The Building Safety Regulator has published detailed criteria used when assessing Building Assessment Certificate applications.
The safety case report is considered from three main perspectives.
BSR regulatory lead criteria include basic building information, the risk assessment process, safety management systems, competence, maintenance, change management, monitoring and emergency arrangements.
Fire assessment criteria include fire strategy, fire risk assessment, compartmentation, fire doors, smoke control, escape routes, detection and warning, suppression, firefighting facilities and the ongoing management of fire safety measures.
Structural assessment criteria include construction, structural systems, building alterations, current structural condition, structural risk assessment and arrangements for managing ongoing structural integrity.
These are not simply a checklist of documents to provide. A number are demonstration criteria, requiring the assessor to make a judgement about whether the report actually demonstrates that risks are understood and appropriately managed.
For example, the fire assessment ultimately considers whether all reasonable steps have been taken to prevent and mitigate the risk of spread of fire. Structural assessment considers whether proportionate measures are in place to manage the risks from structural failure.
Download the BSR assessment criteria: https://wix-reboot-studio.lovable.app/__l5e/assets-v1/490dcf81-b4da-4160-a267-605bd22ef35d/building-assessment-criteria.pdf
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Find out moreRelated questions
- Is there a BSR checklist for safety case reports?
There is no simple pass-fail checklist that guarantees a Building Assessment Certificate, but the BSR publishes the criteria its teams use.
- How should I review my safety case before submitting it to the BSR?
A pre-submission review should test the report against the BSR assessment criteria and ask whether the evidence actually supports the conclusions.
- What does a proportionate and risk-based safety case look like?
It concentrates effort, evidence and scrutiny on the risks that matter most to the safety of that particular building.
Building safety legislation, regulation and Building Safety Regulator guidance can change. This page is general information, not legal advice — always refer to current legislation and official guidance for your building.