'... a major change in approach by the insurers and should further bridge the gap in understanding between themselves and the design community.'

Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP, Chairman of FPA Council

Co-published by RIBA and the FPA, and endorsed by the Department of Communities and Local Government, this new guide is an invaluable resource for architects, architectural technologists, engineers, surveyors, builders, fire prevention specialists and other consultants in the construction design community.

Beyond the critical life safety issues, major fires will severely interrupt business, with the cost to the UK economy exceeding £7 billion every year and the statistics for consequent business failures remaining high. Protecting property as well as people from fire is a key business objective and designing-in appropriate measures can considerably reduce the cost of implementation.

For the first time, the extra measures needed for property protection and business resilience beyond those in the ‘Building Regulations Approved Document B, Volume 2’ are clearly and logically set out in this guide. Essentially reproducing the official Approved Document in full but enhanced by comprehensive annotations by RISCAuthority (formerly InFiReS), the guide provides the design community with a single point of reference in a familiar format. This invaluable guidance is further supported by the inclusion of RISCAuthority’s Insurer Requirements for the Implementation of Fire Safety Engineering Solutions, which considers the property protection dimension of engineered fire safety designs.

About RISCAuthority (Risk Insight, Strategy and Control Authority)

Membership of RISCAuthority (formerly InFiReS - Insurers’ Fire Research Strategy Scheme) comprises a group of UK insurers that actively support a number of expert working groups developing and promulgating best practice for the protection of property and business from loss due to fire and other risks. The technical expertise for this guide has been provided by the Technical Division of the Fire Protection Association, external consultants, and experts from the insurance industry.