RICS News

Euralarm is one of the co-signers of the Manifesto Keeping EU Citizens Fire Safe in all buildings. The undersigned organizations, representing the European fire safety sector, call for the European institutions to prioritize fire safety in buildings and to develop and promote a consistent strategy with Member States for the fire safety of all people who live and work in buildings. In 2024, almost 450 million citizens from across the European Union will have the opportunity to elect their repres...

The Scottish government, RICS, and the Fire Sector Federation have each issued new forms and guidance in relation to aspects of fire safety and building evacuation. Multiple new fire safety guides have been introduced in Scotland, including practical fire safety advice on how to prevent fires and reduce the risks in a variety of settings. Published by the Scottish government, the guidance provides practical guidance for existing high-rise domestic buildings, existing non-residential premis...

External wall fire review process forms, known as EWS1 forms, were developed by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and are used as part of the valuation process for high-rise residential buildings with cladding. Seven mortgage lenders provide EWS1 data to the department and these represent most of the lending market, according to the data release published on 17 February. This is the second time the Department for Leveling Up has published EWS1 lender data on mortgage valuation...

Housing Committee Chair, Clive Betts MP sets out his concerns about the gap between the guidance for external wall surveys and the reaction of mortgage lenders to their implementation, which is leaving leaseholders to face the consequences. Issues with the EWS1 process The Chair of the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee, Clive Betts MP, wrote to the government on 21 May to highlight continuing issues with the EWS1 process. This follows the publication of guidance in March by...

The committee welcomed the International Fire Safety Standards: Common Principles: “Safe Buildings Save Lives” Following Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Global Building Standards Director (Fire Safety Lead) Gary Strong’s presentation in October, there has now been confirmation from the UN that the IFSS document will be published as a UN ECE standard. UN sustainable goals The document: International Fire Safety Standards: Common Principles: “Safe Buildin...

In this article, Apollo explores how a Fire Detection & Alarm system is a more reliable and cost-effective method of early detection compared to a Waking Watch. Grenfell Tower tragedy The Grenfell Tower tragedy has highlighted multiple issues with fire safety in High-rise residential blocks, with one of them being combustible cladding. When combustible materials are present in the cladding, it is no longer safe for the occupants to follow the “Stay Put” policy, which reli...