Building Safety Manager

In April 2022, the government announced a series of amendments to the Building Safety Bill, this included scrapping the role of Building Safety Manager. This they suggest will give the Accountable Person greater freedom to implement safety procedures that suit the circumstances of their building, and will also remove the associated cost of appointing a Building Safety Manager.

The Building Safety Manager had previously been described as: ‘Named by the Accountable Person, the Building Safety Manager will support the Accountable Person by carrying out the day to day functions of ensuring that the building is safely managed and promote the openness, trust and collaboration with residents fundamental to keeping buildings safe.' Where the accountable person is: ‘The duty-holder during a building’s occupation.’ Ref A reformed building safety regulatory system, Government response to the ‘Building a Safer Future’ consultation, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, April 2020.

Setting the bar. A new competence regime for building a safer future. The Final Report of the Competence Steering Group for Building a Safer Future, published in October 2020, had suggests that: ‘The Building Safety Manager can be an individual or Manager (BSM) organisation whose principal role is to support the Accountable Person in the day-to-day management of fire and structural safety in the building.’

In July 2021, the Building Safety Alliance, an industry-led, not for profit organisation launched a central register and a certification scheme for building safety managers.

Some landlords had already appointed building safety managers in anticipation of the expected change to the law.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Building Safety Bill.
• Building Safety Regulator.
• Diploma in Building Safety Management.
• Duty holder.
• Government response to the Building a Safer Future consultation.
• Grenfell articles.
• Grenfell Tower Fire.
• Hackitt review of the building regulations and fire safety, final report.
• Setting the Bar Final Report.