The new Building Safety Act 2022 is an important piece of legislation that will impact the construction and management of buildings across the UK. This Act aims to improve the safety of buildings and protect the people who live and work in them.
The Building Safety Act 2022 has been introduced in response to recent tragedies, such as the Grenfell Tower fire. This Act aims to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future by introducing new safety measures and standards for buildings. The Act applies to all types of buildings, including residential and commercial properties.
One of the key changes introduced by the Building Safety Act 2022 is the creation of a new regulator called the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). The BSR will be responsible for overseeing the safety of buildings and ensuring that they meet the new safety standards. The BSR will have the power to enforce regulations and take action against those who do not comply.
All high rise buildings will have to register to the BSR. Registration opens in April 2023 and closes in October 2023 so the window is small! Read our post on what we know about registration.
The Act also introduces a new regime for high-rise residential buildings above 18m, which will be required to have a safety case. A safety case is a document that outlines the risks associated with a building and the measures that have been put in place to mitigate those risks. This will ensure that all high-rise residential buildings have effective fire safety measures in place.
Another important aspect of the Building Safety Act 2022 is the introduction of a new system of building safety accreditation. This system will ensure that those responsible for designing, constructing and managing buildings have the necessary skills and qualifications to do so safely. This is intended to help to improve the quality of building work and reduce the risk of safety failures.
We're all trying to understand the new requirements for building managers and owners, read our post on responsibilities to know more.