A Fire Risk Assessment of the External Wall (FRAEW) is an assessment of the fire safety of the external facade of a building.
The responsible person - the building owner or manager - needs to arrange for an assessment of the building’s fire safety in accordance with FRAEW’s five-step process.
Read on to have the Fire Risk Assessment of the External Wall explained by Ark.
What Is A FRAEW?
FRAEW guidelines were created by the British Standards Institute (BSI), with their PAS 9980 documentation.
The assessment covers a review of the external walls and cladding of multi-storey and multioccupancy residential and commercial buildings.
It ensures the exterior of the buildings are fire safe and establishes if any renovations are required to bring them up to standard.
The five core steps of the FRAEW are:
- Ensure that the building is within the scope of the assessment - whether the multi-occupancy or multi-storey building might pose a fire risk requiring a FRAEW
- Gather all the required information to complete the assessment
- Identify and consolidate factors that will help determine the risk rating
- Assess the grouped risk factors and how much they contribute to the overall risk of fire
- Compare the risk factors against the success criteria to establish what action is required
The outcome of the FRAEW is to determine the risk to residents from fire spreading within or over the external walls of a building.
It will inform a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) of multi-occupancy and multi-storey buildings, which include student accommodation, low or high rise flats, sheltered accommodation and commercial multi-storey units like offices.
What Parts Of A Building Does The FRAEW Assess?
A FRAEW is a specialist assessment of the external walls, and will not fall within the remit of a standard Fire Risk Assessor.
A FRAEW will assess the materials used to build the external wall or cladding, the workmanship of the final build - e.g. the gaps between the cladding and junctions between different building materials.
A FRAEW will not only cover external walls and cladding, but attachments like balconies, windows and any additional attached buildings.
It will also involve some invasive sampling and investigation of the external walls to ensure that external insulation is also compliant with existing fire safety regulations.
The FRAEW does involve some level of destructive exposure, which is why the initial steps of the assessment will determine if the building is with the scope of a FRAEW.
What Is The Difference Between A FRAEW And A FRAA?
A Fire Risk Assessment and Appraisal (FRAA) was the original term used for the FRAEW in the draft for public assessment published in April 2021.
The revised document updates the term FRAA with FRAEW.
FRAEW is now the term used to refer to the assessment process of the external walls.
When Was The FRAEW Introduced?
The FRAEW was introduced in January 2022, with the publication of the PAS 9980.
It replaces the government’s 2020 issued Consolidated Advice Note, which issued advice on how to safely build constructions, including reviewing the external wall insulation and materials to ensure they are not combustible.
The note advised building owners to review records about the original construction of their external walls and arrange for a fire risk assessment of them if required.
Is An EWS1 Form Still Required With The FRAEW Updates?
The FRAEW is not a replacement for the EWS1 form, but might be a suitable report to accompany it.
An EWS1 form is a form required by building owners to confirm that external walls and attachments (like balconies) have been reviewed by a suitable expert.
It is provided to external valuers and lenders.
What Is PAS 9980 And Why Is It Important?
PAS stands for Publicly Available Specification and is a way of documenting standard best practice.
All UK specifications are outlined by the BSI Group and can be commissioned by any group, organisation or authority that needs to document best practice.
The PAS 9980 is important because it meets the needs of the Fire Safety Act 2021, which was issued as a response to the tragedy of Grenfell Tower in 2017.
It replaces current guidelines with a comprehensive framework on how to complete a comprehensive fire assessment of external walls and cladding.
How Can Ark Help You?
Ark helps organisations take control of their fire and healthy and safety management. We provide fire safety technology solutions that allow you to easily document, strategise and circulate information relating to fire safety.
If you want to see how we can help you document and analyse the outcomes of your FRAEW, today for expert and comprehensive advice.
We can follow up with an active demonstration of our services to help you be better informed about your fire safety and building management.
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