Raising the Bar: Fire Safety & Compliance in the UK’s New Regulatory Era

Fire protection is no longer just about extinguishing flames. It is about safeguarding lives, meeting legal responsibility, and building environments that can stand up to scrutiny.

In today’s regulatory climate, the consequences of overlooking fire safety extend far beyond fines or project delays. They impact reputations, public trust, and above all, people.

From Tragedy to Transformation

The Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 was a national tragedy. It exposed systemic failures in fire safety legislation, construction practices, and enforcement. The subsequent public inquiry issued 58 recommendations. As of early 2025, the UK Government has accepted 49 of them.

In addition, seven companies involved in the Grenfell refurbishment are now under investigation and may be barred from receiving public contracts.

Fire safety in the UK is undergoing a once-in-a-generation reset. The industry is moving away from fragmented responsibilities and minimal oversight, towards a new framework built on traceability, certification, and accountability.

Only 58 percent of fire safety audits in 2023/24 were found satisfactory – the lowest result in over a decade. That is not a figure to ignore. It is a call to action.

Regulatory Shifts and New Compliance Demands

In the past 18 months alone, the landscape has changed significantly:

• BS 9991:2024 was published in November, introducing updated guidance on fire safety in residential buildings
• From March 2025, all newly constructed care homes in England must include sprinkler systems
• Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb must now require hosts to upload valid, annually renewable fire safety certification with photographic evidence
• The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations will be amended in October 2025, removing some children’s products from scope, eliminating display label requirements, and extending the legal enforcement window to 12 months

Each of these changes places new demands on designers, contractors, building owners, and suppliers. Compliance is no longer a background task. It must be designed into the project from day one.

The Statistics Behind the Standards

Across the UK, the fire safety picture is changing – but it remains far from resolved.

National incident data (2023–2024):

• 598,504 total incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services in England
• 133,072 fires, marking a 7.4 percent drop and the lowest figure since records began
• 263 fire-related fatalities, representing a 4.7 percent decrease
• 211,391 non-fire incidents, indicating an expansion of FRS activity across electrical, chemical, and environmental risks
• 49,835 fire safety audits, with only 58 percent deemed satisfactory

Workplace fire data highlights persistent risk:

• Over 7,000 workplace fires were reported last year
• Electrical distribution faults were responsible for 19 percent
• Cooking appliances accounted for 15 percent
• Industrial premises and food production sites represented the highest-risk environments

These statistics point to progress in some areas, but also illustrate how much remains to be done.

Unresolved Challenges in the Built Environment

Fire compliance is no longer just about new builds. The greatest challenge lies in retrofitting, remediation, and correcting legacy issues.

• The UK Government’s commitment to remediating unsafe cladding by 2029 is ongoing, but thousands of affected buildings remain unidentified
• The projected cost of cladding-related remediation has now reached £22.4 billion
• London’s former Olympic Village is facing a £432 million fire safety repair bill, over a decade after it was constructed

These are not outliers. They are symptoms of a past approach to fire safety that prioritised cost and speed over quality and accountability. Correcting this will require sustained effort and collaboration across the entire supply chain.

What It Means for Engineers, Specifiers and Installers

Whether you are working in construction, building services, design consultancy or facilities management, the implications are clear:

1. Documentation and traceability are mandatory Every component and every system must have a certifiable chain of custody and performance data.
2. Product longevity matters Fire protection systems must be built to withstand not only fire, but heat, pressure, corrosion, and time.
3. Fire safety is now integrated It interacts with ventilation, drainage, pipework, structural design, and even sustainability strategies.
4. Accountability sits with the project team Specifiers, designers, main contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers all share responsibility. Clarity of roles is essential.
5. Standards are only becoming more rigorous Regulatory harmonisation across the UK, Ireland, and Europe is accelerating. Project designs must now anticipate future compliance demands, not just meet current ones.

How IPS Supports Safer Systems

At IPS Flow Systems, we believe that safety and compliance begin with product integrity. Our fire protection solutions are specified for high-risk, high-regulation environments – from residential towers to healthcare facilities, and from chemical dosing rooms to mist-protected commercial plantrooms.

We supply:

• LPCB-approved CPVC fire sprinkler systems
• Fire-rated valves and actuation assemblies
• Water mist system components
• Corrosion-resistant systems for chemical and high-humidity environments
• Technical expertise, traceability documentation, and installation support
• Reliable stock and next-day delivery across the UK and Ireland

Our role is not just to supply products. It is to help you make confident, compliant decisions that reduce risk, avoid project delays, and protect the people and buildings that matter.

Fire Safety as a Reputation Asset

As fire safety becomes more complex, it is also becoming more visible. Developers, insurers, and end users increasingly demand assurance that systems have been designed and installed to the highest standard. And in the event of an incident, traceability can make the difference between swift resolution and prolonged liability.

We urge every stakeholder to see fire compliance not as a legal minimum – but as a professional standard. A badge of competence. And a competitive advantage.

Speak to Our Team

IPS Flow Systems is committed to supporting compliant, resilient infrastructure across every sector we serve.

Whether you need guidance on LPCB specifications, mist protection layout, or the right valve for a high-chloride environment, we’re here to help.

Contact us today:

• 📧 sales@ipsflowsystems.com
• 📞 UK: 0191 521 3111
• 📞 IRE: +353 1 2573741

References

1. UK Government Fire and Rescue Statistics (2023–24): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-and-rescue-incident-statistics-england-year-ending-september-2024
2. UK Fire Safety Audit Data (April 2023 to March 2024): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fire-prevention-and-protection-england-year-ending-march-2024
3. BS 9991:2024 Overview – British Standards Institute BSI-KSA stitution: https://www.bsigroup.com
4. Grenfell Inquiry Report and Government Response: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/feb/26/grenfell-tower-seven-organisations-face-debarment-from-government-contracts
5. Mandatory Sprinklers in Care Homes (March 2025): https://www.eastonbevins.co.uk/news/may-2025/changes-to-fire-safety-guidance-in-2025
6. Short-Term Rental Fire Safety Certification (April 2025): https://www.phscompliance.co.uk/news/fire-safety-updates-what-uk-airbnb-hosts-need-to-know-in-2025
7. Furniture Fire Safety Amendments (2025): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/furniture-and-furnishings-fire-safety-regulations
8. Workplace Fire Risk Analysis: https://www.morganclark.co.uk/about-us/blog/common-causes-of-workplace-fires-in-the-uk
9. Olympic Village Fire Safety Repair Costs: https://www.ft.com/content/9bf351a2-d416-471f-8f35-2ce414abd4e6
10. UK Cladding Crisis Cost Estimate: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/unsafe-cladding-must-be-fixed-by-2029-but-we-still-dont-know-where-it-is-mf86dvfb9