The terrible events of Grenfell Tower have put a spotlight on fire safety within high-rise buildings and brought about important changes to ensure the same doesn’t happen again in the future. The latest of these changes was the introduction of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 (FSER) which have a direct impact on the people installing, monitoring and maintaining the lifts in these buildings. Here’s everything you need to know about the regulations and what they could mean for the lift industry.
What is the FSER?
Brought into force on January 23rd this year, the FSER make it a legal requirement for the responsible person of a high-rise residential building to carry out monthly routine checks on any lifts which will be used by firefighters or for evacuation in the event of a fire.
Why and how will FSER affect lift companies?
Every high-rise building will have its own unique fire strategy based entirely around the design of the property. Ultimately, it is down to the person responsible for the building to ensure that the correct procedures are followed, but this wouldn’t be achievable without the help of specialist third parties, one of which is lift companies.
Several types of lifts are available with different switches which affect the way the lift functions. Without an understanding of the switch signage, it isn’t always immediately clear which type of lift has been installed. Consequently, the responsible person often isn’t aware of which lift their building uses, meaning it could be misused in the event of fire, endangering everyone inside.
With that in mind, the person responsible for the building will usually call upon specialists to not only inform them of what lift has been installed, but also to check and maintain them, essentially placing the responsibility on the lift companies.
The importance of fire safety training within the lift industry
Workplaces can accommodate anything between a handful of people, up to hundreds or even thousands, including both employees and the general public. Therefore, it’s no surprise that fire safety has long been an important aspect of training across virtually every industry.
Its importance has only increased further in the lift industry with the introduction of FSER and more stringent checks. As mentioned, it will often be lift companies carrying out these checks, so it is essential they know exactly what they are looking for. Completing toolbox talks provides lift engineers with the specific industry knowledge they require, so they can comply with regulations and, most importantly, protect the occupants of high-rise buildings.
You can stay up to date with all areas of your training by taking our toolbox talks here.
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