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EWS stands for External Wall System. This refers to all the parts of the wall on the outside including but not only things like balconies, bricks, external cladding, insulation, fire break systems and walkways. An external wall survey is an inspection of a building’s EWS. An inspection is not just visually looking at things, there is more to it including opening up different parts of the exterior to see what is happening behind. Here are some answers to some of the questions asked about the inspections and regulations around it. Q1. What buildings have to have an EWS inspection? A1. The regulations stated that buildings that were more than 18 metres tall which is 6 to seven storeys, need to be assessed, but with recent tragedies more recently it is stated that where a risk assessment considers a survey necessary, even if it does not meet the height requirement, a building owner should comply. Q2. Who inspects your building’s external wall system? A2. Inspecting the external cladding and other parts of the EWS is something that should only happen with a qualified professional. They need to have the right training and experience to be able to identify attachments, cladding, fire-resistant cavity barriers and other measures for fore stopping and whether they are installed properly. Q3. How do the experts go about assessing the EWS? A3. It is not just about a physical inspection of all the parts of the system and taking some things away to test. They also look at all documents relating to the construction of the EWS and repairs. The report may take up to 90 days to send to the building owner. Q4. Is an EWS1 inspection the same as an EWS survey? A4. The EWS1 form was created by RICS and is an assessment a survey can fill out. It is not the same as an external wall survey but there are some cross-overs in what they look at. The EWS inspection is part of an intrusive fire risk assessment type 4. An EWS1 form is becoming something lenders are asking for before they offer mortgages or re-mortgages. The form lasts for 5 years and is a summary of the EWS1 assessment. It says whether there are no combustible materials, are some but it is a low risk, or there are some and action needs to be taken. Only those forms by an approved EWS1 assessor are accepted. Q5. Do tenants arrange for an assessment? A5. The property owner is responsible for arranging the assessment and repeating it every 5 years, as well as following the guidelines recommended by it. Anyone offering you as a tenant an EWS1 inspection and report are likely fraudsters trying to make money off people who are not aware of the regulations. Summary Keeping your property safe means undertaking the assessments and surveys necessary to check things are to code. It is important to have such inspections performed by professional and accredited assessors only.
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