APPROVED DOCUMENT B & THE BUILDING SAFETY ACT
Whether you are designing a new building, converting an existing one or refurbishing a listed property, the fire strategy needs to work with the design rather than sit alongside it.
ESI develops practical fire strategies with clients, architects and design teams, setting out the fire safety approach clearly from early design through to construction and handover.
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The basics
A fire strategy is a document that sets out how a building's design keeps people safe from fire. It covers things like structural fire protection, how people would escape, how fire and smoke are contained, detection and alarm systems, and access for the fire service.
It is usually prepared alongside the architectural design, so fire safety is built into the building from the outset rather than bolted on afterwards. Building control, your architect, and often your insurer will all want to see it.
A fire strategy is not the same thing as a fire risk assessment. A strategy is about how a building is designed and constructed. A fire risk assessment is about how a building is managed and used once it is occupied. Most projects need a fire strategy at design stage, and a fire risk assessment once the building is in use.
The strategy also underpins your Regulation 38 handover. Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations 2010 requires fire safety information to be passed to the building's responsible person on completion, and that information needs to reflect what was actually built, not just what was originally designed.
A good fire strategy is also a working document rather than something written once and filed away. As a project develops and design decisions change, the strategy should be revisited so it still reflects what is actually being built, not what was originally proposed at planning stage.
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Fire strategy input should be coordinated with the wider architectural design.
Who it applies to
Fire strategies are commonly needed for new buildings, material changes of use and significant alterations. They are also valuable where an existing building has no reliable strategy, or where the original document no longer reflects the building as it stands today.
Fire safety designed into the project from the outset.
Alterations that affect escape, compartmentation or the wider building.
Projects where the building will be occupied or used differently.
Existing buildings being reconfigured, upgraded or fitted out.
Fire safety balanced with the constraints of a protected structure.
Residential conversions where layout and occupancy change significantly.
Domestic alterations that can affect escape and fire separation.
Older and historic buildings requiring a proportionate design approach.
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WHO IS RESPONSIBLE
This is usually the client or developer, working with the architect or Principal Designer. On smaller projects, the architect will often approach us directly on the client's behalf, while on larger projects the client, project manager or Principal Designer usually leads on it.
For higher-risk buildings under the Building Safety Act 2022, the fire strategy takes on extra significance, since it needs to be reviewed and updated at key stages as the project moves through the building control process. We are happy to explain how this applies to your specific project.
Whoever commissions it, it is worth involving a fire strategy early rather than treating it as a formality to satisfy at the last minute. Design changes are far cheaper to make on paper than after work has started on site, and an early strategy can prevent costly redesign later.
Early fire strategy input gives the design team more opportunity to resolve issues before they become expensive construction changes.
DESIGN COVERAGE
A thorough fire strategy covers the structural fire protection needed to maintain stability in a fire, how people would escape and how long that would realistically take, and how the building is divided into fire resisting compartments to stop fire and smoke spreading.
It also covers detection and alarm systems, emergency lighting, access and facilities for the fire service, how fire might spread to neighbouring buildings, and how the building will be managed once it is occupied, so the design intentions are not lost once construction finishes.
Where a project involves several buildings, or a mix of uses on one site, the strategy also needs to consider how those parts interact, such as shared escape routes or plant serving more than one building. This is often where problems get missed if the strategy is written in isolation from the rest of the design.
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ESI: Fire Safety
Scope of work
Exactly what we cover depends on your project, but a typical fire strategy includes the following. On smaller domestic projects some of these will be straightforward, while larger or mixed-use buildings need each one looked at in real depth.
Most strategies are built around Approved Document B, which is split into five parts covering the core areas of fire safety design.
Means of warning & escape
Internal fire spread (linings)
Internal fire spread (structure)
External fire spread
Access & facilities for the fire service
For some buildings, particularly larger or more complex ones, a risk-based approach under BS 9999 or BS 9991 can offer more flexibility than Approved Document B allows. BS 9999 covers general buildings, while BS 9991 covers residential buildings, and both let the design respond to how a building will actually be used rather than following a fixed set of rules. We will advise which approach suits your project.
Building use and occupancy
How the building will actually be used
Means of escape
Routes, travel distances and exit capacity
Structural fire resistance
How long the structure needs to hold
Compartmentation
How fire and smoke are contained
Fire detection and alarm
Suitable systems for the building type
Emergency lighting
Visibility along escape routes
Fire service access
Vehicle access and firefighting facilities
External fire spread
Separation from neighbouring buildings
Management arrangements
How fire safety is maintained once occupied
Coordination with other disciplines
Structural, M&E and architectural design
The process
The aim is to keep the strategy coordinated with the project rather than produce a document in isolation.
01
We talk through your project and agree the right scope.
02
We review your architectural drawings and specification.
03
We assess the design against fire safety requirements.
04
We develop the strategy and agree any design changes needed.
05
Written strategy and annotated drawings, set out clearly.
06
We liaise with building control or your design team as needed.
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The deliverable
At the end of the process, you will get a clearly written fire strategy document that includes:
A description of the building and its use
The fire safety design approach
Annotated drawings where relevant
Means of escape and travel distances
Compartmentation and structural protection
Detection, alarm and emergency lighting provision
Fire service access and facilities
Management arrangements once occupied
We can also prepare your Regulation 38 fire safety information pack alongside the strategy, ready to hand over to the responsible person on completion.
See what's included in your quote PROJECT DELIVERABLE
Tailored to your building
Every project is different, so we tailor the strategy to your building, your design team and the stage you are at. Whether you are starting from a blank site or updating a strategy for a building that already exists, the approach needs to reflect the real constraints of that project, not a generic template.
NEW DEVELOPMENT
Fire safety designed into the project from the outset and coordinated with the wider design team.
Discuss your projectEXISTING BUILDING
For existing buildings without a fire strategy, or where the current strategy needs reviewing or updating.
View retrospective strategiesCONVERSION
For buildings being converted to a different use, where the fire safety approach needs to reflect the new occupancy.
Discuss your projectALTERATIONS
Updating the fire strategy to reflect changes to the building layout, design or intended use.
Discuss your projectLISTED PROPERTY
Balancing fire safety requirements with the practical and architectural constraints of a listed structure.
Discuss your projectHISTORIC BUILDING
Practical fire strategy design for older buildings with historic character, whether formally listed or not.
Discuss your projectRESIDENTIAL
Fire strategy support when converting a house into a house in multiple occupation.
Discuss your projectDOMESTIC PROJECT
Proportionate fire safety consideration for smaller domestic alterations, extensions and conversion projects.
Discuss your projectNot sure which applies to your project?
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FIRE STRATEGY OR FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT?
A fire strategy and a fire risk assessment deal with different stages of a building's life. Most buildings need both at different points.
Design & construction
A fire strategy sets out the fire safety design and approach for a building, and is typically prepared at design or construction stage.
How the building is designed and constructed
Developed with the architect and design team
Supports building control and handover
OCCUPIED BUILDING
A fire risk assessment looks at fire risk within a building that is already occupied and in use, based on how it stands today.
How the building is managed and used
Identifies current fire safety risks
Prioritises practical actions and review
Most buildings need both at different points: a fire strategy while the building is designed and built, and a fire risk assessment once it is occupied and operating. If you need both, we are happy to carry them out together so the two documents are consistent with each other.
It is worth checking which one your project actually needs before commissioning either, since the two are sometimes confused, particularly by people dealing with fire safety requirements for the first time. If you are not sure, tell us what stage your project is at and we will point you in the right direction.
Founder & Principal Consultant
ABOUT ESI
We are a small, specialist, consultancy led team, overseen by Jamie Morgan, who is listed on the Institute of Fire Safety Managers National Fire Risk Assessors Register and holds Level 4 and Level 6 qualifications in fire risk assessment.
Fire strategy work benefits from being able to see a project through from design to occupation. Because we also carry out fire risk assessments, we write strategies with an eye on how the building will actually be managed once it is finished, not just what will satisfy building control on paper.
We work alongside your architect or design team rather than in isolation, explain our reasoning in plain English, and keep recommendations proportionate to the building and its use.
"We work alongside your architect or design team rather than in isolation."
NFRAR
Registered fire risk assessor.
Qualifications
Level 4 and Level 6 fire risk assessment qualifications.
IFSM
Professional membership and ongoing industry engagement.
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Common questions
It depends on the size and complexity of the project, the stage you are at, and how much liaison with building control or your design team is needed. Fire strategies vary in price more than a standard fire risk assessment because of this. Send us some basic details about your project and we will put together a proposal.
This depends on the complexity of the building and how developed the design is when we start. A straightforward small project will generally take less time than a larger or more complex building. We can give you a realistic timescale once we understand your project.
No. A fire strategy sets out the fire safety design for a building, usually at design or construction stage. A fire risk assessment looks at fire risk in a building that is already occupied and in use. Most projects need both, at different points.
Often, yes, particularly if the extension affects escape routes, compartmentation, or how the rest of the building is used. Building control will usually confirm what level of detail they expect. It is worth checking before you finalise your drawings rather than after.
Some architects have the expertise to write a basic fire strategy for a straightforward project, but many buildings benefit from a specialist, particularly where the building is more complex or falls under the Building Safety Act. We often work alongside architects rather than replacing their input.
This is a normal part of the process on many projects. We will review the query, discuss it with you and your design team, and update the strategy or provide further clarification as needed to keep your project moving.
Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations 2010 requires that fire safety information is given to the responsible person for a building on completion, covering how the fire precautions and fire warning systems are meant to work. It applies to most new buildings and extensions, and to material changes of use. We can prepare this alongside your fire strategy so it reflects the building as actually constructed.
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Do not worry if your design is not finalised, we would rather have a conversation and work it out together.
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