Hot Topics - The Building Safety Act 2022 Flashcards
What is the Building Safety Act 2022?
- the Act was introduced in the wake of safety concerns for occupants of High-Rise Buildings after the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy
- The legislation is intended to improve the design, construction and management of higher-risk buildings
When did the Building Safety Act 2022 come into force?
1st April 2023
How does the BSA 2022 define the ‘Accountable Person’?
- ‘The dutyholder during a buildings occupation’
- In most cases this will be the freeholder or head lessee or a management company
- the accountable person will have to register their occupied building with the HSE, who issues a Building Assessment Certificates for buildings it approves for occupation
What is the role of the Building Safety Regulator?
The BSR in England is part of the HSE has powers of regulation, inspection and enforcement. The BSR has 3 main functions:
1. overseeing the safety & standards of all buildings
2. helping & encouraging the built environment industry and Building Control professionals to improve their competence
3. Leading implementation of the new regulatory framework for Higher-Risk Buildings
What is the Golden Thread?
- it involves keeping a digital record of crucial building information - starting from the design phase and continuing throughout the buildings life-cycle.
What is the definition of a Client?
Any person for whom a project is carried out
What are the duties of a Client?
- to ensure suitable arrangements are made for planning, managing & monitoring building work to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations
- ensure that these arrangements are maintained through the life of a project
- must take all reasonable steps to ensure any designers or contractors they appoint are competent to carry out the work they are being appointed to do
- give a minimum of 2 days notice to Approved Inspector for works starting
What is the definition of a domestic client?
A client for whom a project being carried out which is not in the course or furtherance of a business of that client
What are the duties of a domestic client?
Appoint either a Contractor or Principal Contractor to do the following, unless they agree in writing that the Principal Designer should carry out these duties:
- to ensure suitable arrangements are made for planning, managing & monitoring building work to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations
- ensure that these arrangements are maintained through the life of a project
- must take all reasonable steps to ensure any designers or contractors they appoint are competent to carry out the work they are being appointed to do
- give a minimum of 2 days notice to Approved Inspector for works starting
What is the definition of a designer?
Any person who in the course of business either carries out any design work or arranges for / instructs any person under their control to do so
What are the duties of a designer?
- plan, manage & monitor design work to ensure it complies with Building Reg’s if built accordingly
- collaborate with the client, other designers & contractors to ensure compliance with Building Reg’s
- only begin design work if the client understands their responsibilities
- ensure that design complies with Building Reg’s
- provide adequate info re the design, construction & maintenance to enable compliance
- if working on a portion of the design, consider other design work & report compliance concerns to the principal designer
- advise the principal designer or the client if the work they are designing is considered Higher-Risk buildering work
What is the definition of a Principal Designer?
the designer appointed under regulation 11D to carry out the responsibilities of a Principal Designer according to these Regulations.
What are the duties of a Principal Designer?
- plan, manage and oversee design work during the design phase
-Coordinate design-related matters to ensure that if construction follows the designs, it complies with Building Regulations
-Ensure all Dutyholders collaborate with each other
-Ensure designers align their designs so that construction following these designs meets Building Regulations
-Ensure designers fulfil their duties
-Communicate and collaborate with the Principal Contractor
-Consider input from the Principal Contractor regarding compliance with Building Regulations
-Assist the client in providing information to designers
-Review the arrangements made by any previous Principal Designer.
What is the definition of a Contractor?
Anyone (excluding domestic clients) who, in their business, performs, manages or oversees building work
What are the duties of a contractor?
- Plan, manage, and oversee building work to ensure compliance with Building Regulations if the building work follows that design
- Collaborate with the client, designers, and other contractors to ensure compliance with Building Regulations if the construction adheres to the design
- Only initiate design work after ensuring the client understands their responsibilities
- Ensure that the building work they perform meets Building Regulations
- Provide appropriate supervision, information, and instruction to their workers for compliance with Building Regulations
- Offer enough information about the work to enable the client, other designers, and contractors to comply with Building Regulations
- When handling a portion of the building work, consider other construction aspects and report compliance concerns to the Principal Contractor
- Provide advice to the Principal Contractor or the client regarding whether any work is considered Higher-Risk building work.
