Directing Building Safety

Module 1 - The Modern Building Safety Framework

• Evolution of building safety regulation.

• The Building Safety Act and its objectives.

• HRBs and Residential Buildings over 11m

• Interaction with the Defective Premises Act and Building Act.

• The shift from compliance to outcome‑based safety responsibility.

• Importance of Building Safety Management Systems.

• Relevance of Asset Information Systems.

 

Module 2 - Risk, Defects, and Legal Liability

• Understanding the difference between:

• Physical defects.

• Building safety risk – Structural and Fire.

• Legal liability.

• What are fire and structural risks.

• Safety critical elements of a building.

• The concept of habitability and safety thresholds.

• How liability is established in practice.

 

Module 3 - Enforcement Mechanisms and Legal Exposure

• Building Liability Orders: liability transmission across corporate groups.

• Remediation Orders: compelling works.

• Remediation Contribution Orders: funding responsibility.

• Section 38 Building Act and civil recovery.

• Role and function of Information Orders.

• The “just and equitable” test and how courts assess decisions.

 

Module 4 – Governance, Decision‑Making, and Accountability

• Duties of directors, Accountable Persons, and senior officers.

• The consequences of delay, omission, and inaction.

• Personal accountability and Section 161 of the Building Safety Act.

• Legal scrutiny.

 

Module 5 - Managing Risk in Complex Buildings

• Mixed‑use developments and shared systems.

• Systemic defects: structure, fire, and envelope failures.

• Interdependency of design, construction, and maintenance.

• Understanding whole‑building safety responsibility.

 

Module 6 - Evidence, Records, and the Golden Thread

• Why documentation determines liability.

• Evidence readiness for adjudication and litigation.

• Golden Thread principles and practical governance application.

• Managing information across the building lifecycle.

 

Module 7 - Strategic Response and Remediation Planning

• Decision‑making under uncertainty and incomplete information.

• Prioritisation of risk and phased remediation.

• Funding strategies and recovery routes.

• Engaging legal, technical, and regulatory stakeholders.

 

Module 8 - The Project Lifecycle and Safety Outcomes

• Meaning of Construction Work

• RIBA Stages of Work

• Dutyholder Roles Under the Building Safety Act (Client, Principal Designer, and Principal Contractor duties)

• Interface with Accountable Person (AP) and Principal Accountable Person (PAP) roles post‑completion

• Design Risk and Systemic Failure

• The Gateways Regime (Design and Construction Controls)

• How design and construction work creates fire spread pathways, structural issues

• Interaction between structure, façade, services and compartmentation

• Gateway 3 Closeout and duty to make a Statement of Compliance with Building Regulations

• Contractor appointment Strategy, Construction Products and Risk Transfer

• Contractor Terms of Reference

• How value engineering and commercial pressure can drive:

• Material substitution

• Reduced specification

• Loss of control over safety‑critical elements

 

Module 9 - Competence, Control and Oversight

• Assessing organisational capability - Competence of designers and contractors

• Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Behaviours SKEB

• Maintaining control across complex supply chains

• Monitoring and verifying safety‑critical work

• Gateway 2 appointment.

 

Module 10 - Golden Thread and Project Information

• Requirements for accurate, complete, and accessible information

• Transition from construction records to operational data

• Importance of:

• As‑built information

• Inspection and certification records

• Design intent documentation

• How absence of information drives liability and enforcement risk

 

Module 11 - Project Failure and Legal Consequences

• How project‑stage errors translate into:

• Defective Premises Act liability

• Building Act claims

• Building Safety Act enforcement (ROs, RCOs, BLOs)

• The role of evidence in adjudication and litigation

• Why decisions made during the project phase are later scrutinised in legal proceedings

 

Module 12 - Safety Case

• How building safety risks (fire and structural) are identified, understood, and actively managed.

• Requirement for a structured and ongoing body of evidence, not a one‑off report.

• Clear articulation of risk assessment, control measures, and residual risk.

• Reliance on a on the Golden Thread to ensure information is accurate, complete, and accessible.

• Forms the basis for regulatory scrutiny by the Building Safety Regulator.

• Use as a governance tool, evidencing that dutyholders are in control of building safety risk.

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Module 13 - Resident Engagement

• Statutory requirement to involve residents in building safety matters.

• Requires provision of clear, accessible information on risks, safety measures, and actions.

• Creates formal routes for residents to raise concerns, report defects, and seek escalation.

• Treats resident input as a source of safety intelligence, not simply feedback.

• Timely and transparent responses to concerns and complaints.

• Forms part of overall governance and accountability, with failure leading to regulatory and reputational consequences.

 

Module 14 - Emergency Response Planning and RPEEPs

• Requirement to develop Emergency Response Plans

• Identification of at‑Risk Occupants and R/PEEPs
  Recognising residents who may require assistance and implementing Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and Residential PEEPs (R/PEEPs) where appropriate.

• Clarity of Roles and Responsibilities defining responsibilities for dutyholders

• Communication and Information Accessibility. Providing residents with clear, accessible guidance on emergency procedures, including how to respond, where to go, and how assistance will be provided.

• Testing, Review and Continuous Improvement. Regularly reviewing and testing emergency plans, incorporating learning from incidents, drills, and resident feedback to ensure plans remain effective.

• Governance, Assurance and Accountability.