SOCOTEC UK answers commonly asked questions about changes introduced by the Building Safety Act including new legal requirements for registering buildings in scope.
We're here to answer all your top questions and shed some light on the new Building Safety Act (BSA). Whether you're a homeowner, a tenant, a business owner, or just someone curious about building safety, we've got answers to your questions.
Let’s get started and explore the ins and outs of the Building Safety Act.
What is the Building Safety Act,2022 (BSA 2022)?
This new act has been brought about to enhance the regulatory system governing buildings to ensure better safety and a stronger voice for building occupants.
Why has this act been introduced?
Following the Grenfell tower fire and the Edinburgh school closures in 2017, an independent review of building and fire safety carried out by Dame Judith Hacket proposed that current fire safety in high rises were not fit for purpose and that a clear culture change was required with respect to relative responsibilities of building owners and those responsible for building maintenance.
What is classified as a High-Risk Building?
A building of seven-storeys or 18 metres high which incorporates at least two residential units, a care or hospital.
Care homes and hospitals are exempt from the requirement to register as this is done through the Care Quality Commission.
Other exemptions include:
Is complying with the Building Safety Act, 2022 mandatory?
The BSA is expected to become law in 2024 and registration of relevant buildings will be a legal requirement.
Who is responsible for registering a building?
This is to be done by the accountable person (AP).
This is the individual or organisation that owns the building or is responsible for the maintenance of the building.
Where there is more than one AP, a principal AP will need to be nominated.
When do buildings need to be registered?
All occupied buildings must be registered by 30 September 2023.
After 1 October 2023 all new high-risk buildings must be registered on completion.
What are the penalties for not registering?
Not registering relevant buildings will be a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison and a fine.
What do I need to register a building?
Building information will be input into a government website portal.
The information required at this stage is:
• No. of AP or PAP and which parts of the building they are responsible for
• The no. of floors at or above ground level
• Building height in meters
• The no. of residential units
• Year of building completion
• It’s address or addresses
• Building type - single, connected or structure of multiple parts
• If the building was completed by the 6 April 2023, the date and reference number of the building control completion certificate and the body who issued the certificate
• Registration fee.
What happens after registration?
After registration you will be asked for “Key Building Information (KBI)”, including:
If more than one type is used, the percentage split must be stated-item wp:list-item
What happens after providing the Key Building Information?
The Building Safety Regulator will instruct you to make an application for a Building Safety Assessment.
This will include the provision of a safety case, mandatory occurrence reporting system and a resident engagement.
What if I do not have all the information?
The HSE require that you make all efforts to obtain the information required or at least show the steps you have taken to obtain all necessary information.
What is a Safety Case?
This is a study of all the potential fire and structural hazards within your building.
The safety case has to show what these potential risks are and how they are managed.
Usually this will involve a fire and structural survey.
What is a mandatory occurrence reporting system?
The appointed person/principal appointed person must establish and operate an effective mandatory occurrence reporting system.
This system should include:
What is a resident engagement strategy?
The resident engagement areas are:
What other responsibilities of the appointed person /principal appointed person?
The AP/PAP is responsible for maintaining a “Golden Thread” of building information.
This is essentially an accurate information trail of all building information and works carried out.
This information must be held digitally.
