Require fire engineer calculations for fire spread and evacuation
Grenfell Tower Inquiry · Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · Issued 4 September 2024 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Calculating the likely rate of fire spread and the time required for evacuation, including the evacuation of those with physical or mental impairments, are matters for a qualified fire engineer. We do not think that it would be helpful to attempt to include in Approved Document B an indication of what would be acceptable because each building is different, but we recommend that the guidance draw attention to the need to make a calculation of that kind. (113.13)
Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Grenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 2 Report · 4 Sep 2024 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The government's annual report stated fire spread guidance development is occurring through the Approved Document B review, with industry engagement expected to conclude in 2026 (Annual Report on Progress, MHCLG, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government — initial response
The government accepts this recommendation. We will address this recommendation through the ongoing Approved Document B review, led by the Building Safety Regulator. The review and industry engagement will explore ways through which Approved Document B can be updated to provide further guidance on external fire spread, while sufficiently supporting designers in considering fire spread via the external wall.
UK Government · 16 Jan 2025 Written response →
●UK Government — follow-up
The government accepts this recommendation. We will address this recommendation through the ongoing Approved Document B review, led by the Building Safety Regulator. The review and industry engagement will explore ways through which Approved Document B can be updated to provide further guidance on external fire spread, while sufficiently supporting designers in considering fire spread via the external wall.
UK Government · 26 Feb 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 1 Feb 2026 Fire spread guidance development occurring through the ongoing Approved Document B review, led by the Building Safety Regulator. Industry engagement exploring external wall fire spread guidance enhancements. (Covers Recommendations 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12.) Source →
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
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Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.