Beyond HRBs: Should Other Buildings Follow Structural Safety Best Practices?
The Building Safety Act 2022 brought in a tough new regime for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs), residential blocks over 18 metres or seven storeys with at least two residential units, as well as certain care homes and hospitals.
But the Act’s overall goal is to raise safety standards across the built environment, not just for a narrow group of buildings. While mid-rise blocks, commercial properties, schools and other public-use buildings may not fall strictly under the HRB definition, they can still benefit from applying the same rigorous structural safety approach.
Forward-thinking owners and asset managers are now voluntarily adopting HRB-style structural risk assessments to future-proof their buildings, reduce liability and demonstrate a culture of safety.
Why Non-HRB Buildings Should Still Prioritise Structural Safety
- Changing regulations: Safety legislation continues to evolve. Future amendments could bring more building types under HRB-style rules.
- Public use and occupancy: Schools, offices, retail centres and hotels may not be HRBs but still hold large numbers of people, increasing risk in the event of a structural failure.
- Ageing stock: Many 1960s–1980s mid-rise buildings and commercial blocks were not built to today’s safety expectations and may have hidden deterioration.
- Insurance & finance pressure: Lenders and insurers increasingly want proof of proactive structural safety management, even where the law doesn’t require it.
- Reputation & trust: Demonstrating robust safety management builds confidence among tenants, parents, staff and investors.
Key Practices Worth Adopting Even if Not Legally Required
- Structural Risk Assessment (SRA): A methodical review of the building’s stability, material condition and failure risks.
- Periodic structural inspections: Planned reviews at intervals (e.g., every 5–10 years or after major refurbishments).
- Maintenance strategy: A written plan for repairing and monitoring key structural elements such as roofs, floors, balconies and connections.
- Golden Thread record-keeping: Maintaining a clear digital trail of drawings, inspections and reports for future reference.
- Mandatory Occurrence-style reporting: Encouraging staff and occupants to report cracks, movement or structural concerns for early intervention.
These practices help future-proof your asset and reduce the risk of sudden compliance costs or emergency work later.
A Smarter, Lower-Risk Approach for Owners
Owners who voluntarily adopt these standards now benefit by:
- Reducing unexpected repair costs by catching issues early.
- Improving insurance terms and lender confidence.
- Avoiding regulatory shocks if safety requirements expand.
- Building a reputation for responsible management which is essential for attracting tenants, investors and parents in the case of schools.
- Keeping occupants safe while minimising disruption.
How Structures Made Easy Can Help
At Structures Made Easy, we don’t just serve HRBs. We help owners of mid-rise residential buildings, schools, hotels, offices and commercial properties to:
- Conduct Chartered Engineer-led Structural Risk Assessments tailored to their building type.
- Prepare maintenance and inspection plans that are practical and cost-effective.
- Provide BSR-ready reports if your asset ever falls under stricter regulation.
- Build a digital safety record (Golden Thread) to protect long-term value.
- Advise on event-triggered inspections after refurbishments or unusual loading.
Being proactive now saves money, reduces liability and keeps your buildings ready for whatever the future regulatory landscape may bring.
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