In the previous articles, we briefly covered the need to build the safety case of information, then analyse it before filling all necessary gaps. Only when this has been done can you write your safety case report.
As we know, the report itself is a comprehensive document that outlines the safety risks associated with high-risk buildings and explains how those risks are being managed and mitigated.
It should provide a condensed overview of the pertinent information and supporting evidence (the safety case) required to effectively manage the risks associated with fire spread and structural safety within a building. Principal accountable persons (PAP) will have a duty to apply for a building assessment certificate for their buildings when directed to by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) by submitting their safety case report within 28 days of being requested. So careful thought will need to go into the design and format of the document template to ensure it provides all the necessary information in a format easily understood by both technical and non-technical readers.
The key requirements for the safety case report:
- Details of all accountable and responsible persons, plus those who wrote the SCR, outlining what makes them competent to do so.
- A building description.
- A summary of the risk assessment techniques used throughout the building and the significant findings of those assessments.
- Details of how the risks are being managed.
- An outline of the safety management systems used to manage building safety risks.
- What the evacuation strategy is and how it aligns with the building’s design and safety features.
- Information on any ongoing work and building improvements.
The report must then be reviewed and updated at least every five years, or more frequently if there are any changes to the building, its use, or its safety status. Meaning you should expect to update the SCR several times a year if works are undertaken to improve the building in any way.
As the PAP, you are required to inform the BSR within 14 days of any changes to the building summary, the accountable persons, or the parts of the building for which they are responsible for. Whereas any changes to the building’s structure or fire safety information must be communicated within 28 days.
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, failing to submit a safety case report can have significant consequences. Failing to submit a report, submitting it late, or knowingly submitting a false or misleading report is a criminal offence. This can lead to prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000. The BSR can also impose civil penalties, potentially reaching £10,000 per day; plus, the BSR can issue enforcement notices requiring compliance with the Building Safety Act, including taking specific actions to improve building safety. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice is itself a criminal offence. And in extreme cases, if the BSR believes there is a significant risk of harm to residents, they can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a special measures order. This order would allow the BSR to appoint a special measures manager to take over building safety duties.
A poor quality SCR can also lead to some of these consequences, as it may not adequately identify and manage safety risks. The BSR may reject a poor-quality report and require the PAP to submit a revised version.
It’s also worth noting that without a compliant safety case report, the building cannot obtain a building assessment certificate, which is required for selling or leasing flats in the building. This can have significant financial implications for the PAP or property owner.
It is highly likely that the task of writing your safety case report will be outsourced to a competent person or company, given the complex requirements needed. Such as knowledge of building elements, materials, systems, and construction processes relevant to fire safety and structural integrity. An understanding of fire risk assessment, fire safety strategies, and fire protection systems, as well as structural loads, analysis, and design, particularly in relation to fire scenarios.
All this within the framework of legal and regulatory knowledge of the Building Safety Act 2022, Fire Safety Order 2005 and many other relevant legislation and guidance.
Given the very complex requirements of a safety case report and the legislative obligations for the principal accountable persons, Black Boots felt there must be a way of de-risking the process and making it much more efficient. With this in mind, Black Boots – Safety Case Reporting (BB-SCR) was created.
BB-SCR is an Ai tool that empowers PAPs or their agents to upload safety case information, obtain an initial assessment of that information, and, if complete, receive a robust, compliant, and easy to understand draft safety case report in an editable Microsoft Word format in just minutes.
BB-SCR’s initial assessment provides the guidance you need to either find the missing information or create it (via your partners or using your own team). You can then re-run this assessment as many times as needed until you create a compliant safety case report.
- BB-SCR assists you in understanding what is needed for a compliant safety case.
- BB-SCR reduces the time and effort taken to create a draft safety case report (from many days to just minutes)
- BB-SCR provides the assurance that your safety case is always available and can be re-run whenever it is needed by the BSR, stakeholders, or residents.
For the thousands of existing higher-risk buildings (HRB) in England, the new stringent regulatory regime from the BSR is going to mean significantly more work and cost in the coming months and years. However, this will hopefully deliver the lasting change required to transform the built environment and enable residents to be safe and feel safe in their homes.