Draft fire safety guidance would require evacuation lifts large enough to contain a wheelchair and an accompanying person in all blocks of flats above 18 metres.
The government has proposed amendments to Approved Document B (ADB) that would encourage all buildings to allow the evacuation of disabled people without relying on firefighters.
ADB is not mandatory but outlines a recognised way to comply with the Building Regulations 2010.
Draft 2026 changes to Approved Document B place evacuation at the centre of both volumes of the guidance, with a stronger focus on assisted escape, evacuation lifts and building management.
In Volume 2, covering buildings other than dwellings, the consultation said: “All buildings should be able to facilitate the evacuation of disabled people.”
The draft said protected stair shafts should include one or more stairs that can accommodate assisted evacuation, evacuation lifts or firefighting lifts.
The consultation also said evacuation planning should be based on “realistic expectations for the management of the building during an evacuation”, including the “avoidance of reliance on intervention by the fire and rescue service”.
A similar shift appeared in Volume 1, which covers dwellings.
Revised guidance for flats said the standard provisions were “suitable for persons who are able to independently evacuate” and added that, where residents may need help, “additional management procedures will be needed”.
For taller blocks of flats, the draft would require evacuation lifts. It said flats should be served by evacuation lifts where the top storey is 18 metres or more above ground level.
Under the proposed wording, at least one evacuation lift would be needed for every protected stairway as part of an evacuation shaft. Each shaft would have to contain a protected stairway, at least one evacuation lift and an evacuation lift lobby.
The consultation said the lobby should provide a protected area for people waiting for the lift. It also proposed more detailed technical requirements for the lifts themselves.
Lift cars would need to be large enough for at least one wheelchair user and an accompanying person. Lift lobbies would need minimum dimensions of 2,100mm by 1,500mm.
The lifts would also need to remain operational throughout the evacuation process and have both a primary and secondary power supply.
The residential proposals also tightened guidance on stairs. One amendment said interlocked stairs should be counted as a single common stair, reducing their value as an alternative means of escape.
Elsewhere, the single-stair guidance for flats was redrafted so residents are separated from the evacuation shaft or stair enclosure by a protected lobby or corridor.
The document also provides detailed new guidance for deck-access flats, including fire resistance, soffit design, smoke behaviour and separation features.
The consultation broadens the definition of a cavity, including voids that may form during fire because of material failure or movement.
New wording on compartment walls and roofs strengthens how fire resistance should continue at roof junctions and across complex roof build-ups.
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Colin Marrs