New fire safety rules

According to a press release dated 28 February 2025 issued by the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, new fire safety regulations have been approved by Ministerial Order and submitted for publication in the Official Gazette.

The provisions set out in Design Standard P118/1 governing the fire safety of buildings date back to 1999 and some of its provisions no longer reflect the current reality.

Key features of the new regulations:

• they provide up-to-date technical solutions, contain detailed schemes for resolving technical issues, thus improving the design process and resulting in shorter approval times and higher fire safety standards
• all new buildings are to be built according to the new rules, with the newly adopted rules also providing for compensatory approaches and new solutions for old buildings
• External evacuation stairs, which under current regulations had to be installed on the outside of all old hospital buildings, will no longer be compulsory because the new regulations provide for multiple solutions in relevant situations, such as reduced evacuation flows, fire safety zones and elevators with their own power supplies designed for the evacuation of people and patients with reduced mobility
• the regulations also clarify issues relating to building materials, finishing and carpentry, resulting in lower construction costs without compromising fire safety
• the regulations enter into force 60 days after publication of the normative act in the Official Journal of Romania

Source: Press Release of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration, dated 28 Feb. 2025