FRAEW stands for fire risk appraisal of external walls. It is a specialist assessment of the external wall construction of a multi occupied residential building, carried out to establish the risk of fire spreading over or within that wall, and it feeds into the building's fire risk assessment rather than replacing it.
Why it exists as a separate exercise
External wall construction was clarified as being within the scope of the fire risk assessment for buildings containing two or more sets of domestic premises. Assessing it properly requires knowledge of materials, cavity barriers, insulation and the interaction between them that a general fire risk assessor does not necessarily hold, and frequently requires opening up the wall to establish what is actually there. So it became a specialist appraisal commissioned separately.
What the appraisal looks at
The materials in the wall build up including cladding, insulation, membranes and the substrate. Cavity barriers and how they are installed. Balconies and what is stored on them. Windows and the detailing around them. The appraisal is evidence based, which usually means intrusive opening up at sample locations rather than a reading of the original drawings, because what was built and what was drawn often differ.
What it produces
A risk rating for the external wall and a set of options, which may run from no action through to mitigation measures such as changes to the evacuation strategy, waking watch or detection upgrades, through to remediation of the wall itself. The output is a decision document for the building owner, not a certificate.
How it relates to the wider regime
The findings go into the building's fire risk assessment, which is the statutory document. For higher risk buildings the regime introduced by building safety legislation adds duties around the safety case for the building as a whole, and the external wall appraisal is part of the evidence base for it.
Questions people ask about fraew meaning
Is a FRAEW the same as an EWS1 form?
No. The appraisal is a technical assessment of the wall. The form was a lender facing summary produced for valuation purposes and is not itself a fire safety document.
Who can carry out a FRAEW?
A person competent in external wall construction and fire behaviour. It is a narrower competence than general fire risk assessment and the appointing duty holder has to satisfy itself the appraiser holds it.
Does every block of flats need one?
No. It is needed where the external wall construction is uncertain or presents a credible risk, which the building's fire risk assessment identifies. Many low rise masonry buildings do not.