Higher-Risk Building (HRB) Compliance Under the Building Safety Act
Understand your legal duties and how to manage your Safety Case and Golden Thread obligations effectively.
What is a Higher-risk building?
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, a Higher-Risk Building (HRB) is defined as a residential building in England that:
- Is at least 18 metres in height or
- Has seven or more storeys, and
- Contains two or more residential units
These buildings are subject to enhanced regulatory oversight by the Building Safety Regulator and carry ongoing legal duties for those responsible for their management.
Higher-Risk Buildings include:
- Purpose-built residential apartment blocks
- Mixed-use developments containing residential units
- High-rise social housing
- High-rise private residential buildings
The legislation was introduced to strengthen accountability and ensure that building safety risks – particularly fire and structural risks – are properly identified, assessed and managed throughout the building’s lifecycle.
Unlike previous regulatory frameworks, the Building Safety Act establishes continuous compliance obligations. This means duty holders must not only prepare documentation but actively demonstrate that building safety risks are being managed effectively at all times.
For those responsible for Higher-Risk Buildings, compliance is not a one-off submission — it is an ongoing legal responsibility.
Legal duties of the Principal Accountable Person (PAP)
For every Higher-Risk Building, a Principal Accountable Person (PAP) must be identified. The PAP holds primary responsibility for ensuring building safety risks are properly managed.
Under the Building Safety Act, the Principal Accountable Person must:
1. Assess & Manage Building Safety Risks
Identify fire and structural risks and take reasonable steps to prevent a major incident or reduce its severity should one occur.
2 . Prepare and Maintain a Safety Case Report
Compile evidence demonstrating how building safety risks are being managed and controlled. This report must be made available to the Building Safety Regulator when requested.
3 . Maintain the Digital Golden Thread
nsure that accurate, up-to-date and accessible building information is stored securely in a digital format. This information must support risk management and regulatory transparency.
4 . Register the Higher-Risk Building
Submit required information to the Building Safety Regulator and maintain accurate records of building details and compliance data.
5 . Establish Resident Engagement and Reporting Processes
Provide residents with clear information about building safety and implement a system for mandatory occurrence reporting where required.
This is where structured compliance support becomes critical.
These responsibilities are ongoing and require structured documentation, clear accountability and reliable information management.
For many duty holders, the challenge is not understanding that these duties exist – it is ensuring that the required evidence, documentation and digital records are properly organised and regulator-ready at any given time.
How The Building Safety Register Supports HRB Compliance
Structured Compliance Assessment
We review your building information and Safety Case readiness.
Managed Digital Golden Thread
We help structure and maintain compliant building information within our secure platform.
Regulator-Ready Safety Case Support
Generate or support preparation of documentation when required by the Building Safety Regulator.
Ready to Strengthen Your HRB Compliance Position?
Speak to our team to understand how we can support your Safety Case and Golden Thread obligations.
FAQ’s
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, a Higher-Risk Building in England is generally defined as a residential building that is at least 18 metres in height or has seven or more storeys and contains two or more residential units.
This typically includes high-rise residential apartment blocks, mixed-use buildings with residential elements, and certain social housing buildings.
Buildings that meet this definition are subject to enhanced regulatory oversight by the Building Safety Regulator and must comply with additional duties, including registration, preparation of a Safety Case Report and maintenance of a compliant digital Golden Thread.
The Principal Accountable Person, often referred to as the PAP, is the individual or organisation legally responsible for managing building safety risks in a Higher-Risk Building.
Where there are multiple Accountable Persons, the Principal Accountable Person is usually the party responsible for the structure and exterior of the building.
The PAP must ensure that building safety risks relating to fire and structural integrity are identified, assessed and managed. They are also responsible for preparing and maintaining the Safety Case Report and ensuring the Golden Thread of information remains accurate, secure and up to date.
Yes. A Safety Case Report is a legal requirement for all Higher-Risk Buildings under the Building Safety Act.
The Principal Accountable Person must prepare and maintain a Safety Case Report that demonstrates how building safety risks are being managed.
The Building Safety Regulator may request to review the Safety Case at any time. It must therefore be kept current, structured and supported by appropriate evidence.
The Golden Thread is a structured, digital record of building information that supports the management of fire and structural safety risks.
It must be:
- Digital
- Accurate
- Up to date
- Secure
- Accessible to those who need it
The Golden Thread should include key information such as building design details, fire safety systems, structural information, risk assessments, maintenance records and records of any remediation or alterations.
The purpose of the Golden Thread is to ensure that accurate building information is available throughout the building’s lifecycle and can support regulatory oversight when required.
There is no fixed annual submission requirement. However, the Safety Case must reflect the current condition and risk profile of the building at all times.
It should be reviewed and updated whenever there are material changes, such as:
- Remediation works
- Structural alterations
- Updates to fire risk assessments
- Changes to safety systems
- Significant incidents
The Building Safety Regulator expects duty holders to be able to demonstrate compliance at any time. Maintaining an up-to-date Safety Case is therefore an ongoing responsibility, not a one-off exercise.