Residents living in tall buildings across Jersey will soon be asked for their views on new fire safety proposals, which experts believe will help enhance safety standards.

According to the Government of Jersey, the island is home to more than 125 tall residential buildings, defined as those standing 11 metres (36 feet) or higher, housing thousands of homeowners and tenants.

The proposed regulations aim to introduce several key recommendations from phase one of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, with the goal of preserving and improving fire safety in these buildings.

States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service area commander, Jason Masterman, explained that the proposals would ensure critical fire safety features, such as self-closing fire doors and smoke control systems, are "regularly checked and maintained".

He added: “Residents will also receive clear fire safety information, and our crews will have access to simple accurate building floor plans and signposting to help them respond more effectively in emergencies.”

The Grenfell Tower fire, which occurred on 14th June 2017, claimed the lives of 72 people, including 18 children.

Deputy Mary Le Hegarat, Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, said: “Thankfully, no similar fires have occurred here, but that does not mean we should not seek to make the places where so many islanders live as safe as possible.

“Approximately 19% of Jersey's tall residential buildings are estimated to be closely meeting the English regulatory requirements, with some others partially achieving them.”

While officials stated that there is no "significant evidence of excessive fire risk" currently, they highlighted three areas where Jersey’s tall buildings could fall behind comparable buildings in England: the regularity of key fire safety checks, the clarity of safety instructions issued to residents, and the quality of building information available to emergency services.

At present, Jersey does not have a specific fire safety law mandating ongoing management and maintenance of fire precautions in residential buildings.

Le Hegarat added: “Creating regulations to implement some of the key building fire safety recommendations from the Grenfell Tower phase one inquiry report is a logical and sensible step in the light of the inquiry's findings.”

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