Guidance on Approved Document B – including the 2020 and 2022 amendments – has been released by the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities in the form of answers to frequently asked questions.
The FAQs cover the means of warning and escape, internal fire spread (requirement B3), access and facilities for the fire service, and the application and scope of Approved Document B.
Topics covered by the FAQs for means of warning and escape (requirement B1) include BS5839-6 smoke alarms in dwellinghouses, door closers in HMOs, protected stairways and fire doorsets in dwellinghouses, door closures for small blocks of flats, and one bed as opposed to one person definitions for care home bedrooms.
For internal fire spread in structures (requirement B3), topics include junctions of compartment walls with roofs, extensions of a single storey shop to exceed 2,000m2 compartment size, sprinklers in blocks of flats, and extensive cavities.
Subjects covered for access and facilities for the fire service (requirement B5) include maximum hose distances, distances for pumping appliances, distances for firefighting access, and connection points for dry fire mains.
Questions on the application and scope of Approved Document B include guidance on combustible structures in meeting building regulations, buildings with unusual structural designs, versions of named standards referred to, the extent of sprinkler protection required for upwards extensions beyond 11m, and fire precautions in self-catering holiday homes and short lets.
See the full list of FAQs on Approved Document B here.
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