The UK construction industry is navigating one its most significant regulatory transformations in decades. The Building Safety Act (BSA) represents a seismic shift in how building safety is managed throughout a structure’s lifecycle. For contractors in the UK construction industry, understanding these changes is essential for legal compliance and long-term visibility.
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The act itself is armed with severe penalties for non-compliance. Components of this act, like the requirements to maintain data management systems to maintain a “golden thread,” require updating how safety information and training certificates are tracked. Meeting these competency requirements requires a robust solution or firms are at risk of incurring significant costs and delays. This new administrative challenge also represents an opportunity for UK contractors to modernize employee tracking, implement robust workforce and resource tracking, and improve overall communication within the organization.
This article will help get you up to speed on the Building Safety Act, explore what contractors can do to ensure compliance, and explain how Bridgit Bench’s workforce planning capabilities can play a critical role in overcoming the challenges posed by the BSA
Understanding the Building Safety Act: A Critical Overview for Contractors
The Building Safety Act was implemented after the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which claimed 72 lives, Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review identified systemic failures in building regulations and fire safety practices. The Act represents the government’s response to these findings, creating a comprehensive new safety framework designed to prevent similar disasters.
For contractors, this isn’t just another regulatory checkbox. The BSA introduces personal accountability, criminal liability for serious breaches, and potential unlimited fines. Senior managers at construction firms could face up to two years’ imprisonment for significant violations. This marks a serious shift from previous approaches to building safety regulation and pushes the industry to much higher standards.
The Act has been implemented in phases since receiving Royal Assent in April 2022, with its core provisions now active. Contractors need to understand that this is not a temporary disruption but a permanent reshaping of the industry’s approach to safety.
The Scope of the Building Safety Act: Which Buildings and Projects Fall Under Compliance
While media coverage often focuses on high-rise residential buildings, the Building Safety Act’s impact extends much further. Its most stringent provisions apply to “higher-risk buildings” (HRBs)—generally defined as residential structures at least 18 meters tall or with at least seven stories. This includes apartment buildings, student accommodation, and care homes.
| Building Type | Classification | Key Requirements |
| Residential buildings ≥18m or ≥7 stories | Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs) | Full compliance with all BSA provisions, including Gateway process, Golden Thread, Building Safety Regulator oversight |
| Residential buildings between 11m-18m | Medium-Rise Buildings | Subject to many safety provisions including combustible materials restrictions and remediation requirements for cladding issues |
| All other residential buildings | Standard residential | Subject to general BSA provisions including duty holder regime and construction product regulations |
| Commercial buildings | Non-residential | Subject to general BSA provisions including duty holder regime and extended liability periods |
However, contractors should note that many provisions apply to all building work. The new duty holder regime, extended limitation periods for claims, and construction product regulations affect projects of all sizes and types. The Act primarily applies to England, with certain sections extending to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
If your firm works across multiple regions, understanding these jurisdictional differences is critical for compliance planning. The requirements may vary, but the underlying principle remains constant: safety must be prioritized at every stage of construction.
The Gateway Process: Critical Stop/Go Points for Construction Projects
Perhaps the most visible change for contractors is the introduction of the three-gateway process for higher-risk buildings. These represent mandatory stop/go decision points where Building Safety Regulator approval is required to proceed.
Gateway One occurs at the planning application stage. While primarily affecting developers and architects, contractors providing early consultation should be aware of fire statement requirements and how they might impact construction approaches.
Gateway Two is where contractors become heavily involved. This gateway requires building control approval before construction can begin. Applications must include detailed information about the proposed work, competency declarations, construction control plans, and fire and emergency files. Principal contractors will often be delegated responsibility for preparing these submissions, requiring new expertise in regulatory compliance.
Gateway Three represents the final hurdle before occupation. The Building Safety Regulator must certify completion, confirming building regulations compliance and safety for occupation. As a contractor, you’ll need to provide a compliance declaration confirming you’ve met your duties. The regulator has up to 12 weeks to assess an application, so this timeframe must be built into project schedules to avoid costly delays.
The Golden Thread: Information Management Requirements for Contractors
At the heart of the Building Safety Act is the concept of the “Golden Thread“—a comprehensive, digital record of building information maintained throughout a structure’s lifecycle. For contractors, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
The Golden Thread requires maintaining accurate, up-to-date information about design decisions, material specifications, construction methods, testing, and inspection. This information must be accessible, understandable, and usable by all relevant parties, including future building owners and managers.
Practically speaking, contractors must:
- Contribute to and maintain digital records throughout construction
- Document all safety-critical decisions and changes
- Ensure accurate information transfer from subcontractors and suppliers
- Record inspections, tests, and quality assurance measures
- Provide complete handover documentation that satisfies Golden Thread requirements
This level of documentation goes well beyond traditional practices. It requires robust systems and processes to capture, organize, and preserve information in accessible formats. For many contractors, this will necessitate new digital tools and staff training.
Contractors are meeting this requirement by implementing robust tracking systems. Tools like Bridgit allow for proactive management of employee safety certifications and training to ensure your team is prepared for inspections and has rock-solid compliance. In addition to creating a system of record for certifications and safety compliance, modern workforce planning tools allow for improved planning and management saving time and money.
The Duty Holder Regime: New Roles and Responsibilities for Contractors
The Building Safety Act establishes a new duty holder regime that places specific legal responsibilities on key parties involved in building work. For contractors, this means new statutory duties that cannot be delegated or contracted away.
As a contractor, you’re responsible for ensuring that all work you carry out complies with building regulations—a strict obligation that requires positive action. If you’re a principal contractor, you must plan, manage, and monitor the entire construction phase to ensure building regulation compliance.
Perhaps most significantly, you’re required to assess the competence of your workers and subcontractors, ensuring they have the skills, knowledge, and experience to fulfill their roles safely. This represents a major shift in responsibility and liability. For larger organizations and projects, tracking this requires implementing new systems that can dynamically and proactively track employee competencies and certifications.
The regime also requires active collaboration between duty holders. Contractors must report any concerns about compliance to principal contractors and designers, creating a network of shared responsibility for building safety.
Practical Compliance Strategies for Construction Companies
Adapting to the Building Safety Act requires a strategic approach to compliance that touches every aspect of your operations. Here are key strategies for contractors:
- Develop robust documentation systems that capture and organize information to satisfy Golden Thread requirements. This should include standardized processes for recording decisions, changes, inspections, and tests.
- Establish clear competency assessment protocols for your workforce and supply chain. This means verifying qualifications, certifications, and experience before assigning tasks, and maintaining records of these assessments.
- Review and enhance quality assurance processes to ensure building regulation compliance at every stage. This should include regular inspections, testing, and verification of materials and methods.
- Create a change management system that documents all changes to the original design, with explanations of how changes comply with regulations. Remember that major changes may require approval from the Building Safety Regulator.
- Implement safety occurrence reporting mechanisms that allow workers to report concerns promptly, with a system for addressing and documenting these issues.
These strategies require investment in systems, training, and possibly additional staff. However, they represent a necessary response to a regulatory environment that demands greater accountability and transparency.
Workforce Planning’s Critical Role in Building Safety Act Compliance
One of the most overlooked aspects of Building Safety Act compliance is effective workforce planning. The Act’s emphasis on competency and accountability makes visibility into your workforce’s qualifications and assignments essential for compliance.
Without proper workforce planning, contractors face significant compliance risks:
- Inability to verify that only competent workers are assigned to safety-critical tasks
- Difficulties in tracking certifications and qualifications across multiple projects
- Challenges in documenting who performed specific work for the Golden Thread
- Risks of overloading key personnel, potentially compromising safety and quality
Traditional approaches to workforce management—often relying on spreadsheets and individual knowledge—are inadequate for meeting these new demands. Contractors need systems that provide real-time visibility into workforce capabilities, assignments, and certification status.
How Bridgit Bench Supports Building Safety Act Compliance
Bridgit Bench offers contractors a powerful tool for meeting the workforce planning challenges posed by the Building Safety Act. As construction’s leading workforce planning solution, Bridgit Bench provides the visibility and control needed to ensure compliance.
With Bridgit Bench, contractors can:
- Track certifications and qualifications of all personnel, with automated alerts for expirations and renewals. This ensures that only properly qualified workers are assigned to tasks requiring specific competencies.
- Maintain a comprehensive record of who worked on each project and in what capacity, supporting Golden Thread documentation requirements. This historical data is invaluable for demonstrating compliance during regulatory inspections.
- Optimize resource allocation to ensure that projects have the right mix of skills and experience, reducing safety risks that arise from inadequate staffing or competency gaps.
- Generate reports that demonstrate workforce competency and assignment decisions, providing evidence of compliance with duty holder responsibilities.
By centralizing workforce data and making it accessible across the organization, Bridgit Bench eliminates the silos and gaps that can lead to compliance failures. It transforms workforce planning from a potential compliance risk into a strategic advantage.
Future-Proofing Your Construction Business in the New Regulatory Landscape
The Building Safety Act represents a cultural shift in how the construction industry approaches safety and quality. For forward-thinking contractors, compliance can become a competitive advantage rather than just a cost center.
Clients—especially those developing higher-risk buildings—are increasingly seeking contractors with demonstrated compliance capabilities. Those who can show robust systems for meeting BSA requirements will have an edge in this evolving market.
To future-proof your business:
- Invest in ongoing training to keep staff updated on regulatory requirements and best practices
- Regularly review and refine your compliance systems based on project experiences
- Engage with industry bodies and regulators to stay ahead of regulatory developments
- Consider seeking third-party certification of your compliance processes to demonstrate capability to clients
The Building Safety Act has permanently altered the UK construction landscape. Contractors who adapt quickly and thoroughly will not just avoid penalties—they’ll position themselves for success in a market that increasingly values safety, quality, and accountability.
By implementing effective workforce planning through tools like Bridgit Bench, establishing robust documentation systems, and fostering a compliance-focused culture, contractors can navigate this new regulatory environment with confidence.
