Proposed Amendment to Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations
A public consultation process on proposals for the review of Part B of the Building Regulations has recently been announced by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr. Simon Coveney, T.D.
The Minister has announced a public consultation on his intention to review Part B of the Building Regulations 1997 and to introduce separate technical guidance specific to dwelling houses in the form of a new Technical Guidance Document (TGD) B – Fire Safety - Volume 2: Dwelling Houses. Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations sets out the legal requirements for the means of warning and escape from a building, as well as the control of fire spread both internally and externally and the means of access for the fire services. A number of minor amendments to Part B of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations have been introduced to take account of the development of two volumes for TGD B Fire Safety and to cater for the development of Regulations B6 - B10 which apply to dwelling houses only.
The draft TGD B Volume 2 provides specific guidance on the means of early warning of fire and the means of escape appropriate in dwelling houses depending on their height. Guidance on the fire protection required between adjoining dwelling houses and appropriate distances between dwelling houses and other buildings to prevent the spread of fire is also given.
The Department is currently seeking written or electronic submissions on the proposals (the deadline for submissions is not later than 5.30pm, 14th October 2016). For further details on the consultation click here.
