The Building Safety Act and what it means for designers and clients

The main ideas

1. A national regulator. The Building Safety Regulator, within the Health and Safety Executive, oversees building safety and regulates higher-risk buildings.
2. Clear duties for those who build. A regime of "dutyholders" applies to building work under the Building Regulations in England: the client, the principal designer, the principal contractor, designers and contractors. Each has duties to plan, manage and monitor work so that it complies, and must be competent.
3. Higher-risk buildings. Stricter rules apply to certain tall residential buildings (in broad terms, those of a set height or number of storeys with several homes), and to hospitals and care homes of that height.
4. Gateways. For higher-risk buildings, there are checkpoints, or "gateways", at planning, before construction starts and before occupation, where the regulator must be satisfied before work can proceed.
5. The golden thread. Accurate, up-to-date information about the building's design, construction and changes must be kept and handed on, in a usable form.
6. Responsibility after completion. Occupied higher-risk buildings need an accountable person who manages building safety, with duties to residents.
7. Resident voice and complaints. Residents have rights to information and ways to raise safety concerns.
8. Construction products and competence. The Act strengthens the regulation of construction products and the competence of people working on buildings.

What it means for designers

• Competence. Designers must be competent for the work they take on, and must say if they are not.
• Duties. Designers must take reasonable steps to ensure their designs comply with the Building Regulations, and must cooperate and co-ordinate with others.
• Information. Designers must produce clear, accurate information and keep records.
• Change control. Changes to the design after approval must be managed and recorded.
• Appointments. Designers' roles and responsibilities must be written down in appointments.

The Building Safety Regulator, within the Health and Safety Executive, oversees building safety and regulates higher-risk buildings.

What it means for clients

• Client duties. Clients must make suitable arrangements for managing a project, and appoint competent people.
• Time and cost. A clearer process may add time at the start, but can reduce risk and disputes later.
• Information. Clients should expect to receive a record of the building at handover.
• For higher-risk buildings, consider early engagement with the regulator and specialist advice.

Beyond the tall buildings

Even if your building is not higher-risk, the dutyholder and competence rules apply to ordinary building work in England. See Building Regulations explained, Building control and CDM Regulations.

Fire and materials

The Act sits alongside stricter fire-safety rules, including those for external walls. See Fire safety in design.

In short

The Act is about accountability: clear duties, competent people, a regulator for the riskiest buildings and a record that follows the building through its life. Check the rules that apply to your project, and get specialist help early.

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