Building Safety Act 2022: What Building Owners Need to Know About Structural Safety
The Building Safety Act 2022 has transformed how high-rise residential buildings are managed and maintained in England. Its primary goal is to make homes safer for residents by addressing two key risks: fire and structural failure. For building owners, landlords and managing agents, understanding the structural safety requirements within the Act is essential to achieving compliance and avoiding regulatory penalties.
What the Building Safety Act Covers
The Act applies to Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs). These are defined as residential buildings that are at least 18 metres or seven storeys tall and contain two or more residential units. If you are the Principal Accountable Person (PAP) for such a building, you have a legal duty to understand and manage the risk of structural failure as well as fire safety.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) was established to oversee this new regime. The BSR expects every PAP to maintain a Safety Case for their building and to submit a Safety Case Report when requested. This report must show that you have identified, assessed and are managing structural safety risks effectively.
Structural Safety: Equal to Fire Safety
Structural failure is now treated as a primary building safety risk. The BSR wants to see evidence that the building’s load-bearing system including its frame, floors, roof, walls and foundations is stable, robust and suitable for ongoing use.
Many older high-rise buildings contain materials and design features that need careful appraisal. Examples include reinforced concrete that may suffer corrosion, steel frames requiring protective coatings and historic construction systems such as Large Panel Systems (LPS). A thorough understanding of these risks is crucial for keeping residents safe and satisfying the regulator.
The Role of a Structural Report
A Structural Report is the key document used to demonstrate structural safety under the Act. It typically includes:
- A review of original design information and previous surveys.
- A site inspection of all accessible load-bearing elements.
- A structural appraisal based on the information available at the time of reporting.
- An assessment of possible failure modes such as corrosion, settlement or progressive collapse.
- Recommendations for repairs, strengthening or ongoing monitoring.
- A clear explanation of how the findings meet the legal duties in Sections 83 and 84 of the Act
Why It Matters for Building Owners
Without a suitable and sufficient structural assessment, the BSR can refuse to issue a Building Assessment Certificate. This could delay sales, refinancing and insurance renewals. A well-prepared structural report also builds resident confidence and supports long-term asset management.
How We Can Help
At Structures Made Easy, we provide BSR-ready structural reports for high-risk and multi-storey residential buildings. Our service includes:
- Competence and Chartered sign-off
- Proven HRB experience
- Fast turnaround to meet regulatory deadlines
- Portfolio pricing for owners with multiple buildings
- BSR-ready reporting format trusted by regulators and insurers
Our clear and reliable reporting helps building owners comply with the Building Safety Act and maintain safe, structurally sound homes for residents.
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