes irrespective of height. New care homes will also be expected to limit compartment sizes to 10 beds while ensuring self-closing devices are fitted to doors.
Full details of these amendments can be found here:
September 2026 amendments
Further amendments to Volumes 1 and 2 of Approved Document B will take effect on 30 September 2026.
These changes include:
Full details of these amendments can be found here:
September 2029 amendments
The final amendments to Volumes 1 and 2 of Approved Document B that have been announced will take effect on 2 September 2029.
These changes focus on the fire safety provisions regarding the removal of national classes for fire resistance. The national classification system (BS 476) for fire resistance will be removed from Approved Document B and instead, the European Standard (BS EN), deemed more current and robust than the National Classes, will be the sole route of specification within Approved Document B for fire resistance classifications.
Full details of these amendments can be found here:
The current editions of the approved documents incorporating later amendments will continue to apply where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to, or a building control approval application with full plans made to, the relevant authority before the date of the relevant amendments came into effect and either the building work to which it relates:
For more information on this subject, see:
