Building Safety Regulations, Legislation and Acts
The Building Safety Act 2022 was put in place to make buildings and residents safer. The legislation is designed to improve the design, construction and management of higher-risk buildings following the tragedy of Grenfell Tower in 2017.
First off, what is a higher-risk building?
To be considered higher-risk there are certain criteria a building must meet, a summary is below but you can read more here:
- Use: In addition to meeting the height or storey threshold, a building must have at least 2 residential units.
- Height or Storeys: A building does not need to meet both thresholds but must be over 18m or more than 7 storeys.
- Building Definition: The Act defines a building in full detail with examples (such as connected structures, underground car parks, independent sections. Generally a building will have at least one entry/exit to an external point and access to any connected structure does not contain a residential unit.
What other measures are in place?
There are a number of regulations and acts that work alongside the BSA to ensure compliance and the safety of residents, you can read more about each of these following the links below.