Fire safety

Our Fire Safety Team works closely with the London Fire Brigade to make sure we’re keeping people safe in all our buildings. 

Our team:

• advises, assists and trains Southwark staff and residents 
• attends evening tenant and residents meetings 
• carries out FRAs

Every block of flats managed by Southwark Council will have an FRA. FRAs cover the communal areas in a block and not the inside of each individual property. Assessments aim to identify what needs to be done to improve fire safety.

FRAs involve visiting buildings and checking that:

• emergency routes and exits are fit for the building and they are kept clear
• fire detection and warning systems are working
• firefighting equipment is in place
• there is smoke ventilation in place
• signs are clear
• staff are trained
• firefighter facilities are accessible
• the needs of disabled and elderly people and children have been considered

FRAs take place once a year by Southwark Council for:

• high rise blocks (7 storeys and higher)
• sheltered housing units
• hostels
• tenants
• residents’ community halls
• traveller sites 
• our 1 extra care unit

We inspect other sites every 1 to 3 years based on the previous fire safety surveyor’s assessment. 

Someone with the proper training and experience must carry out an FRA. They record the findings from the assessment in a document to show: 

• how we assess fire risk
• the likelihood of fire 
• the consequences to the building if a fire were to break out

We continue to look at ways we can improve the FRA process. We consider: 

• ongoing changes in building regulations
• new guidance
• technical advances

That is why risk assessments for the same building will change over time.

We make sure that all issues are included in the report - even minor issues. If an assessment shows a long list of tasks, it does not necessarily mean that the building is at risk.

You can request a copy of a fire risk assessment. It may take up to 30 days to send you the FRA. 

In some cases, following a request for the FRA, some of the outstanding tasks may have been completed, but not yet updated on the public copy of the assessment.