British Standards Institute Publishes New Fire Risk Assessment Standard for Housing
The British Standards Institute (BSI) have this month published their revised ‘Publicly Available Specification’ on Fire Risk Assessment (PAS 79) to include a housing-specific part 2.
First published in 2005 and last revised in 2012, PAS 79 sets out a methodology for undertaking generic fire risk assessment in a variety of scenarios.
PAS documents are not British Standards, but are developed and published by the BSI.
The revised document, PAS 79-2 (available for purchase from BSI here), gives recommendations and corresponding examples of documentation for undertaking, and recording the significant findings of, fire risk assessments in housing premises and parts of housing premises for which fire risk assessments are required by legislation.
Recommendations are also provided for fire risk assessments that are outside the scope of fire safety legislation but are designed to protect residents of blocks of flats, sheltered housing and extra care housing in the event of a fire in their own flat.
BSI brought together a wide range of experts in fire safety, fire risk assessment and the housing sector to reach consensus on the guidance and recommendations.
It is intended to be used by those who carry out fire risk assessments as a voluntary code of practice. It should not be quoted as if it were a specification.
A Press Release from BSI with more information can be found here:-
Revision of PAS 79
