Fire Safety Consultancy framework

Fire safety in Scotland is governed by the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, which place duties on those with control of premises to carry out fire risk assessments, implement general fire precautions, and keep assessments under review. This is distinct from the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 that applies in England and Wales. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2022 introduced a separate obligation to ensure all homes have interlinked fire and heat alarms meeting the Scottish standard, which came into force in February 2022. Scottish Building Standards set the technical requirements for fire safety in new build and conversion projects, and the Scottish Housing Regulator expects registered social landlords to demonstrate clear oversight of fire safety compliance as part of their governance obligations under the Scottish Social Housing Charter. 

Under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, the duty falls on the person with control of premises, which in a social housing context means the housing association or local authority as landlord. For residential buildings with common areas, the responsible person must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and regularly reviewed, put in place general fire precautions to protect people in or around the premises, and ensure those precautions are maintained. For individual dwellings, the duty under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2022 to have interlinked alarms sits with the homeowner or landlord. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has enforcement powers and can issue enforcement or prohibition notices for non-compliance. 

Type 1 is the standard fire risk assessment for common parts only, carried out on a non-destructive basis, and is the minimum required to satisfy the duties under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 for multi-occupied residential buildings. Type 2 covers the same areas as Type 1 but includes destructive inspection of selected samples, which is relevant where there is uncertainty about compartmentation or building fabric quality. Type 3 extends the scope into individual flats on a non-destructive basis, examining fire detection arrangements and means of escape within a sample of homes as well as the common parts. Type 4 is the most comprehensive, covering both common parts and flats with destructive inspection, and is typically commissioned where significant concerns exist about construction quality or fire spread risk. All four types are available through the framework’s Lot 1, and the buyers guide sets out which suppliers are ranked for the Scotland region. 

The Building Safety Act 2022 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 introduced significant new duties for high-rise residential buildings in England, including requirements for a Building Safety Manager, mandatory resident engagement, and new regulatory oversight through the Building Safety Regulator. These provisions do not apply in Scotland. Scottish building safety governance remains under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, Scottish Building Standards, and the existing regulatory framework overseen by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Housing Regulator. That said, the underlying fire safety risks in high-rise and multi-occupied buildings are the same, and Scottish social landlords should ensure they’re getting consultancy advice that reflects Scottish legislation and the Scottish regulatory context rather than advice framed around English statutory requirements. 

For high-rise and multi-occupied residential buildings, a fire risk assessment under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 should cover common areas including stairs, corridors, and lift lobbies; fire detection and alarm systems in communal areas; means of escape including signage, emergency lighting, and final exit routes; firefighting equipment and facilities; compartmentation including fire doors and their hardware, walls, and floor construction; storage of hazardous materials; and management arrangements including resident information and evacuation procedures. For buildings where the stay-put principle applies, the FRA needs to assess whether that strategy remains appropriate given the building’s construction and current condition. Framework consultants working in Scotland should be familiar with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service guidance and the Scottish specific regulatory context. 

Lot 2 covers fire safety consultancy services, which is the advisory and strategic layer: technical guidance, compliance advice, policy and strategy development, fire door inspections, training, project management, and support with business cases for remediation works. This is the lot to use when you need expert advice, a strategic review of your fire safety position, help developing or updating your fire safety policy, or training for staff. Lot 3 covers fire engineering consultancy, which is the design and specification work for physical fire safety systems such as sprinklers, suppression systems, fire alarms, and detection installations. This is the lot to use when you’re planning to install or significantly upgrade fire safety systems and need engineering design, feasibility appraisals, technical specifications, procurement support, and project management through to handover. For complex projects that span both advisory and engineering work, PfH Scotland can help you structure the call-off to use both lots appropriately. 

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2022 requires all Scottish homes to have interlinked smoke alarms in the living room and in circulation areas on every floor, an interlinked heat alarm in the kitchen, and a carbon monoxide detector where there is a carbon fuel appliance or flue. These requirements apply to all homes regardless of tenure. For social landlords, compliance with the alarm standard is a separate obligation from the fire risk assessment duty under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, but the two are connected in practice. A fire risk assessment for a multi-occupied building should take account of alarm provision within individual dwellings as part of the overall assessment of fire detection arrangements, and any gaps identified should feed into the landlord’s compliance programme. Framework consultants can advise on how to integrate your alarm compliance programme with your broader fire risk management approach. 

Framework suppliers must hold a UKAS accredited company certification scheme for fire risk assessments and must follow the principles and methodology of PAS 79, the British Standard for fire risk assessment. Individual assessors should hold qualifications accredited by a relevant professional body such as the Institute of Fire Safety Managers, the Institution of Fire Engineers, or the British Institute of Facilities Management. The framework’s 70% quality weighting in the evaluation means all appointed suppliers have demonstrated staff competency as a core part of their assessment, so members can be confident that any framework supplier meets a meaningful professional threshold. If you’re commissioning assessments for specialist accommodation types or complex high-rise buildings, PfH Scotland can advise on which ranked suppliers have the most relevant experience for your specific stock profile. 

Yes. The framework explicitly covers major refurbishment works and new buildings alongside existing stock audits. For new build or refurbishment projects in Scotland, Scottish Building Standards set the fire safety technical requirements, and the framework’s Lot 3 engineering consultancy suppliers can provide design and specification services to meet those standards. Lot 2 consultancy suppliers can support with strategy, compliance advice, and project management. If a project involves specialist accommodation such as supported housing, extra care housing, or high-rise residential development, the consultants can tailor their approach to the specific regulatory and technical requirements for those building types. 

PfH Scotland’s team supports members from requirements definition through to contract award and ongoing management. For fire safety consultancy, that includes helping members identify which lot and which access route suits their needs, providing template call-off documentation and specification assistance, and offering evaluation support for mini-competitions. Throughout the contract term, PfH Scotland’s platforms enable performance monitoring and reporting. If you need more intensive support with developing a fire safety strategy or procurement approach, PfH Scotland’s consultancy services can provide that alongside the framework access. Membership is open to all Scottish housing associations and local authorities regardless of size, and Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue are also eligible to use the framework.