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THIS year has seen the introduction of new rules around the safety of all high-rise residential buildings.
All buildings which are more than seven storeys tall now need to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator – a branch of the Health and Safety Executive by October 1.
A number of new roles have also been created to help improve accountability and ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents.
In this blog, the team explains more.
Making high-rise buildings safer
The introduction of the Building Safety Act last April has been an important step forward when it comes to protecting the wellbeing of those living with high-rise buildings post Grenfell.
The new regulations apply while buildings are being designed, built, refurbished and occupied.
As well as a host of new rules which we covered in our blog last month, a number of new roles have also now been introduced. These include accountable person (AP) and principal accountable person (PAP).
According to Part 4 of the Building Safety Act, dutyholders will now become known as APs. An AP can be an organisation or an individual who is responsible for maintaining the communal parts of a building – for example corridors and lobbies. As part of their role, they must take steps to prevent the spread of fire or structural failure – both known as building safety risks. In the event of an incident happening, they are responsible for reducing its severity.
In instances where a building has more than one AP, the one responsible for the structure or exterior of the building will automatically become the PAP. As well as having the same duties as an AP, a PAP must also register existing high-rise buildings with the Building Safety Regulator before October 1 and any new buildings before they are occupied. They are also responsible for preparing a case report for each building which should demonstrate they have assessed all the risks and taken the right action to mitigate them.
Acorn Safety Services – here to help you
If all that sounds daunting, our team is always here to help you and ensure you comply with the latest health and safety rules and regulations.
As well as guiding you through the new protocols and what they mean, we can help you in practical ways too with fire risk assessments, fire door inspections and evacuation plans.
A fire risk assessment is an essential part of your health and safety toolkit which will help you to identify any potential risks and the ways to mitigate them. We advise that fire risk assessments are carried out once a year and whenever there is a change in circumstances. At the same time, ensuring that your fire door complies with the latest standards is essential. Even seemingly minor damage to a door may compromise its ability to protect you so it’s important to monitor them regularly. Finally, evacuation plans are always a must, but particularly in high-rise buildings where time is critical in an emergency.
Carried out by our team of dedicated professionals – who travel across all four corners of the UK -our wide range of risk assessments will give you the answers you need fast, as well as helpful advice about the steps you need to take next to ensure your building is safe and fully-compliant.
For more information about the full range of services we offer at Acorn Safety Services, book a free online call today, visit our website at www.acornhealthandsafety.co.uk or call our friendly team of experts on 01604 930380.
Visit https://acornhealthandsafety.co.uk/ today for more information or contact our team at info@acornhealthandsafety.co.uk or on 01604 930380.
