As Build UK’s Building Safety Guide indicates, the Building Safety Act, which became law in April 2022, is the foundation of the new building safety regime. A significant amount of secondary legislation has now been introduced, demonstrated by a useful timeline, together with supporting guidance from industry, and there is a major programme of remediation work underway to replace cladding deemed to be unsafe.
The Act applies to all buildings and includes additional requirements for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs). Transitional arrangements apply to existing and new HRBs where an initial notice or full plans were submitted to a local authority before 1st October 2023 and work was sufficiently progressed by 6th April 2024.
An HRB is defined as a building at least 18 metres in height or at least seven storeys, and containing at least two residential units or is a hospital or care home. However, hotels and secure residential institutions are not classed as HRBs. Further guidance is available to determine whether or not a building is classed as an HRB.
Alongside the Building Safety Guide, Build UK published an overview of the Golden Thread, detailing how the Building Safety Act introduces the requirement for a ‘Golden Thread’ of information for HRBs. The Golden Thread is intended to be the ‘single source of truth’ or Common Data Environment for an HRB, containing details of everything that could have an impact on the safety of the building and the people that use it. This includes the products, materials, and systems used; methods of construction; plant, equipment and services installed; and operation and maintenance information. In addition, the Construction Leadership Council published ‘Delivering the Golden Thread‘, providing guidance for dutyholders and Accountable Persons.
The Building Safety Regime serves to address concerns regarding safety measures in the construction industry. In May 2018, Dame Judith Hackitt released her final report, ‘Building a Safer Future’, setting out the need for a cultural shift in the industry to embed the ‘systemic change’ introduced by legislation and support the delivery of buildings that are safe. More recently, following the fire at Grenfell Tower on 14th June 2017, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire, and its final report was published in September 2024. The CLC published a progress report in August 2024 setting out the work that has been undertaken across the industry to support regulatory and cultural change.
If you have any further queries regarding the building safety regime, you can contact the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). This body was among those established by the Building Safety Act and is led by the Director of Building Safety at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Since changes to the Building Safety Regime are continuing to develop, the guidance provided for the Building Safety Act and Golden Thread continue to be updated as required.
