Fire safety handover pack: What to include [Checklist]

Since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, fire safety has become a much greater focus across the UK construction industry. The tragedy exposed serious failings in building safety, including gaps in the information needed to manage fire risks.

Regulation 38 of the Building Regulations 2010 reflects this shift.

Now five times longer than its original wording, it sets out more detailed requirements for fire safety information handover in England. Amendments that came into force in October 2023 clarified the duties of the person carrying out the work and the responsible person, including the need to provide the necessary safety information.

The specific regulations differ across the UK, but this change reflects a wider industry focus on complete, accurate, and usable handover records.

There’s no single, universally prescribed fire safety handover document. Still, bringing together the right drawings, certificates, test records, and maintenance information helps ensure the building can be safely managed and maintained once work is complete.

The checklist below will help you ensure your fire safety handover pack is complete before signing off the project.

Key takeaways

• A complete fire safety handover pack brings key project records together
  Include design information, as-built drawings, installation records, test results, certificates, and O&M manuals.

• Check that systems work together
  Include integrated testing results, outstanding defects, and evidence of completed remedial work.

• Prepare the pack throughout the project
  Collect records as work progresses so everything is ready before handover and the building is occupied.

• Use software to keep handover evidence organised
  Capture site records, photos, and location-linked evidence, manage approvals, and generate reports to make compiling your fire safety handover pack easier.

Fire safety handover pack: 15-point checklist

A fire safety handover pack should bring together the design, installation, testing, and maintenance records for the completed works. The exact documents will depend on the building and the systems installed, but the following checklist covers the main items to gather.

1. Project and handover information

Start with the basic details needed to identify the project, the work completed, and the organisations involved:

• Project name, site address, and building reference

• Client, principal contractor, and relevant subcontractor details

• Project manager and site manager contact details

• Names and contact details of specialist fire safety contractors and installers

• Description of completed works and affected areas

• Practical completion and handover dates

• Relevant building control application or reference numbers

• Document register, including titles, revision numbers, issue dates, and approval status

Accurate project details make it easier to track records, identify who carried out each work package, and find the right information when it’s needed.

2. Fire strategy and design documentation

Gather the documents that explain the building’s fire safety design and how its protective measures are intended to work together:

• Approved fire strategy report and supporting drawings

• As-built fire strategy drawings reflecting the completed works

• Fire compartmentation plans and required fire resistance ratings

• Escape route, emergency exit, and protected stairway plans

• Evacuation strategy, including stay put and simultaneous evacuation, where applicable

• Fire service access and firefighting facilities information

• Smoke control and ventilation strategy

• Fire engineering reports and supporting calculations, where applicable

• Records of approved design changes or deviations from the original fire strategy

These records provide the background needed to understand the building’s fire safety arrangements. Without them, future contractors may struggle to identify how alterations could affect existing fire protection measures.

3. As-built drawings and installation records

Provide accurate records showing where fire safety equipment and protective measures were installed. Each specialist subcontractor should supply information for their own work package, including:

• Final as-built architectural and fire safety drawings

• Fire alarm and detection device locations, including zone plans

• Fire door schedules and identification references

• Fire stopping, penetration seal, and cavity barrier locations

• Fire damper, shutter, and curtain locations

• Emergency lighting and fire safety signage layouts

• Sprinkler, suppression, and firefighting equipment layouts, where installed

• Dry and wet riser layouts, where installed

• Smoke control and ventilation system drawings

• Updated drawings showing authorised changes made during construction

As-built drawings help identify exactly what’s behind walls, above ceilings, and throughout the building. They’re particularly useful when planning future maintenance, repairs, or building work.

4. Fire doors and passive fire protection

Collect the product, installation, and inspection records for fire doors and other passive fire protection measures:

• Fire door specifications, fire resistance ratings, and manufacturer details

• Installation certificates and quality assurance records

• Details of door frames, glazing, ironmongery, intumescent seals, and smoke seals

• Records of fire door inspections and remedial work

• Fire stopping product specifications, technical data, and relevant test evidence

• Fire stopping installation and inspection records

• Photographic evidence of fire stopping before concealment

• Penetration seal registers identifying products and installation locations

• Cavity barrier installation records

• Fire damper, fire shutter, and fire curtain installation records, where applicable

Passive fire protection is often concealed once building work is complete. Proper installation records and photographs provide evidence of what’s been fitted and where, making future checks and repairs easier.

5. Fire alarm and detection systems

For fire alarm contractors and specialist installers, include the technical records needed to understand and maintain the completed system:

• Fire alarm design documentation and equipment specifications

• Installation and commissioning certificates

• Inspection and testing records

• Alarm zone plans and device schedules

• Cause-and-effect matrix

• Interface and integration test results, including connections to smoke control, lifts, and access control where applicable

• Control panel and repeater panel details

• Manufacturer’s operating instructions

• Outstanding defects or system limitations

The building’s fire alarm system needs to work as intended and interact correctly with other safety systems. These records help identify faults, understand alarm responses, and support future maintenance.

6. Emergency lighting and fire safety signage

Include the records for emergency escape lighting and fire safety signs installed or affected by the works:

• Emergency lighting design and layout drawings

• Installation and commissioning certificates

• Functional test results and records of identified defects

• Luminaire and battery specifications

• Manufacturer’s operating and maintenance instructions

• Fire exit and fire safety signage layouts and specifications

• Details of any changes to existing escape route signage

7. Fire suppression and firefighting equipment

Where these systems form part of the project, collect the relevant installation, testing, and operating records:

• Sprinkler and fire suppression system design drawings and specifications

• Installation and commissioning certificates

• Water supply and pressure test results

• Gas suppression system documentation, where applicable

• Fire extinguisher schedules, specifications and location plans

• Dry and wet riser installation and pressure test certificates

• Fire hydrant and associated equipment details, where included in the works

• Firefighting lift documentation, where applicable

• Manufacturer’s operating instructions and maintenance requirements

Properly documented firefighting equipment makes it easier to check that systems are ready for use and keep them in good working order through routine maintenance.

8. Smoke control and ventilation systems

For mechanical and electrical subcontractors working on smoke control systems, include:

• Smoke control design strategy and system specifications

• Smoke ventilation and extraction drawings

• Smoke damper and actuator schedules

• Automatic opening vent (AOV) installation records

• Commissioning certificates and airflow or performance test results, where applicable

• Control panel instructions and manual override procedures

• Inspection and maintenance requirements

• Details of outstanding defects or system limitations

Smoke control systems often rely on several components working together. Reliable records help building operators understand how the system responds during a fire and what needs to be checked to keep it working.

9. Testing, commissioning, and inspection certificates

Bring together the evidence that fire safety systems have been tested, commissioned, and verified, along with any testing still outstanding:

• Integrated fire safety systems testing records

• Cause-and-effect testing across interconnected systems

• Final inspection and sign-off records

• Outstanding testing requirements and agreed completion dates

Individual system tests don’t always show how different fire safety measures work together. Integrated testing helps confirm that connected systems respond as intended and highlights any issues that need resolving before final handover.

10. Operation and maintenance (O&M) manuals

Collect the manuals and technical information needed to operate and maintain the installed fire safety systems, including:

• Fire alarm and detection systems

• Emergency lighting

• Sprinkler and fire suppression systems

• Smoke control and ventilation systems

• Fire doors and passive fire protection

• Fire dampers, shutters, and curtains

• Firefighting equipment

For each system, the information should include:

• Manufacturers’ technical information, product data, warranties, guarantees, replacement parts, and consumables

• Recommended inspection frequencies and maintenance schedules

• Manufacturer and maintenance contractor contact details

• Instructions for safely isolating and reinstating equipment

O&M manuals give the building’s maintenance team a practical reference for looking after installed systems. They also help prevent avoidable damage caused by incorrect operation or maintenance.

11. Fire safety training and familiarisation records

Handovers shouldn’t stop at providing manuals. The relevant building staff also need to know how to use the equipment, recognise faults, and respond when something goes wrong.

So, include evidence of training and demonstrations provided to the people who will operate and maintain the installed systems:

• Fire alarm control panel training records

• Smoke control system operating instructions and training records

• Sprinkler and suppression system familiarisation, where applicable

• Fire safety equipment demonstrations

• Fire door inspection guidance

• Emergency procedure and evacuation information

• Training materials and user guides

• Attendance records and outstanding training requirements

12. Outstanding defects and remedial works

Keep an accurate record of any fire safety issues that remain unresolved at handover:

• Fire safety snagging and defects register

• Non-conformance reports

• Details of incomplete installations

• Outstanding issues identified during inspections or commissioning tests

• Details and evidence of completed remedial works

• Outstanding fire door, fire stopping, or compartmentation defects

• Outstanding alarm, detection, suppression, or smoke control issues

• Temporary fire safety measures still in place

• Agreed corrective actions, completion dates, and responsible parties

• Formal acceptance of any outstanding work by the relevant project parties

Recording fire safety defects separately makes it easier to track corrective work and ensures unresolved issues aren’t overlooked when the project is handed over.

13. Construction phase fire safety records

For projects involving construction or refurbishment, keep relevant records of the temporary fire safety arrangements used during the works:

• Construction phase fire risk assessment

• Fire safety arrangements in the construction phase plan

• Site fire safety and emergency plans

• Temporary escape routes, warning arrangements, fire points, and extinguisher locations

• Hot work permits, related risk assessments, fire watch records, and arrangements for storing flammable materials and gas cylinders

• Fire safety inspection, site drill, induction, and Toolbox Talk records

• Records of temporary isolation or impairment of existing fire protection systems

• Evidence that affected systems were reinstated and tested

These records show how risks were managed during the project and help identify any temporary measures that need to be removed or closed out.

14. Higher-risk building and golden thread information

For projects involving higher-risk buildings in England, which have additional information management requirements, include documents required under the building safety regime:

• Digital building information records

• Fire and emergency file

• Building regulations compliance statement

• Construction control plan and change control plan

• Updated change control log

• Relevant design and construction records

• Building completion certificate

• Confirmation that relevant information has been transferred to the accountable person

Accurate records help maintain the golden thread of building information and support the ongoing management of fire and structural safety risks.

15. Final handover and document sign-off

Before closing out the project, check that the handover pack is complete and ready for transfer.

A final check helps catch missing documents and unresolved issues before the project is closed. It also provides a reliable record of what was handed over and which actions—if any—still need to be completed.

How Onetrace helps you manage your fire safety handover pack

A complete fire safety handover pack doesn’t come together overnight.

The drawings, installation records, inspection photos, and certificates you need are created at different stages of the project, often by different teams.

That’s why you should build your handover pack as the work progresses instead of leaving it until the end.

Construction safety compliance software can help you do just that.

Here’s what Onetrace allows you to do:

• Capture evidence as work happens: Use custom forms to record installations, surveys, and inspections. Add photos, notes, and checklist responses directly from the site, with mandatory fields to reduce missing information.

• Keep records linked to the right locations: Upload drawings and organise them by blocks, levels, and zones. Operatives can add location pins to show exactly where work was carried out, including fire stopping and other concealed installations.

• Keep project documents together: Store certificates, product data sheets, specifications, and other supporting files in the central Docs & Files area. Organise them into folders and control who can access them.

• Track checks and approvals: Set up approval workflows so supervisors and other stakeholders can review submitted work, request changes, and record sign-off. Keep an approval history for reference.

• Create reports for handover: Generate branded PDF and Excel reports from job sheets, locations, and drawings, making it easier to pull together installation records, inspection evidence, and photos for clients.

• Keep a traceable record of installed work: Use QR codes to link installed work to its digital history. Future teams can scan a code to find previous surveys, installation records, and follow-up work.

Thanks to these features, Onetrace helps contractors and subcontractors keep fire safety information organised from the first site visit to the final handover. Book a personalised demo to learn more about Onetrace and get started.

FAQ

Who is responsible for providing fire safety information at handover?

The person carrying out the building work must provide fire safety information to the responsible person by completion of the work, or earlier if the building is occupied before then. 

The responsible person must acknowledge receipt and confirm the information is sufficient. The person carrying out the work must also notify building control, generally within five days, or within 30 days where a self-certification scheme applies.

What should a fire safety handover pack include?

A fire safety handover pack should include the design, installation, testing, and maintenance information needed to understand and manage the building’s fire safety systems.

How long should fire safety records be kept?

In the UK, there’s no single statutory retention period for fire safety records, but they must be kept up to date and available for inspection.

Is it a legal requirement to have a fire safety certificate?

No, not in England or Wales. The old fire safety certificate system was abolished in 2006 and replaced by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Under the Order, the responsible person for the building must instead carry out and keep a fire risk assessment up to date.