PAS9980

PAS9980 BSI New Guidance for Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls FRAEW

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has today published PAS9980 – it’s long awaited guidance on ‘Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls’ and cladding of multistorey and multi occupied residential buildings.

Today’s publication of PAS9980 follows the announcement by Michael Gove, the Housing Secretary, that the government’s Consolidated Advice Note has now been withdrawn.

The Consolidated Advice note, issued in January 2020, called on building owners to assess the risk of cladding systems on all residential blocks, irrespective of height.

PAS9980 and Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW)

The BSI’s new guidance, called PAS9980 provides guidance and good practice, but is not a British Standard. The PAS (Publicly Available Specification) process enables a code of practice to be rapidly developed in order to fulfil an immediate need in industry.

The new guidance comes into effect on the 31st January 2022.

PAS9980 provides a 5 step process for competent building professionals undertaking a Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW).

An FRAEW is not intended as an alternative to the EWS1 Form developed by the RICS. It may serve as a suitable report to support an EWS1 form, but not replace it.

Is an EWS1 Form required?

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) developed the EWS1 form in December 2019. It provided a method to confirm to valuers and lenders that an external wall system has been assessed by a suitable expert.

The EWS1 form is intended to confirm whether the value of a building is affected by the need for remedial works to the external wall materials.

An EWS1 is not intended to report on the fire risk associated with the makeup of an external wall, as required by PAS9980.

In a statement the RICS welcomed Michael Gove’s announcement on building safety. At the time of writing RICS stated that it would consider the impact on valuation practice carefully with stakeholders.

If you want to explore more articles on cladding, check out our blogs on the Government’s £3.5bn funding to remove dangerous classing, combustible cladding, and EWS1 to Certify Safety of Buildings without cladding.

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To commission an EWS1 Survey, an FRAEW or a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) please call 020 4534 3130.

For further information on PAS9980, EWS1 forms or advice in respect of your obligations as a building owner, developer or manager, please contact :

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Team members shown:

  • Alexa Cotterell
  • Alex Hayward
  • Tony Leishman
  • Thomas Mead-Herbert

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