DLUHC Second Staircase Guidance vs. NFCC Fire Safety Ideals- Complementary or contrasting?

Published: 05/04/2024

The UK government's recent push for improved fire safety in high-rise residential buildings has seen two key documents emerge: their own staircase guidance and the National Fire Chiefs Council's (NFCC) opinion paper. While both aim to enhance safety, they serve slightly different purposes.

The Government's Stance: A Mandatory Second Staircase

On 29th March 2024, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced a new requirement for at least two staircases in all new residential buildings exceeding 18 meters in height. This significant change is reflected in amendments to Approved Document B, a set of regulations outlining fire safety standards in buildings. The additional staircase aims to provide a crucial secondary escape route in case a fire renders the primary one unusable. The DLUHC emphasises this offers residents greater peace of mind and improves evacuation efficiency.

The guidance also confirmed:

There will be an 18-month transition period ending on 30 September 2026
Evacuation lifts will not be required
Interlocked stairs constitute a single escape route and not an alternative means of escape.

Read the Approved Document B Second Staircase Guidance

The NFCC's Perspective: Beyond the Staircase

The NFCC, the national voice for fire and rescue services in England, issued an opinion paper in February 2024 to support fire services in reviewing new building designs. While acknowledging the government's focus on staircases, the NFCC delves deeper. Their paper highlights three key objectives:

Independent Escape Routes: Staircases should be physically separate to prevent a single fire from compromising both exits.
Accessibility for All: The design must cater to those who cannot use stairs easily, ensuring everyone can evacuate safely plus there should be more than one evacuation lift per stair core in case of faults.
Firefighter Access and Resilience: The building should be designed to facilitate firefighting efforts with features like proper access points, Fire main outlets to be in a stair lobby, not within the stairs & more firefighting and evacuation lifts

Fire exit

Complementary Approaches for Enhanced Safety

The government's guidance provides a clear, mandatory requirement, while the NFCC paper offers a broader framework for fire safety considerations. Here's how they work together:

The mandated second staircase aligns with the NFCC's objective of independent escape routes.

The NFCC paper pushes for additional measures like improved accessibility and firefighter support, areas not openly addressed in the government guidance.

Overall, these documents represent a positive step towards safer high-rise buildings. Housing minister Lee Rowley said: “The change in guidance to include two staircases for buildings over 18 metres provides clarity for developers and ensures both new and existing buildings provide safe and secure homes for all residents.”

Rent research commissioned by the government found that the evacuation time from a high-rise block is halved when there is a second staircase.

The government's regulation ensures a minimum standard, while the NFCC's paper encourages a more holistic approach to fire safety design. By working in tandem, these measures can significantly improve fire safety in new high-rise residential buildings in the UK.

Harris Associates can offer a bespoke solution to enable you to comply with the latest legislation. We are experts in statutory compliance and fire safety-related matters with experienced and qualified technicians, surveyors, engineers, and project managers. We have national coverage and can help with all aspects of façade remediation from FRAEWs through to the coordination and delivery of complex façade remediation contracts.

For more information on our services, assistance, or advice on these latest developments or any related fire safety or regulatory matter please contact Shaun Harris, Tamer Duman, or Richard Stone via phone or email shaun@harrisassociatesuk.com,nicola@harrisassociatesuk.com or richard@harrisassociatesuk.com call 0203 195 0857, 0161 615 3679 or 0121 213 6307.

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