The Building Safety Act 2022: A Complete Summary for Duty Holders

The Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) is the most significant piece of building safety legislation in a generation. Born from the recommendations of Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it fundamentally reforms how residential buildings are designed, constructed, managed, and regulated throughout their lifecycle.

The Act creates a new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) within the Health and Safety Executive. The BSR has three main functions: overseeing the safety and standards of all buildings, helping and encouraging the built environment industry to improve competence, and leading the implementation of the new regulatory regime for higher-risk buildings — defined as residential buildings at least 18 metres tall or with at least seven storeys.

For higher-risk buildings, the BSA 2022 introduces a new regime of registration, building assessment certificates, and ongoing safety management. The Principal Accountable Person and Accountable Persons have statutory duties to assess building safety risks, prepare and maintain a building safety case, and establish a mandatory occurrence reporting system.

The golden thread is a core concept of the BSA 2022. It requires that key building information — covering the design, construction, and ongoing management of a higher-risk building — is created, maintained, and stored digitally in a way that is accurate, accessible, and up to date throughout the building’s lifecycle. This golden thread of information supports good decision-making about building safety.

The Act also strengthens resident engagement. Accountable persons must establish a residents’ engagement strategy, provide residents with specific safety information, and operate a complaints process. Residents have new rights to request information about their building’s safety and to raise concerns with the BSR.

Beyond higher-risk buildings, the BSA 2022 reforms affect all buildings. Changes include stronger enforcement powers for building control, new competence requirements for construction professionals, reforms to the building regulations system, and amendments to the Defective Premises Act extending limitation periods for building defect claims.

Custodia’s Building Safety Act compliance module supports golden thread documentation, building safety case preparation, mandatory occurrence reporting, and resident engagement records — helping accountable persons meet their statutory obligations through a single integrated platform.