A Systematic Review of Building Fire Safety Practices in the UK: Approaches, Challenges and Recommendations

The catastrophic effect of fire incidents such as loss of lives, damage to building structures and economic loss, underscore the need for efficient fire safety in buildings, which has been a major subject of discussion in the UK. In this study, a comprehensive review of literature pertinent to building fire safety in the UK is presented. The study adopts systematic review approach, collected data from Scopus and analysed 51 qualified articles quantitively and qualitatively. The review shows a rise in publication since 2004, revealing prominent authors and keywords in building fire safety research. The review further identified the categories of fire safety practices in the UK, including technological innovations, mitigation, behavioural, and regulatory measures. Notable findings reveal the challenges in current practices including compliance and enforcement issues, maintenance of fire safety systems, public awareness and behavioural issues, technological adoption and integration challenges, and infrastructure and building design challenges. To address the challenges identified, proposed recommendations include fire safety training, simplifying and unifying regulations, maintenance and inspection of fire safety systems, fostering and upholding public trust, enhancing public awareness, integration of advanced technologies, and formulation of fire safety strategies. Additionally. the study further recommends more comparative research on international fire safety practices and social factors influence on fire regulations to effectively enhance fire safety practices in the UK.