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Homeowner?
Are you a
Homeowner?
The Building Safety Act has introduced one of the most significant changes to the construction and fire safety landscape in recent years. Part of this new approach includes the Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 approval stages, which act as checkpoints that must be passed before moving on to the next stage during the construction of higher-risk buildings.
For fire engineers, contractors, developers, and duty holders, these changes bring new responsibilities and higher expectations around competence. Gateway 2 is now a critical approval stage before construction can begin, requiring a fully developed design that clearly demonstrates compliance with Building Regulations. Gateway 3 then ensures that what has been built aligns with what was approved, supported by full documentation and evidence.
With this tightened approach, ensuring that submissions are fully compliant and done to an excellent standard is critical. To help reduce this pressure on teams, using a third party such as FireAngel’s free Grade D System Design & Specification Service, can offer a solution to prevent delays and ensure buildings are fully safe and compliant before residents move in.
Under Gateway 2, fire strategy and system design play a central role. Submissions must include comprehensive fire safety information, with designs developed in enough detail to show that the building will meet the required standards before work begins on site.
Designs need to be coordinated, technically robust, and supported by clear documentation much earlier in the process. Fire detection and alarm systems must be specified with care, taking into account the building type, resident needs, regulatory requirements, and long-term management of the property.
Our products can be installed in line with approved fire safety designs developed for Gateway 2 submissions and verified at Gateway 3 completion, helping support compliant fire safety strategies across residential and higher-risk building projects. However, selecting the right products is only part of the picture. The way those products are designed into a system, evidenced, and documented is now more important than ever.
The new Gateway process also raises expectations around competence. Those contributing to fire safety design must be able to demonstrate the right skills, knowledge and experience, with third-party certification increasingly important.
This is where our Design Service comes in. By using an insured and certified design partner, project teams can reduce the pressure created by increased regulatory scrutiny while gaining confidence that their fire detection and alarm systems have been designed to the appropriate standard.
Certified to BS 5839-6 and BAFE DS301, the free Design Service supports duty holders, contractors and project teams by providing compliant, clearly documented designs that can contribute to Gateway submissions, reducing the risk of redesign requirements as our team of experts support compliance and help meet requirements from the outset.
Leveraging this service can further help minimise the risk of avoidable delays by streamlining the submission and approvals process, enabling a smoother approvals process and saving valuable time. Project teams can gain confidence in their Gateway 2 and 3 submissions knowing that what they are submitting is not only fully compliant but also fully insured and certified.
Gateway 3 places equal emphasis on evidence at completion, meaning project teams must demonstrate that the finished building reflects the design approved at Gateway 2, including updated fire safety information and ‘as-built’ evidence.
More than a checkpoint, Gateway 3 is the final mandatory approval stage before residents can move into the building. Failure to achieve this completion certificate from the Building Safety Regulator can result in severe handover delays and potential legal action if the building becomes occupied without it.
This makes early design decisions vital as fire-related changes during construction are likely to be closely controlled and may require further approval. A considered, compliant design from the outset can help create a smoother path from Gateway 2 approval through to Gateway 3 completion.
Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 represent a shift toward greater accountability, stronger documentation, and higher standards of competence. For fire safety systems, this means early, expert design support is essential.
Ready to strengthen your Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 fire safety strategy? Get in touch with the FireAngel team today to discuss how our free, insured Design Service, certified to BS 5839-6 and BAFE DS301, can support your project from compliant design through to completion.
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