Asterwatch Fire guideshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/Plain English UK fire safety guidesen-gbAccountable Person duties under the Building Safety Acthttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/accountable-person-duties/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/accountable-person-duties/Who the Accountable Person and Principal Accountable Person are for a higher-risk building, and the duties each must meet in occupation.Building safetyBS 5839-1:2025: what changed and what it means for youhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/bs-5839-1-2025-changes/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/bs-5839-1-2025-changes/A plain English summary of the 2025 revision of BS 5839-1 for fire alarm systems in non-domestic premises, and what building owners should do about it.Fire alarmsBS 5839-6 grades and categories explainedhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/bs-5839-6-grades-and-categories/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/bs-5839-6-grades-and-categories/What Grade A, C, D1, D2, F1 and F2 mean, the LD1, LD2 and LD3 categories, and which system a house, flat or HMO needs.Landlords and HMOsThe building safety case: a practical guide for Accountable Personshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/building-safety-case-guide/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/building-safety-case-guide/What a building safety case and safety case report are, who must prepare them, what evidence goes in, and how to get ready for a Building Safety Regulator assessment.Building safetyRegistering a higher-risk building with the Building Safety Regulatorhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/building-safety-regulator-registration/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/building-safety-regulator-registration/Which buildings must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator, who registers, what information is needed and what happens after.Building safetyConventional vs addressable fire alarms: which do you need?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/conventional-vs-addressable-fire-alarms/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/conventional-vs-addressable-fire-alarms/How conventional, addressable and wireless fire alarm systems work, what each costs to run, and how to choose for your building.Fire alarmsEICR codes explained: C1, C2, C3 and FIhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/eicr-codes-explained/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/eicr-codes-explained/What each EICR observation code means, why a report is satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and how landlords should respond within the legal deadlines.Testing and inspectionEmergency lighting regulations in the UKhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/emergency-lighting-regulations-uk/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/emergency-lighting-regulations-uk/The law and standards behind emergency lighting: where it is needed, how bright and how long it must be, and what records to keep.Testing and inspectionEmergency lighting testing: monthly and annual tests explainedhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/emergency-lighting-testing-guide/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/emergency-lighting-testing-guide/How to carry out monthly flick tests and annual full-duration emergency lighting tests, what to record, and when to call in an engineer.Testing and inspectionEWS1 forms: what affects the cost and who payshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/ews1-form-cost-and-who-pays/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/ews1-form-cost-and-who-pays/Why EWS1 prices vary so much between buildings, who usually pays for the form, and how to avoid commissioning one you do not need.Building safetyThe EWS1 form explainedhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/ews1-form-explained/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/ews1-form-explained/What an EWS1 form is, the A1 to B2 ratings, who can sign one, how long it lasts, and how the 2026 RICS valuation standard changes when lenders ask for one.Building safetyFire alarm categories explained: L1 to L5, M, P1 and P2https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-categories-explained/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-categories-explained/What the BS 5839-1 fire alarm categories mean, which buildings need which, and how to read the category on your fire risk assessment.Fire alarmsWhat affects the cost of a fire alarm installation?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-installation-cost/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-installation-cost/The factors that drive the price of a commercial or HMO fire alarm installation, and how to compare quotes fairly.Fire alarmsFire alarm panel showing a fault: what to dohttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-panel-fault-what-to-do/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-panel-fault-what-to-do/What common fire alarm panel faults mean, what you can safely check yourself, and when to call an engineer and put interim measures in place.Fire alarmsWhat affects the cost of fire alarm servicing?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-servicing-cost/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-alarm-servicing-cost/The factors that set the price of a fire alarm maintenance contract, what a proper service includes, and how to compare quotes.Fire alarmsFire door inspection checklisthttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-door-inspection-checklist/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-door-inspection-checklist/A practical fire door checklist covering gaps, seals, closers, hinges, glazing and signage, plus the inspection frequencies required in blocks of flats in England.Testing and inspectionFire door ratings explained: FD30, FD30S, FD60 and FD60Shttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-door-ratings-fd30-fd60/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-door-ratings-fd30-fd60/What fire door ratings mean, where each is used, how to tell if a door is a genuine fire door, and why the S matters.Testing and inspectionFire extinguisher types and colours: which do you need?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-extinguisher-types/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-extinguisher-types/The colour codes and uses of water, foam, powder, CO2 and wet chemical extinguishers, with guidance on choosing the right ones for your premises.Testing and inspectionWhat affects the cost of a fire risk assessment?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-risk-assessment-cost/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-risk-assessment-cost/The factors that drive the price of a fire risk assessment for a block of flats, HMO, office or shop, and how to compare quotes fairly.Building safetyFire risk assessments: a guide for the Responsible Personhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-risk-assessment-responsible-person/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-risk-assessment-responsible-person/Who the Responsible Person is, what a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment must cover, how often to review it, and how to choose a competent assessor.Building safetyThe Fire Safety Act 2021 and the 2022 Regulations explainedhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-safety-act-2021-explained/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-safety-act-2021-explained/How the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 changed duties for blocks of flats, including external walls, fire doors, wayfinding signs and information for residents.Building safetyFire safety checklist for small businesseshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-safety-for-small-businesses/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-safety-for-small-businesses/A practical fire safety checklist for small business owners in the UK: risk assessment, alarms, extinguishers, escape routes, training and records.Testing and inspectionThe Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 explainedhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-safety-order-2005-explained/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-safety-order-2005-explained/A plain English summary of the Fire Safety Order: who it applies to, the duties of the Responsible Person, enforcement and penalties.Building safetyFire stopping and compartmentation explainedhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-stopping-explained/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/fire-stopping-explained/What compartmentation and fire stopping are, why breaches are so common, how surveys work, and what good evidence of fire stopping looks like.Building safetyThe golden thread of building information explainedhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/golden-thread-explained/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/golden-thread-explained/What the golden thread is under the Building Safety Act, what information belongs in it, and practical ways to set one up for an existing building.Building safetyHMO fire safety requirementshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/hmo-fire-safety-requirements/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/hmo-fire-safety-requirements/Fire alarm grades, fire doors, emergency lighting and fire risk assessment requirements for houses in multiple occupation in the UK.Landlords and HMOsHow often should a fire alarm be tested?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/how-often-test-fire-alarm/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/how-often-test-fire-alarm/Weekly user tests, six-monthly servicing and annual device testing explained, with a simple schedule you can follow for any UK building.Fire alarmsIs my building a higher-risk building?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/is-my-building-higher-risk/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/is-my-building-higher-risk/How to tell whether your block of flats is a higher-risk building under the Building Safety Act 2022, including how height and storeys are measured.Building safetyFire safety checklist for landlordshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/landlord-fire-safety-checklist/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/landlord-fire-safety-checklist/A UK landlord fire safety checklist covering smoke and CO alarms, HMO fire alarms, EICRs, furniture, escape routes and fire doors, with the differences between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.Landlords and HMOsPAS 9980 vs EWS1: which do you need?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/pas-9980-vs-ews1/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/pas-9980-vs-ews1/The difference between a PAS 9980 fire risk appraisal of external walls (FRAEW) and an EWS1 form, and how to decide which one your building needs.Building safetyHow to reduce false fire alarmshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/reducing-false-fire-alarms/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/reducing-false-fire-alarms/The most common causes of false and unwanted fire alarms, and practical fixes that cut call-outs without reducing safety.Fire alarmsScotland's interlinked fire alarm ruleshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/scotland-fire-alarm-rules/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/scotland-fire-alarm-rules/What the Scottish interlinked fire alarm law requires in every home, for owners and landlords, including heat, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.Landlords and HMOsSmoke detectors vs heat detectors: where to use eachhttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/smoke-vs-heat-detectors/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/smoke-vs-heat-detectors/How optical smoke, heat and multi-sensor detectors work, where each belongs, and how the right choice cuts false alarms.Fire alarmsStay put and evacuation strategies in blocks of flatshttps://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/stay-put-and-evacuation-strategies/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/stay-put-and-evacuation-strategies/How stay put, simultaneous evacuation and evacuation alert systems work in blocks of flats, and when a building's strategy needs to change.Building safetyWho can carry out a fire risk assessment?https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/who-can-carry-out-a-fire-risk-assessment/https://asterwatchfire.co.uk/guides/who-can-carry-out-a-fire-risk-assessment/What makes a fire risk assessor competent, which registers and certifications to look for, and when you can do the assessment yourself.Building safety