BB-SCR Now Fully Compliant with BSR Standards

As of yesterday (26^th February 2025), BB-SCR, our AI-powered safety case reporting tool, achieved full compliance with the Building Safety Regulators (BSR) assessment criteria for Building Assessment Certificate (BAC) applications. This accomplishment reinforces our commitment to compliance and building safety.

The BSR plays a crucial role in maintaining safety and standards for residential buildings in England, particularly those classified as higher-risk. As part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the BSR collaborates with local authorities and fire and rescue services to regulate building safety and ensure compliance.

The BSR is the lead regulatory body for BACs, which provide a transparent evaluation of a building’s safety status. To apply for a BAC, the Principal Accountable Person (PAP) must submit key documents, including a Safety Case Report, Resident Engagement Strategy, and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Policy. Recently, the BSR has published new assessment criteria for BAC applications.

The assessment criteria consist of 126 individual requirements that BAC applications must meet. A multidisciplinary team—including the BSR regulatory lead, fire assessor, and structural assessor—uses these criteria to ensure a comprehensive review. These new requirements demand greater diligence from safety case report authors, requiring adherence to a broader range of compliance standards.

The assessment criteria consist of 126 individual requirements that BAC applications must meet. A multidisciplinary team—including the BSR regulatory lead, fire assessor, and structural assessor—uses these criteria to ensure a comprehensive review. These new requirements demand greater diligence from safety case report authors, requiring adherence to a broader range of compliance standards.

The introduction of these new criteria presents a significant challenge for industry professionals:

• Expanded Compliance Requirements – Authors must interpret and implement a wider range of regulatory standards.
• Alignment with Existing Guidance – Integrating these new criteria with previous guidance is complex and requires careful analysis.
• Increased Time and Effort – Compliance now necessitates a more detailed approach to safety case documentation, demanding additional time and expertise.

At Black Boots, we recognise the importance of regulatory compliance. To ensure BB-SCR fully aligns with the new BSR assessment criteria, we undertook a comprehensive update process:

• Expansion of Assessment Criteria: We meticulously reviewed and expanded each assessment criterion to understand its full scope and implications.  
• Compliance Assessment: We conducted a thorough assessment of BB-SCR’s existing features and functionalities against each criterion to identify any gaps.  
• Compliance Enhancement: We evaluated various approaches to ensure full compliance with each criterion, focusing on enhancing BB-SCR’s capabilities and user experience.  
• Development and Testing: We developed and implemented the necessary updates to BB-SCR, followed by rigorous testing and retesting to guarantee accuracy and reliability.  

Building Safety Management: BB-SCR includes a mandatory field to record building safety director details, ensuring compliance with Section 111 of the Building Safety Act 2022. This makes it easier for users to manage and demonstrate compliance with this important aspect of the legislation.

Enhanced Transparency and Usability of Risk Assessments: The output document provides a clearer and more comprehensive representation of the risk assessment process, improving transparency and usability for stakeholders. This helps users to more effectively communicate and manage building safety risks.

Structured Overview of Maintenance and Inspections: The output document provides a more structured overview of maintenance and inspection arrangements, including statutory inspections. This helps users to demonstrate compliance and manage building safety risks more effectively.

Comprehensive Emergency Response Documentation: A comprehensive question in the Building Information section ensures detailed documentation of how urgent and emergency work is managed. This provides greater visibility into emergency response processes and ensures a structured approach to handling critical maintenance issues.

BB-SCR’s full compliance with the BSR assessment criteria delivers tangible benefits:

• Streamlined Reporting – Automates and simplifies safety case reporting, saving time and effort.
• Reduced Risk – Ensures compliance with evolving regulations, minimising liability concerns.
• Enhanced Efficiency – AI-powered automation frees up resources for other critical building management tasks.
• Increased Confidence – Provides assurance that safety case reports meet the highest compliance and accuracy standards.

BB-SCR’s compliance achievement underscores our dedication to innovation and building safety. By streamlining the safety case reporting process and reducing risks, BB-SCR empowers building owners and managers to create a safer built environment. Discover how BB-SCR can simplify your compliance process, please visit our website or contact us today.