BSI report sets out UK fire safety standards work for 2024–2027

Fire safety standards programme report details revisions, plans and committee role

The British Standards Institution has published its first annual overview of how the UK’s fire safety standards programme is being run, what changed in 2024–2025 and what is coming next in 2026–2027.

The document was launched at BSI’s Annual Fire Safety Conference on 29 January 2026. It comes from the Fire and Built Environment Sector Policy and Strategy Committee, known as FSH/0, which sits at the top of BSI’s fire safety standards structure for the built environment.

Rather than being a technical standard itself, the report functions as a map of the standards system. It explains who is involved, how priorities are set, which standards have recently been updated and which major projects are in the pipeline.

BSI frames this annual publication as part of a push for greater transparency, making standards work easier to understand and follow beyond the relatively small circle of people directly involved in committees.

Who FSH/0 is and why it matters

FSH/0 operates at the highest tier of the national standards framework for fire safety. Its remit covers the full life of a building, from design and construction through occupation, management, maintenance and eventual end of life.

In practical terms, this means it looks across everything that touches fire safety in buildings, including fire precautions, fire protection systems and the infrastructure that supports safe evacuation and firefighting.

The committee performs four main roles.

First, it sets strategic priorities for developing new standards and revising existing ones, deciding where effort should be focused.

Second, it carries out horizon scanning, looking ahead at emerging risks that could shape future standards. The report gives examples such as lithium-ion battery fires, new energy systems, increased automation, digital building systems, new construction materials and modern methods of construction.

Third, it coordinates specialist technical committees to reduce duplication and keep different strands of standards work aligned.

Fourth, it provides a national forum where regulators, fire and rescue services, manufacturers, installers, consultants, building owners, academics and professional bodies can contribute to standards development.

In effect, FSH/0 sits between government policy, industry practice and the detailed technical work of standards committees.

Leadership, structure and how the system is organised

FSH/0 is chaired by Aman Sharma MBE. Under his leadership, the report highlights a focus on strengthening the overall standards infrastructure and widening participation, including bringing in early-career professionals and people with expertise in digital and emerging technologies.

The committee oversees around two dozen specialist technical committees. The report names several key examples, including committees covering fire detection and alarms, fire precautions in buildings, hazards to life from fire and fixed firefighting systems.

It also maintains formal links with committees working on related areas such as construction design, digital modelling, accessibility, lifts, furniture flammability, personal protective equipment and explosion safety. FSH/0 works closely with CB/0, BSI’s broader built environment committee.

Day-to-day coordination is supported by a dedicated BSI Standards Committee Manager, and FSH/0 typically meets several times a year to review progress, approve new projects and respond to emerging issues.

Who was around the table in 2024–2025

The report sets out who was represented on FSH/0 during 2024–2025, giving a sense of how broad the committee’s membership is.

Members included the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP), Euralarm, the Fire Industry Association (FIA), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Northern Ireland Building Regulations, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Government.

BSI notes that this mix covers fire engineering, manufacturing, installation, maintenance, building design, risk assessment, construction, enforcement and regulatory policy, rather than being dominated by any single perspective.

How the work connects to Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2

A significant strand of recent standards activity is explicitly framed as aligning with recommendations from Phase 2 of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

One of the clearest examples is BS 8674:2025, which sets out a framework for the competence of individual fire risk assessors. The report links this to recommendations around clearer competence standards and potential future mandatory accreditation.

The report also highlights work on an amendment to BS 750, the standard for underground fire hydrants. This is described as a direct response to Inquiry Recommendation 40, and aims to clarify when and how flow coefficients should be measured.

More broadly, BSI describes ongoing engagement with government and industry to keep standards aligned with evolving policy in the post-Grenfell landscape.

Relationship with the Building Safety Act and Fire Safety Act

BSI states that its standards work in 2024–2025 has been closely aligned with both the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Fire Safety Act 2021.

The report groups several key documents within this framework: BS 8674:2025 on fire risk assessor competence, BS 9792:2025 on fire risk assessment for housing, PAS 79-1 on non-housing fire risk assessment and PAS 9980 on fire risk appraisal of external walls.

These are presented as tools that support accountable persons, responsible persons and dutyholders in meeting their legal responsibilities.

How BSI has supported understanding and implementation

Beyond writing standards, the report describes a range of activity aimed at helping the sector understand and use them.

BSI Knowledge has published explanatory articles on standards such as BS 9991, BS 8674, BS 5839-1 and BS 5266-1.

The organisation has also run sector briefings and events on topics including construction product regulation, competence and legislative change.

There has been collaboration with bodies such as the Institution of Fire Engineers and the Fire Sector Confederation, particularly around BS 8674.

On PAS 9980, BSI continues to support its use within government remediation frameworks and Building Safety Fund guidance. A structured revision programme began in 2024, with main consultation taking place in 2025.

BSI also runs an Education Hub aimed at educators, researchers and practitioners who want to engage more closely with standardisation.

What actually changed in 2024–2025

Several major standards were revised or published during this period.

BS 9991:2024, the main residential fire safety standard, underwent a substantial update. Its scope was expanded to cover residential care homes. Provisions on sprinklers were updated, including for single-stair buildings and height thresholds. The standard adopted European fire-resistance classifications for doors and strengthened guidance on smoke control and evacuation lifts in taller buildings.

BS 9792:2025 set out a clearer framework for fire risk assessment in housing, including a nine-step methodology and guidance for assisted living and supported housing. It is designed to sit alongside PAS 79-1 and PAS 9980 as part of a national approach to risk assessment across different building types.

BS 8674:2025 introduced three competence levels for fire risk assessors: Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced. It covers not only technical knowledge but also skills, behaviours, ethics, supervision and continuing professional development, and is linked to future plans for mandatory accreditation under the Building Safety Act.

BS 5839-1:2025, covering fire detection and alarm systems in non-domestic buildings, added a new section on system modifications, tightened controls on acceptable variations, updated guidance on manual call points and clarified expectations for automatic detection in sleeping-risk areas.

BS 5266-1:2025, the emergency lighting standard, expanded its scope to cover emergency escape lighting, standby lighting and local-area emergency lighting, placed greater emphasis on lighting uniformity and aligned more closely with European standards EN 1838 and EN 50172.

PAS 9980 was under revision during this period, with consultation completed in 2025 and publication expected in Q2 2026. Together with PAS 79-1 and BS 9792, it forms a cross-building-type framework for fire risk assessment and appraisal.

What is coming in 2026–2027

The report sets out a substantial forward programme of work.

BS 9994 is planned as a new specification for creating, documenting and managing fire strategies throughout a building’s lifecycle. It is intended to standardise structure, terminology and review processes, replacing and expanding on PAS 911. Public consultation is expected in Q1–Q2 2026, with publication likely in late 2026 or early 2027.

BS 9996 will cover the commissioning and maintenance of integrated fire safety systems, including alarms, suppression, smoke control, evacuation lifts and cause-and-effect logic. The aim is to ensure that changes to systems do not undermine the original fire strategy. A Draft for Public Comment is expected in Q2–Q3 2026, with publication in 2027.

The revised PAS 9980 is due for publication in Q2 2026, with clearer decision pathways, terminology and alignment with the wider BS 999X family of standards.

PAS 9970-1 and PAS 9970-2 will address fire safety during construction. The first covers organisational and site fire safety, while the second deals with temporary fire detection and alarm systems on construction sites. Consultation is expected in Q1 2026 and publication in Q4 2026.

A revision of BS 9990, covering non-automatic firefighting systems such as wet and dry risers and firefighting mains, is expected to go to consultation in Q3–Q4 2026, with publication in 2027.

An amendment to BS 750 on underground fire hydrants is planned for consultation in 2026, again responding to Grenfell Inquiry Recommendation 40.

Finally, BS 9999, the main non-domestic fire safety standard, is scheduled for a major update with consultation in Q2–Q3 2027 and publication in 2028. The revision is intended to align with post-Grenfell reforms and with BS 9991, BS 9994 and BS 9996, covering issues such as fire strategies, evacuation planning, dutyholder responsibilities and digital records.

How people can get involved

The report emphasises that standards development depends on broad participation rather than being driven solely by BSI.

Individuals and organisations can apply or be nominated to join technical committees, serve on drafting panels for specific standards and respond to Drafts for Public Comment via the Standards Development Portal.

Contributions can also be made through professional bodies such as the Institution of Fire Engineers, the Fire Industry Association, the Association for Specialist Fire Protection and BAFSA.

BSI also invites evidence or case studies to support FSH/0’s horizon-scanning work, alongside engagement through consultations, calls for evidence, conferences and roundtables.

What the report presents FSH/0 as doing

Overall, the report positions FSH/0 as the central coordinating body for UK fire safety standards, increasingly transparent through the publication of this annual overview, closely aligned with post-Grenfell reforms and actively managing a wide programme of revisions, new standards and PAS projects across 2026–2027.

It presents this work as part of maintaining a coherent, nationally consistent fire safety standards framework for the built environment.