Managing Building Safety

Support at Every Turn

Overview

Managing Building Safety is a one‑year diploma programme designed to develop the practical application of building safety law, systems, and risk control in occupied residential buildings.

Building on the principles established in Directing Building Safety, this programme focuses on how statutory duties are translated into day‑to‑day management activity, ensuring that building safety risks are not only understood but are actively controlled, evidenced, and capable of withstanding regulatory scrutiny.

The course reflects the fundamental shift introduced by the Building Safety Act that safety is no longer demonstrated through policy or intention alone, but through consistent, verifiable management practice across the life of a building.

Who the Programme is For

The Diploma is designed for built environement professionals directly involved in managing buildings and delivering safety outcomes in practice. This includes:

Managing agents responsible for the day‑to‑day operation of residential and mixed‑use buildings
Estates managers and asset managers overseeing building portfolios
Facilities management professionals responsible for inspection, maintenance, and contractor oversight
Accountable Persons (APs) and Principal Accountable Persons (PAPs) exercising statutory duties under the Building Safety Act
Client‑side building safety leads and advisers supporting compliance and risk management

It is particularly suited to those who must:

Interpret legal duties and apply them in real buildings
Understand the importance of Codes and Standards
Understand competence frameworks and third party certification schemes
Manage Projects, understand BSR Gateway processes
Manage contractors, inspections, and safety systems
Understand design life of safety critical elements, modes of failure, mitigating measures and overall return to service requirements.
Means of failure of safety critical builkding elements and their inspection Un
Respond to defects, incidents, and resident concerns
Produce evidence demonstrating that risks are understood and controlled.

Developed for Built Environment Dutyholders

Purpose and Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, delegates will be able to:

Understand how Building Regulations and other built environment safety legislation creates responsibilities at board level including those of Principal Accountable Persons and the role of Accountable Persons
Understand the Building Safety Regulator Gateway Process
Distinguish between risk, defect, liability, and enforcement pathways
Identify how corporate structures, procurement choices, contractor appointment (PD/PC) and design decisions influence long‑term safety outcomes
Recognise when failure to act transitions from poor management to legal non‑compliance
Direct organisations to ensure timely remediation, proper investigation, and defensible decision‑making
Demonstrate what constitutes “all reasonable steps” under modern building safety law

Programme Structure

The course is typically delivered over 32 weeks of 3 and 1/2 hours engagement over those weeks. The course is undertaken online with an option for 4 days tutor / student interface.

It is structured around strategic themes with an overview of operational requirements.

Programme Focus

Operate an effective Building Safety Management System (BSMS)
Manage fire and structural risks in occupied buildings
Oversee life safety systems and ensure their reliability
Maintain the Golden Thread of information
Engage residents and respond to safety concerns
Develop and maintain a credible Safety Case

Above all, it seeks to support students demonstrate “control in practice, supported by evidence.”

Term 1 – Legal Framework, Duty and Risk Context

Regulatory framework and Grenfell context
Building Safety Act, Fire Safety Regulations, DPA
Dutyholder roles (AP, PAP, RP, PD, PC)
Application to buildings over 11m and HRBs
Enforcement: RO, RCO, BLO, Section 38

Term 2 – Applied Fire and Structural Risk Management

Fire risk assessment and interpretation
Structural risk – understanding, not engineering design
Safety critical elements
External wall systems and system risk
Interdependency of:
- structure
- fire
- services
- façade

Term 3 – Life Safety Systems and Building Systems Management

Life safety equipment and systems
Inspection, testing, and maintenance regimes
Cause and effect and system integration
System failure modes and response
Contractor competence and certification
Evidence and system assurance

Term 4 – Building Safety Management Systems (BSMS)

Building safety management system design
Risk registers and control systems
Golden Thread in operation
Monitoring, auditing, and review
Managing contractors and construction work
Change control in occupied buildings

Term 5 – Resident Engagement and Stakeholder Management

Resident engagement strategy
Complaint handling and escalation
Communication of risk and safety information
Resident behaviour and safety interaction
Regulatory expectations and transparency

Term 6 – Emergency Planning and Safety Case

Emergency Response Plans
Evacuation strategies
R/PEEPs and vulnerable occupant planning
Fire and Rescue Service interface
Developing and maintaining a Safety Case
Safety Case Report preparation

Practice Evidence Requirement (Critical)

The Diploma requires demonstrable evidence from real or simulated building management practice.

Evidence includes:

Fire and structural risk records
Inspection and maintenance logs
Life safety systems assurance records
Building safety risk register extracts
Emergency plan outputs
Elements of a Safety Case Report

Objectives

The overall objectives of the course is to evidence to management that Graduates can:

Operate a compliant building safely
Demonstrate ongoing control of risk
Produce evidence that stands up to:
- Regulator scrutiny
- Tribunal or court