Ensuring fire safety in your housing stock is a complex challenge. Despite statutory obligations, many rented properties do not meet fire safety requirements. In addition, you are faced with matches for achieving ambitious targets for sustainability and liveability within the framework of the National Performance Agreements, such as insulating 675,000 homes and making 450,000 homes natural-gas-free by 2030. To help you fulfil your responsibilities as a housing association and achieve these goals, JB Risicobeheer offers you a seven-step plan to make your housing stock sustainable in a safe manner.

1. Risk analysis

   Begin with a risk analysis to get a clear picture of the fire safety risks within your property portfolio. This analysis helps to identify specific risk factors that may occur during sustainability projects, such as the use of new bio-based insulation materials or the installation of solar panels and energy storage systems. By mapping these risks, you can take targeted measures to control them.

   
   

2. Information-driven budgeting

   Use data and insights from the risk analysis to allocate your budgets effectively. This involves prioritising based on the buildings with the highest risks. By budgeting in an information-driven manner, you can make optimal use of your resources and ensure that the most important fire safety issues are addressed first.

   
   

3. Prioritising buildings

   Inspect and assess the highest-risk buildings first. These may be buildings that have outdated fire safety provisions or where it is known that many combustible materials have been used in the building construction, for example, polyethylene-filled cladding. By prioritising these buildings, you can quickly and effectively reduce the greatest risks.

   
   

4. Meticulous handover

   Check that all defects and deficiencies have been correctly rectified during the handover of renovation and sustainability projects. This includes verifying fire safety provisions and ensuring that all installed fire safety systems comply with applicable regulations. A meticulous handover prevents future problems and increases the safety of the residents.

   
   

5. Handover file

   Ensure a complete and accurate handover file for the management phase. This file should contain all details about the work carried out, materials used and fire safety provisions installed. A detailed handover file helps the management team to perform effective maintenance and ensures that all information on fire safety measures is available.

   
   

6. Periodic condition scans

   Carry out regular basic condition scans to monitor fire safety. These scans help to identify potential risks at an early stage and provide the opportunity to intervene quickly before problems escalate. Regular inspections contribute to the continuous improvement of fire safety in your housing stock.

   
   

7. Training

   Train property managers and maintenance staff to recognise high-risk situations and fire hazardous conditions. By providing them with the right knowledge and skills, they can intervene more quickly and take appropriate measures. This reduces the likelihood of fire incidents and increases overall safety.

What to do next?

Making your housing stock sustainable in a safe manner requires a structured approach and well-considered policy trade-offs. With the risk-oriented approach of Barbon in combination with JB Risicobeheer, you look beyond mere statutory requirements. This allows you to take effective measures that contribute to a safe living environment and thus the well-being of your tenants.