News

Statement: PAS 79-2 - Fire risk assessment. Housing. Code of practice

6 August 2021

BSI, in its role as the UK National Standards Body, will revise PAS 79-2:2020, Fire risk assessment, Housing, Code of practice, as a British Standard.

In March 2021, BSI temporarily suspended PAS 79-2:2020 and removed it from sale. During the suspension, the Steering Group reviewed the voluntary code of practice as new information about Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPS) emerged from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Government’s response to it. The Steering Group have agreed a full revision should be undertaken as a British Standard. The PAS has been withdrawn whilst the British Standard is in development.

BSI will facilitate the consensus-based and stakeholder-led development of the British Standard in line with emerging government guidance and legislation. It will be developed under the management of BSI’s FSH/14 technical committee, which is responsible for the development of National standards for fire safety precautions in residential and commercial buildings, fire risk assessment and fire risk management systems.

A version of the withdrawn PAS is available on the BSI website. Information relating to vulnerable persons is being considered as part of the development of the new British Standard. It has been redacted from the withdrawn PAS.