Fire safety and building standards in Scotland

The building standards system that applies in Scotland is different to those that apply in England and Wales. As part of their response to the Grenfell Tower tragedy the Scottish Government launched a review of building standards and fire safety in Scotland.

The recommendations and conclusions of the review panel have now been published, among other things they recommend that:

• Domestic buildings over 18m should have two stairways and fire service activated evacuation sounders in each flat.
• The requirement for automatic fire suppression systems should be extended to some additional building groups. In particular, Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) used for “care” 24/7 and HMOs with 10 or more residents.
• Regarding guidance on external cladding, cavities and fire spread on external walls, the restrictions on the use of certain materials should be applied to all buildings with a storey at a height of over 11m, rather than 18m as at present. Further, these restrictions should apply to entertainment and assembly buildings, residential care homes and hospitals of any height.

The full report and recommendations can be found at: https://beta.gov.scot/publications/report-review-panel-building-standards-fire-safety-scotland/pages/1/