The lengthy document’s important topic justifies its length. The draft covers fire event case studies and fire safety legislation and standards. It also offers a dictionary of industry terms.
Many have been waiting for PAS9980, especially multi-family building owners, to learn if their external walls pose a low or tolerable risk and if they need remediation.
FR Consulting helps show conformity with Building Regulations and other regulations and standards for external walls. Many believed it did not replace the EWS1 form when the standard was announced. Mortgage providers may not seek EWS1 forms for buildings with low or acceptable PAS 9980 fire risk assessments.
Ews1 Certificate:
EWS1 is an external wall fire review certificate. It’s utilised when a leaseholder buys, sells, or refinances a multistory flat.
EWS1 is neither required nor a safety certificate. It evaluates mortgages. EWS1 was released in December 2019 by the RICS and mortgage lenders. It assesses the external wall safety of 18-metre-tall structures. Over time, they’ve been employed for structures under this height, following the Government’s Building Safety Guidance announced in January 2020. EWS1 helps lenders decide whether to grant a mortgage for a multistory flat.
Pas 9980 Risk Assessment Objectives
PAS9980’s Goals Are:
- Provide a common approach for assessing fire spread risk on external walls.
- Help recipients comprehend results and dangers.
The standard also incorporates a fire risk appraisal and assessment of exterior walls (FRAEW), which feeds into the Fire Safety Order evaluation and perhaps the future safety case necessary for higher structures. The guideline applies to all multi-family structures, not only those exceeding 18m. It can also be used for student and specialised housing.
PAS 9980 Defines Risk
PAS 9980 defines risk as the possibility of fire spread, secondary flames, tenable escape circumstances, and effective fire service action. Low, medium and high risks are categorised. A medium risk may be manageable but requires repair or fire safety measures. High-risk buildings need more study. This will likely entail a fire engineering study, which may require wall remediation.
What Should I Know About FRAEW?
FRAEW considers exterior wall structure, spandrel panels, and attachments like balconies. It also incorporates neighbouring fire threats and risks, evacuation routes, and fire service access. Assessors must be qualified to conduct a thorough evaluation. The proposal specifies competency expectations and evaluation methods.
PAS 9980 fire risk assessment will result in more detailed external wall evaluations, notwithstanding subjectivity.
PAS 9980 Covers Which Buildings?
To answer “what is a PAS 9980 fire risk assessment?” explore the types of structures PAS covers. PAS 9980 covers apartment towers and other buildings. The buildings must be equivalent to a purpose-built apartment complex in terms of fire strategy and escape architecture. PAS also includes student housing, sheltered and specialised housing, and apartments.
Pas 9980 Wall Buildups
PAS 9980 covers the risk of fire spreading over multistory apartment buildings, regardless of height. PAS covers single or mixed-wall configurations. Also included are partially explosive structures.
PAS wall builds include exterior walls with rain-screen cladding, insulated or not. It includes ETICS, specifically rendered insulation. PAS includes insulated core panels, glass facades with infill/spread panels, and curtain walling.
PAS 9980’s Audience What Is PAS 9980?
PAS 9980 fire risk assessment is largely for fire engineers and other building professionals who need to advise on the fire danger of existing blocks of flats’ exterior wall structure.
It’s also meant for other building professionals, such as those getting assessments and those making choices based on FRAEW results. Not restricted to:
- Surveyors
- Architects
- Architects
- Landlords
- HUD
- Facility Managers/Agents
- Firefighters
Conclusion
PAS 9980 Risk Assessment PAS 9980 is relatively long and contains a lot of information, such as FRAEW reports and fire safety laws and standards. It includes case studies and a glossary. The paper is for fire engineers and building experts, although building surveyors and architects may also find it helpful.
PAS 9980 addresses fires spread over multistory apartment complexes regardless of height. PAS 9980 covers flats, student housing, and specialised housing.
PAS 9980’s main aims are to offer a standard methodology for assessing the risk of fire spread for all exterior wall evaluations and to help people receiving the assessments comprehend any results and associated dangers.
The Facade Consultant’s guidance should have clarified PAS 9980 and what it means for future fire risk assessments. See our blog or contact us for additional information about fire risk assessments and laws.
