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Fire Extinguishers

Asked by Nadia WhittomeLabourMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 13 November 2024UIN 13271

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring the installation and retrofitting of sprinklers in (a) all buildings regularly used by vulnerable people and (b) warehouses.

Answered by Alex Norris

Building owners are required to ensure that existing care home buildings or warehouses have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. As part of this process, some owners may choose to retrofit sprinklers as part of their overall fire strategy, while others may opt for alternative measures. Recent changes to the Building Safety Act 2022 defined new roles and responsibilities all stakeholders involved in a construction project, including building owners. This ensures that safety is prioritized throughout the lifecycle of a building. Retrofitting sprinklers is not always the best option, and other fire safety measures might be more appropriate for specific buildings.

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