Minister announces personal emergency evacuation plans for ‘disabled and vulnerable people’ in high-rise blocks

The government will bring forward proposals for personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for disabled and vulnerable residents leaving in high-rise blocks, the building safety minister has announced.

Rushanara Ali, building safety minister, announced the measure, recommended by the Grenfell Inquiry phase one report in 2019, among a package of new building safety measures yesterday.

She said residents with “disabilities and impairments” will be entitled to a person-centred risk assessment to identify appropriate equipment and adjustments to aid their fire safety/evacuation, as well as a “residential PEEPs statement” that records what vulnerable residents should do in the event of a fire.

She said: “The government have committed funding next year to begin this important work by supporting social housing providers to deliver residential PEEPs for their renters.”

The government also announced it will make sprinklers in care homes mandatory.

Ali told parliament an update to ‘Approved Document B’ in building regulations will make provision for sprinklers in all new care homes.

She said: “Sprinklers enhance fire protection where residents may be reliant on others for help and assistance, especially if a building evacuation is needed. Many care home providers already include sprinklers in new designs.”

She said that care homeowners and developers will have a six-month transition period until the guidance comes into effect and then have a further six months for development projects already underway.

She also said the government is completing withdrawal of the “outdated” national classes fire testing standards in favour of the “more robust” European standard, in line with recommendations in the Hackitt report. She said: “This implements the recommendation, made in the Hackitt report, for a clearer, transparent and effective testing regime”.

>>See also: The Grenfell Inquiry’s final report: what to look out for

Ali also announced that the government will extend the period of recognition of CE marking for construction products.

Currently, CE marking, required for products sold in the European Union is due to end in the UK in June 2025 and be replaced with the UKCA mark.

However, Ali said: “There is currently insufficient testing and certification capacity in the UK alone to provide the volume of conformity assessment that would be required were CE recognition to end. “We are also clear that ending recognition of CE marking without reforming the domestic regime would create trade barriers and negatively affect the supply of products that meet recognised standards.”

She said however that the extension was conditional on the government “committing to system-wide reform of the construction products regulatory regime.”

The final Grenfell Inquiry phase two report is due to be published tomorrow.