Digital toolkit aims to strengthen high-rise building safety standards

The new managing building safety-centred toolkit – to be found online at Building Safety Toolkit – Making Buildings Safer is targeted towards more than 4,000 ‘Principal Accountable Persons’ who hold a critical statutory role under the Building Safety Act. These duty holders are responsible for ensuring fire and structural safety are properly managed, in turn safeguarding buildings and the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents across England.

Navigating duties
The toolkit has been developed to help ‘Principal Accountable Persons’ – and notably so those in resident managed buildings – navigate their complex duties and uphold the highest building safety standards.

The toolkit offers a wide array of materials and advice:  

*On Demand webinars, Q&As, useful guides, tips and alerts 

*engaging with residents 

*remediation in existing buildings 

*free training for resident-managed building directors 

*official guidance for occupied buildings 

*guides for high-rise residents 

*Your Home, Your Safety resident campaign materials

Other resources include information on preparing a building’s Safety Case Report (this is a vital document for demonstrating safety compliance) as well as plans for future building assessments.

Support for resident-led buildings

Recognising the diversity of high-rise management in England, the toolkit also provides free training for more than 2,000 resident directors. These are both residents and, in many cases, also the ‘Principal Accountable Person’ themselves in high-rise Resident Management Companies, Right to Manage Schemes and Commonhold Associations.

Beyond building safety compliance for duty holders, the toolkit places a strong emphasis on residents themselves. It includes guidance on how ‘Principal Accountable Persons’ should engage with residents in order to gather views on building safety-related matters affecting their homes.

Resources to raise awareness of the Building Safety Regulator’s national Your Home, Your Safety resident-focused campaign are also available, as well as Building Control approval advice for residents looking to make home improvements within their own high-rise home.

For those buildings undergoing specific construction work, resources and information about the Building Safety Regulator’s Remediation Plan is also being made available.

Significant step forward

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, explained: “This new toolkit represents a significant step forward in our efforts to support ‘Principal Accountable Persons’, particularly so those in thousands of resident-managed buildings across England.”

Pugsley added: “By centralising resources, training opportunities and links to guidance, we are supporting duty holders to more effectively manage the complex, but essential requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022.”  

Further, Pugsley stated: “Whether it’s preparing a Safety Case Report, planning for remediation work on an existing building or engaging with residents, this resource helps to ensure that building safety remains the top priority for both the Building Safety Regulator and thousands of our high-rise communities.”

Commitment to ongoing support

The launch of this digital resource is part of the Building Safety Regulator’s commitment to keeping building safety information current, accessible and useful. It follows on from a recent announcement that the Building Safety Regulator plans to introduce a more proportionate and targeted approach for future higher-risk building assessments. That plan also includes the offer of greater support to underpin resident-led ‘Principal Accountable Persons’.  

Regular updates are planned over the coming months to add new resources to the toolkit as the building safety regime continues to evolve. ‘Principal Accountable Persons’ and other interested parties can access the free toolkit and sign up for regular updates at Building Safety Toolkit – Making Buildings Safer.