Fire and smoke alarms in Scottish homes consultation: partial business and regulatory impact assessment

9. Summary and Recommendations

The proposals and options outlined in the Consultation on Fire and Smoke alarms in Scottish homes were developed in response to the tragic fire in Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017. The Ministerial Working Group, which first met on 20 June to oversee a review of building and fire safety regulations, prioritised this consultation to consider setting more stringent fire and smoke alarm requirements, where required, in Scottish homes.

In Scotland, the highest current standards for smoke and fire alarms are in new build housing and in the private rented sector. It is proposed that any new requirements should be based on these standards. These are that there should be at least one functioning smoke alarm in the living room, one in every hallway and landing, a heat alarm in the kitchen, and all alarms should be hard wired and interlinked.

Recommendations for consideration include:

A. Applying a higher standard to social rented housing
B. Applying a new standard to flats, irrespective of tenure
C. Applying a new standard to flats only in high-rise buildings, irrespective of tenure
D. Applying a new standard to all housing, irrespective of tenure

As detailed above, it is proposed that each of these options are in line with the standard currently applicable to the private rented sector.

Views on each option are invited as part of the consultation process.

Summary of costs and benefits

The cost of purchasing and installing fire alarms will be relatively modest, particularly in relation to the costs of loss of life and damage to property which can result from a serious fire. The final costs for individual dwellings will depend on the final form of the requirements and the built form of individual properties, which can vary significantly.

Benefits will be in the form of a reduction in the fatality rate of dwelling fires in Scotland, a potential reduction in the costs of treating those with non-fatal injuries, a potential reduction in the costs of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and a reduction in the damaged caused to properties in fires.