As the new year turned, so did many aspects of the Building Safety Act. Passed by the UK Government last year, it places safety concerns at the forefront of how compliance for housing is approached. It was a hard-fought change that will ultimately be for the better for all residents of this country.
Here’s a look at some of the critical changes in the act according to several legal news sites, and how they might affect your role as an asset or property manager in the UK.
Information being managed differently
One aspect that has changed is how safety information is being disseminated. The act talks about a “golden thread” of data, which means that the information gathered throughout the entire project needs to continue with whoever is currently in charge of the building, instead of just being the responsibility of previous owners or the building contractors.
This “golden thread” idea is to have a centralized location to find issues that may have happened with a property, such as structural damages or fire safety concerns. By using a digital record, all of this information — no matter how minute — can be found by anyone seeking it, including regulators.
Changing the gateway system
Another significant change comes with the design and construction of new properties, or the renovation projects for existing ones. To ensure that protocols for safety are being followed, there are now three stages with building that need to be accomplished.
Phase one: Someone applies to the planning board to receive permission. Then fire safety planning will need to be a part of the application.
Phase two: This takes place before construction begins and includes complete design plans that need to be approved by the governmental building safety regulator in charge of that district.
Phase three: This happens when the building is completed. It includes documentation being given to regulators that detail safety measures in place, and it cannot be occupied unless there are the required approvals.
Solutions customized to fit your business
Energy management is just one way that Rowanwood can help with your business needs. We also have technologies that can address cloud-hosted services, technology creation needs, IT services, information security and GDPR assessments.
It’s a comprehensive approach with a highly skilled team ready to help. To find out more, go to our website.