Jamie Willsdon, Director at Future Group, provides us with answers to some of the burning questions he and his team receive most frequently.

We asked Jamie for a round up of the questions he and his team regularly receive- hopefully you’ll find some of the answers to your own burning questions below:

Future Lighting & Electrical – Emergency Lighting

Q: Is it a legal requirement to have emergency lighting installed in my block?

The short answer to this question is yes. 

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRFSO) 2005, which applies to the common areas of residential blocks, states that: ‘Emergency routes and exits requiring illumination must be provided with emergency lighting of adequate intensity in the case of failure of their normal lighting’.

The Industry committee for Emergency Lighting (ICEL) puts it like this: ‘The legal requirement is that non-domestic buildings must be safe at all times, even if mains power failure occurs. Therefore, nearly all such buildings must have emergency lighting fitted’.

Put very simply, this regulation means that the ‘responsible person’  in charge of the common areas of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation, is also responsible for the safety of everyone in that building, whether they are guests, workers, visitors or residents. In most cases, this will be the block manager or an RMC director, if the block is self-managed. The extent of their responsibility, will depend on the extent of their control.

If lighting is required so that people can go about their normal business, then emergency provision is needed in the event of a power outage. And if you need emergency lighting to use your building safely or to evacuate in an emergency, you will also need to make sure that fire-fighting equipment locations are well lit and that there is sufficient signage to ensure that people know which is the safest and quickest route to exit the building.

Future Fuel Solutions – EV Charging in Leasehold Blocks

Q: How do residents pay for the electricity they use to charge their vehicles?

The energy used to charge electric vehicles in shared residential car parks will typically be accounted for on a communal meter. Usage will increase the communal electricity bill, normally paid out of a communal service charge.

To ensure that the residents who are benefitting from the charging facility are the only people paying for it, make sure you opt for an electric vehicle charging provider that uses a smart system to record individual charging activity. This way, residents will be billed automatically for their usage.

Future Security – CCTV

Q: Do I need to install and pay for broadband to enable me to remotely access and view my CCTV system footage?

No. You can have safe and secure (GDPR compliant) access via a wireless 4G router, fitted with a fixed IP SIM card. 

There is a range of affordable fixed IP SIM data packages available on the market to suit all requirements.

Future Fire Systems – Fire Alarms

Q: Will my fire alarm system still be supported beyond the manufacturer’s recommended life expectancy?

This is a challenging question to answer outright. There are a number of leading life safety manufacturers on the market that stipulate, in writing, that their equipment has a life expectancy of 10 years. This has become the industry standard period of time during which service and maintenance personnel report dilapidation of life safety equipment.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order references the British Standards and, in turn, the British Standards reference manufacturer’s recommendations. So if a life safety system fails to operate as intended and it is found to be outside the life expectancy recommended by the manufacturer, the Responsible Person (block manager or RMC director) will find it difficult to prove due diligence when questioned. Some manufactures may support equipment outside the 10-year period but beyond this, as a rule, the justification for not upgrading life safety systems with newer equipment and technology, comes into question and may be used as evidence should equipment fail and safety is compromised.

You can contact all facets of the Future Group team via their website or by calling 020 3826 9999