Combustible Materials Legislation & Approved Document B changes 2022

2018 Legislation

This particular legislation was first introduced in 2018, and it involves the ban of combustible materials being used for external facades of new buildings, but only buildings that are higher than 18m.

Aside from residential buildings, the types of buildings included in this version of the legislation include:

·         New accommodation in boarding schools

·         Student accommodation

·         Registered care homes

·         Hospitals

2020 Update

In early 2020, the legislation was reviewed, and discussions took place to expand the conditions of the ban, mainly reducing the required height from 18m down to 11m.

This review and the consultations that followed resulted in the following changes to the legislation that will take effect on 1st December 2022:

·         The required height for the ban will be reduced from 18m down to 11m

·         The list of types of buildings contained in the ban will be expanded to include hotels, boarding houses, and hostels

·         Metal composite materials, particularly those with an unmodified polyethylene core, will be subjected to a complete ban for use on external walls in new buildings and buildings undergoing construction work

·         With the limited exception of ground floor awnings, slats of solar shading and curtains will be included in the ban

·         Just like with any legislation, there are exemptions, and the exemptions set out in this legislation will be amended to include fibre optic cables and insulation up to 300mm above ground level

·         The performance of materials will involve the legislation updating the classification that materials must meet in order to comply with the ban. This allows the top layer of a balcony floor to meet the required standard using the horizontal-testing equivalent of the existing standard, which currently requires materials to be tested vertically

·         All new residential buildings higher than 11m will be required to have a secure information box on the premises. This will allow the appropriate rescue services to access vital information in the event of a fire

·         All new residential buildings higher than 18m will be required to install an evacuation alert system, which must involve an alarm that can be manually triggered in the event of an uncontrollable fire

Approved Document B Amendment

In addition to the changes made as a result of a review of the 2018 legislation, further steps have been taken to improve fire safety in these types of buildings, including an amendment to Approved Document B.

This amendment focuses on external walls and balconies on residential buildings between 11m and 18m in height, and it will take effect in England on 1st December 2022.

The amendment includes a complete ban on most combustible materials that could be used on the external façade of a building, including timber cladding, high pressure laminates, and plastic, the exception to this being that the combustible materials are used as part of a system on a building that is between 11m and 18m and has passed the appropriate testing on a large scale.

You can find further information regarding this amendment here.

Safety should always be of the utmost importance in all aspects of day-to-day life, and ensuring that the standards regarding fire safety in every building, from those that provide vital services, to accommodation for people of all ages should always be a priority.

For both domestic and commercial products, you can browse our extensive fire rated range here.