There is a degree correlation between the level of fire safety regulation in each of the four nations across the UK, and the incidence of fire and its effects on people, according to new research commissioned by fire and CO detector manufacturer Aico.

The research, carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, comprises a review of the legal requirements, regulations and standards surrounding fire safety, a statistical analysis of the prevalence of fire, and an impact assessment of fire safety measures.

Regulatory Landscape

Fire safety is a devolved matter, so there is clear divergence in legislation and regulation across the UK’s four nations. Despite this variation, there are some common trends, including a general tightening of fire safety measures across all nations in recent years.

The most pronounced increase in regulation has been in Scotland, where there is now a requirement to have smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in all dwellings, while in the other nations of the UK, these are only required under certain types of tenure.

Read the full article on our digital issue, page 52.

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