Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Summary of key legal requirements
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15.11.1 Regulation 3 – The meaning of building 
work
The building regulations defi ne building work as the erec-
tion or extension of any building or its services. The defi ni-
tion includes alterations to buildings if the alteration affects 
the structure, the means of warning and escape, internal 
fi re spread, external fi re spread access and facilities for the 
Fire Service and access and facilities for disabled people.
15.11.2 Regulations 12–17 – Procedural steps
These sections prescribe the procedural steps that are 
required when building work is being planned; those 
conducting building work must notify the local planning 
authority and may do so either by using a brief planning 
notice or by submitting full plans for approval. Once 
the building work is completed in accordance with the 
requirements of the regulations, the local authority must 
issue a completion certifi cate.
15.11.3 Schedule to the Building Regulations
The Schedule to the Building Regulations details a 
number of functional requirements that any building must 
satisfy. The schedule is divided into a number of parts.
PART A Stability
– this part deals with the stabil-
ity of the building and has three separate functional 
requirements:
A1
requires that any building must be designed 
and constructed so that it can withstand its own weight 
(deadload), the weight of any contents (imposed load) 
or any loads imposed by the wind, safely and without 
defl ecting.
A2
requires that the stability of any part of the 
building is not impaired by the swelling, shrinkage or 
freezing of the subsoil; or land slip or subsidence.
A3
In the event of an accident buildings of fi ve or 
more storeys will not suffer collapse that is dispropor-
tionate to its cause.