Jersey Residents to be Consulted on Tall Building Fire Safety

Residents living in tall buildings on the island of Jersey are set to be consulted on new proposals that are expected to improve fire safety.

According to the Government of Jersey, there are more than 125 tall residential buildings (over 11m (36ft) on the island, home to thousands of home owners and renters who will be consulted on proposed fire safety regulations which would implement some of the key recommendations from the Grenfell Tower phase one inquiry report.

Regulations state that tall residential buildings are defined as developments meeting all of the following criteria:

• - contains a top storey more than 11 metres above ground level
• - contains two or more residential dwellings (typically flats)
• - contains common parts through which residents evacuate in the event of an emergency (typically shared corridors and stairways)

Officials have said that the island's tall buildings were at risk, as a group, of falling behind similar buildings in England in three areas: the frequency of routine key fire safety checks, the provision of fire safety instructions to residents and the quality of building information provided to the fire service.

They added that there is currently no dedicated Jersey fire safety law which requires the buildings to manage and maintain their fire safety measures on an ongoing basis.

Jason Masterman, States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service area commanders, said that regulations would ensure self-closing fire doors and smoke control systems were "regularly checked and maintained".

"Residents will also receive clear fire safety information, and our crews will have access to simple accurate building floor plans and signposting to help them respond more effectively in emergencies," he added.

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, added: "Thankfully, no similar fires have occurred here, but that does not mean we should not seek to make the places where so many islanders live as safe as possible.

"Approximately 19% of Jersey's tall residential buildings are estimated to be closely meeting the English regulatory requirements, with some others partially achieving them."

"Creating regulations to implement some of the key building fire safety recommendations from the Grenfell Tower phase one inquiry report is a logical and sensible step in the light of the inquiry's findings."

The consultation process opened on 4th August and closes on 12th September. Details can be found here.