Approved Document B plays a central role in England’s fire safety and building regulation framework. It provides practical guidance to ensure buildings are designed and constructed to minimise the risk of fire and facilitate safe evacuation.
With the introduction of new 2025 amendments, the document continues to evolve, aligning more closely with the Building Safety Act and the government’s wider programme of building safety regulations. These reforms strengthen accountability, improve fire safety standards, and modernise how compliance is demonstrated.
What is Approved Document B?
Approved Document B is one in a series of guidance documents in the UK to support compliance with Building Regulations 2010. It deals specifically with fire safety and forms the official guidance for Part B – Fire Safety of the Building Regulations.
It comprises two volumes, each covering different building types:
- Approved Document B Volume 1 – Residential Dwellings: Volume 1 offers guidance on fire safety design for residential dwellings such as houses, flats, and high-rise apartments. It outlines requirements such as means of escape, fire and smoke detection and alarm systems, structural fire resistance as well as internal and external fire spread.
- Approved Document B Volume 2 – Commercial and Public Realm: Volume 2 applies to non-residential buildings such as commercial offices, shops, hotels, and industrial facilities. Differing from Volume 1, it includes more complex requirements for means of escape, fire compartmentation, structural fire safety, cladding, smoke control, and firefighting access. Approved Document B has been revised several times previously in response to emerging risks, building innovation, and lessons learned from major fire incidents.
Approved Document B Key Amendments
Amended in March 2025, the changes to both Volume 1 and Volume 2 Approved Document B introduced several key revisions to strengthen fire safety and accountability in England. Some amendments include:
- Enhanced Fire Safety Information: Principal contractors are now required to provide full fire safety information to the client as a dutyholder before completion or first occupation. The client must confirm receipt to the Building Control approver.
- Sprinklers in All New Care Homes: All new build care homes, regardless of height, must now include sprinkler systems. As a result, residents are offered greater protection, and building owners have clearer fire prevention responsibilities. Additional guidance limits compartments to 10 beds and requires self-closing fire doors, further controlling fire spread and ensuring easier evacuation.
- Transition to BS EN 13501 Fire Classification: The removal of BS 476 national classes means all materials must comply with European BS EN 13501 standards for reaction to fire, impacting approval processes and classification requirements. The withdrawal of BS 476 commenced in March 2025, with full enforcement by September 2029. After this date, systems/products, for example, fire doors, must be certified solely under EN 13501. This change means that all previous BS 476 test evidence will no longer be valid under Approved Document B. Manufacturers will need to obtain new testing evidence specific to the European method, including extended application (EXAP) procedures.
- Clarifications and Transitional Provisions: Minor corrections have been made to improve clarity across both volumes, and projects approved before March 2025 may continue under the old guidance if sufficiently progressed.
Why the Changes to Approved Document B Volume 1 and 2 Matter
The changes to Approved Document B will affect every stage of design and delivery:
- Accountability: Stricter documentation rules under Regulation 38 strengthens compliance and record keeping.
- Supply Chains: Manufacturers must adopt BS EN 13501 standards to ensure product compliance.
- Design: Sprinklers and EN-rated materials will shape specifications.
- Construction: Site teams must ensure fire protection measures align with approved designs and that these are monitored during the construction phase.
- Regulation: Building control bodies will apply closer scrutiny to fire safety documentation at completion stage.
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