The Building Safety Act 2022 and associated Secondary Legislation represents the biggest change in construction culture in our lifetime. Navigating the legislative changes can be daunting, however PBC can assist you bringing the highest standard of professional care and due diligence to your project.
The Building Safety Act takes forward the Government’s commitment to fundamental reform of safety in the built environment and sets in motion the recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, published May 2018.
Among the regulations are the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England), which sets out the procedural requirements when a new higher-risk building is being designed and constructed or when work is being carried out on an existing higher-risk building. However, With all of the narrative in the market around the impact of the Building Safety Act 2022 on the development of higher-risk buildings (HRBs), it is easy to miss the updates to the Building Regulations, which apply where you are not developing an HRB. These come in the form of the Building Regulations 2010 (as amended) by The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023) the Building Regulations which brings forward regulatory reform covering all building types and all notifiable works.
Our Building Safety and Compliance team can support you with all aspects to help achieve compliance with the technical and procedural requirements of the amended Building Regulations for all building types, including higher-risk buildings. The Building Safety and Compliance Team comprises Building Control, Design and Building Surveying professionals to provide diligent guidance to all duty holders.
Download The PBC Briefing About Building Safety & Compliance
Our Services includes:
Building Regulations Principal Designer
The appointment of a competent Principal Designer under the Building Regulations 2010 is key to assisting clients in ensuring they comply with their extensive duties under the new regulatory framework . This is an in depth role focused on the planning, managing, monitoring and collaboration of the project team. PBC will assign a Principal Designer to your project who integrates themselves into your project from inception, providing you with a defined and tested process to delivering compliance with the regulatory framework.
Building Safety Regulator Applications
With our extensive experience within the Higher Risk Building Sector PBC are well versed in the formulation of applications to The Building Safety Regulator including the extensive additional documentation required to accompany applications at Gateway 1, Gateway 2 and Gateway 3. Alongside acting as the Building Regulations Principal Designer, PBC put Building Safety and Compliance at the core of the project introducing the critical Gateway 2 application documents from inception of the project including the Construction Control Plan and Golden Thread Procedures to put your project on the correct path to compliance from from the beginning.
Competency Assessments
As a client, you are responsible for ensuring those you appoint to undertake the role of Principal Designer and Principal Contractor are competent to undertake their role, with competency going far beyond simply project experience to include areas such as behaviours and ethics, decision making and individual and company values in line with BSI Flex 8670, PAS 8671 and PAS 8672. PBC assist you undertaking assessments of your proposed appointees to confirm that you have appointed professionals who can demonstrate competence in line with the government guidance provided.
Project Audits
As a client, “ensuring” compliance in line with the new regulatory framework can be daunting. Given the speed of regulatory change you may wish to assure that the team delivering your projects are doing so in-line with the regulatory best practice upon which the Building Safety Regulator has said they will expect professionals to work within. PBC can undertake auditing and reporting upon your existing project procedures and recommend corrective action to ensure you are meeting your legal duties.
Retrospective ‘Emergency Works’ Applications
Within the Building (Higher-Risk Buildings Procedures) (England) Regulations there are provisions to undertake “emergency works” where works relate to life safety critical works. However, following cessation of the risk a retrospective application must be made to The Building Safety Regulator. PBC have had experience of these when undertaking immediate remediation to ‘make safe’ following insured events prior to undertaking more extensive remediation. We can assist in both the management of the retrospective emergency works application, and overseeing any subsequent applications made for follow on works.
