"Understand Your Duties Under The New Building Safety Act," Says Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings has issued a message of advice to those working in the protection of structural steel who are affected by the new Building Safety Act 2022 as the date approaches for it to become enforceable to ensure users understand their obligations.

High-risk buildings

From October 2023, all buildings must be registered with the newly established Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and those of at least 18 metres in height or with at least seven storeys containing at least two residential units will be deemed ‘high-risk buildings.’

The registration must be made by the organization or person who owns or has responsibility for the building, to be known as the Principal Accountable Person, who could include contractors, building managers, building owners, and housing associations.

Building control route

The Act requires the Principal Accountable Person to show that the building was compliant

The Act requires the Principal Accountable Person to show that the building was compliant with applicable building regulations during its construction and provide evidence of meeting the requirements of the new building control route throughout the design and construction and refurbishment of a building. 

A Principal Accountable Person who fails to register an occupied higher-risk building without a ‘reasonable excuse’ will be liable to either a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years.

Impact and issues

Bob Glendenning, Fire Design Engineering Manager for Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine, said, “This area of knowledge is becoming increasingly important. All of those in the supply chain including building managers, asset owners, contractors, specifiers, and designers need to understand the impact of this legislation and the issues surrounding it."

“We can help our customers to capture relevant data on the use of our intumescent coatings so that they can provide data on safety and quality to their customers and those people who move about in these buildings."

Building information modeling

The Golden Thread needs to be packaged in a digital format which may differ depending on the software"

“This important data validates each key stage of a new build and is known as The Golden Thread. This needs to be packaged in a digital format which may differ depending on the software being used such as Building Information Modeling."

“We should emphasize that it is the responsibility of each Principal Accountable Person to provide the right information to the supply chain including those bidding the intumescent fire protection package who in turn are then responsible for all information being passed onto us being accurate.”

Building safety risks assessment

In addition to registering the building, the Principal Accountable Person must have assessed all building safety risks and taken all reasonable steps to control them, give the safety case report to the BSR on request and apply for a building assessment certificate when relevant.

The BSR is an independent body that forms part of the Health and Safety Executive and aims to raise building safety standards and the performance of buildings while also monitoring the competence of regulators and industry professionals.