GUIDES · LEGISLATION & STANDARDS
Fire safety legislation & standards, in plain English
A plain-English hub for fire safety legislation · Last reviewed 11 September 2026
Fire safety legislation for fire doors comes from several places at once: an Order, two Acts, a set of Regulations, statutory guidance and British Standards. They do not always use the same language. This hub explains how the main pieces fit together and links through to the detail. Every page carries a visible “last reviewed” date, because this landscape keeps moving.
How the fire safety legislation fits together
Think of it as four layers. First, the Fire Safety Order 2005 sets the duty and names the responsible person. Next, the Fire Safety Act 2021 and Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 widen and firm up that duty, so it clearly covers flat entrance doors and must be recorded in full. Then the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 turn the duty into scheduled tasks for blocks of flats. Finally, Approved Document B and BS 8214 say what a compliant fire door looks like and how it should be installed and maintained. The government keeps the current fire safety law and guidance documents in one place on gov.uk.
The Regulatory Reform Order 2005: the foundation
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the foundation. It created the role of the responsible person and the duty to carry out and maintain a fire risk assessment. It covers non-domestic premises and the common parts of residential buildings. As a result, almost everything else builds on it. Read the full explainer →
The 2021 Act: flat entrance doors and external walls
The Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that, for buildings containing two or more domestic premises, the responsible person’s duties extend to the structure, the external walls and the flat entrance doors that open onto common parts. In plain terms, it put flat entrance fire doors firmly inside the responsible person’s remit. Read the full explainer →
The 2022 Regulations: quarterly and annual door checks
The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 turned principles into dated tasks. For residential buildings over 11 metres, they require quarterly checks of communal fire doors and annual checks of flat entrance doors, plus information for residents. Consequently, this is the regulation most often behind a request for a fire door inspection programme. Read the full explainer →
Approved Document B: fire safety guidance, not legislation
Approved Document B is statutory guidance supporting the Building Regulations. It sets out fire safety expectations for the design and construction of buildings, including where fire doors are needed and what they must achieve. In practice, it is most relevant at new-build and refurbishment stage. Read the full explainer →
BS 8214 and the British Standards
Where the law says fire doors must perform and be maintained, the British Standards say how. BS 8214 is the code of practice for fire door assemblies: specification, installation and maintenance. It was substantially revised in 2026. Because of that, it is the benchmark we carry out our inspection and installation work to. Read the full explainer →
Which fire safety legislation applies to my building?
- Office, shop, school, hotel or care home: the Fire Safety Order 2005 applies in full. Your fire risk assessment sets the fire door inspection frequency; annual is the usual baseline.
- Block of flats under 11 metres: the Order covers the common parts, the 2021 Act brings in the flat entrance doors, and the 2022 Regulations require you to give residents fire door information.
- Block of flats over 11 metres: all of the above, plus quarterly communal door checks and annual flat entrance door checks under Regulation 10.
- New build or refurbishment: Approved Document B and BS 8214 govern how the doors are specified and installed.
Still not sure? Start with our guide to who the responsible person is, or ask us.