The Higher-Risk Buildings (Key Building Information etc.) Regulations 2023 were introduced in Dec 2022 to improve safety and mitigate risks in high-risk buildings.

Central to these regulations is the provision of “key building information”, e.g. data which will be required to evidence how a building meets the Fire Safety requirements. On the 17th May, the Government published further details of what information needs to be collated and provided to the Building Safety Regulator.

This data includes:

1. Evacuation Strategies: Detailing the evacuation strategy for the building. These can include various strategies such as phased, progressive horizontal, simultaneous, stay put, or temporary simultaneous evacuation.
2. Fire and Smoke Control Equipment: Information about fire and smoke control equipment. This includes heat or smoke detectors, sprinklers, dry or wet risers and smoke control systems,
3. Types of Lifts: Details of the different types of lifts present in the building. This includes evacuation lifts, fire-fighters lifts, fire-fighting lifts, modernised lifts for fire service use, and firemen’s lifts.
4. Fire Doors: Details about the certified fire resistance of fire doors e.g. 30, 60 or 120 minutes
5. Energy Supplies, Storage, and Generation: Information about the types of energy supply (gas, electricity etc), and any on-site energy generation such as solar (including any energy storage).
6. Building Structure: Data regarding the building structure, including its type and composition – examples include steel, concrete, large panel system, masonry or timber.
7. Staircase Details: The number of staircases need to be reported.
8. Roofs & External Walls: The regulations call for information about the type of roof on the building – flat, pitched, or a mix of both and if the roof has a layer of insulation on top of or below the roof. Also the types of material visible on the outside of the walls, the % of each type, what insulation is used in the outer walls, and features on the outside walls – such as canopies or balconies.
9. Building Use: Confirmation of the primary use of the building, any secondary use, are sought. If the building had a different primary use in the past, confirmation of what it was used for. For example, an office or factory could have been converted into residential units.
10. Building Modifications: Any modifications to the building since its original construction, such as asbestos removal, changes to the number of residential units, changes to windows, rewiring, adding or removing floors, or changes to the external walls, should be disclosed.

A complete list of the data can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-bsr-structure-and-fire-safety-information-key-building-information/building-safety-regulator-giving-us-structure-and-safety-information-key-building-information

By ensuring the thorough collection and reporting of these pieces of key building information, the regulations aim to foster accountability, promote transparency, and enhance safety in the building sector.

If you want to know more or have any questions contact our team today.

T: 01732 523466

E: office@wilkinsoncc.co.uk