RIBA Brings Clarity to Approved Document B Changes

RIBA HAS BROUGHT clarity to the confirmed revisions of Approved Documents for Part B: Fire Safety (ADB) by bringing them together in printed versions.

RIBA worked with the HSE to produce the printed updates for Volume 1: Dwellings and Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings.

The organisation wants to help architects and industry navigate the changes and the timetable of them coming into force, with each new introductory deadline having its own transitional arrangements.

The documents have colour-coded sections highlighting paragraph-by paragraph when the new and forthcoming changes apply, available to buy from RIBA.

Approved Document B Changes

The ADBs are subtitled 2019 edition incorporating 2020, 2022 and 2025 amendments and forthcoming 2026 and 2029 changes – for use in England.

They cover the revisions published in 2024, which saw key changes such as fire safety information and the removal of national classes for reaction to fire and roofs come into force on 2 March 2025.

The new publications also capture future confirmed changes.

ADB Transitional Arrangements

There are various transitional arrangements that apply to the ADBs.

The 2019 edition incorporating the 2020 and 2022 amendments will continue to apply in certain cases.

• Where a building notice or an initial notice has been given to,
• or a building control approval application with full plans made to,
• the relevant authority before 2 March 2025
• and either the building work to which it relates has started and is sufficiently progressed:

1. before that day; or,
2. within the period of six months beginning on that day.

March 2025 BS476 Changes Now in Force

All references to standard BS 476 in relation to reaction to fire and roofs are now removed, ending the dual system for classification in favour of the European Standard (BS EN 13501 series) alone.

Removal of BS 476 ends the situation where there are two alternative ways of demonstrating compliance, removing confusion surrounding potential ‘equivalence’. References to BS 476 in relation to broader fire resistance testing of products and materials will be removed following a transition period that ends on 2 September 2029.

Other changes mean sprinklers installed for all new care homes irrespective of height and from 30 September 2026 there’s new requirements for evacuation lifts and more than one common stair in blocks of flats 18m or more.

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