Building Safety Case Report: A Detailed Guide

A building safety case report is the principal accountable person’s evidence-based explanation of the specific fire and structural risks in a high-rise residential building and how you manage them day to day. You prepare it for each registered higher-risk building and keep it up to date. The Building Safety Regulator can ask for it at any time and will assess it when you apply for a Building Assessment Certificate.

This guide explains scope, legal triggers, purpose, the two managed risks, what to include, and how to prepare a robust report that stands up to regulatory scrutiny and reassures residents.

Building Safety Case Report Scope

A safety case report applies to high-rise residential buildings in England. These are buildings that are at least 18 metres in height or have at least 7 storeys, and contain at least 2 residential units.

The building must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator before occupation. The principal accountable person must ensure the building is registered and is responsible for preparing and maintaining the safety case report.

Where a building has multiple accountable persons, each AP manages the fire and structural safety risks in the parts they are responsible for, but there is one clearly identified principal accountable person who coordinates and submits the safety case report for the building. Accountability cannot be delegated even if you use agents or contractors.

Purpose: Why the regulator wants a safety case report

The report sets out your building’s safety risks and demonstrates proportionate control measures to prevent major incidents and to protect people if things go wrong. It shows how you identify hazards, assess the likelihood and consequences, implement controls, monitor performance, involve residents, and continuously improve. You will submit it when the regulator tells you to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate and whenever requested.

Building Safety Case Report Legal triggers

You should prepare the safety case report as soon as the building is occupied or as soon as you become the principal accountable person. The Building Safety Case Report must be provided when the regulator instructs you to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate. You must also provide it at any time the regulator asks.

When the regulator tells you to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate you have 28 calendar days to submit your application. The application must include the safety case report, your resident engagement strategy and details of your mandatory occurrence reporting system. There is an application charge and additional assessment charges under the regulator’s charging scheme.

You should not wait for the instruction to prepare the report, the engagement strategy or the MOR system. Have them in place as soon as practicable so you can meet deadlines and maintain compliance.

The two managed risks: What you must address

Your safety case must explicitly cover the building safety risks defined by law for higher-risk residential buildings:

The spread of fire or smoke within the building.

The structural failure of the building.

Your mandatory occurrence reporting processes, complaints handling and day-to-day management should align to these two risks. During occupation, accountable persons must report safety occurrences involving spread of fire or structural failure promptly, with a notice as soon as possible and a report within 10 calendar days.

How the Building Safety Case Report fits with other duties

Part 4 duties for accountable persons sit alongside responsibilities under the Fire Safety Order. In many buildings the same organisation will also be the Responsible Person under the Fire Safety Order for the non-domestic parts. You must coordinate information and controls across these roles, including means of escape, detection and warning, firefighting equipment and maintenance of fire safety features.

You must also maintain the golden thread of information, operate an MOR system, and keep an up-to-date resident engagement strategy. These must be provided and assessed as part of a Building Assessment Certificate application.

Required contents: What to include in a compliant safety case report

The regulator sets out a clear structure. Use it to ensure completeness and to streamline assessment.

1) Basic building information

Provide the building’s name, full address, registration number, height, number of storeys above ground level, year built, location plan or photo, and floor plans by typical storey. Describe number and types of residential units, common parts, any non-residential uses, surrounding context and utilities with isolation points. Note resident profile information relevant to evacuation and additional needs, aligned with your resident engagement strategy. If the building’s use has changed, explain what changed, when, and the implications for loading and risk.

2) People responsible for the building

List the principal accountable person, other accountable persons, the owner if different, any Responsible Persons under the Fire Safety Order, and managing agents. Explain how accountable persons share information with each other and with you. Where a resident management company has appointed a building safety director, include those details.

3) Construction methods and materials

Set out the primary structural system and materials. Identify secondary systems that affect fire or structure, such as façade support, balcony types and attachments, roofing, basements and foundations. Reference local ground conditions and known external hazards such as flood risk or tunnels where relevant.

4) Structural condition and history

Summarise known structural issues, investigations, and remedial measures. Explain your arrangements to ensure ongoing structural soundness, including inspection regimes for buildings older than three years and planned arrangements for newer buildings.

If you have commissioned surveys, describe scope, methods, competence checks, findings and actions taken or planned with timescales and temporary risk mitigations. For large panel system buildings, set out whether post-Ronan Point remediation was carried out, evidence of sample checks, or what measures are in place if records are missing.

5) Building work, refurbishment and remediation

Provide a concise chronology of works that could affect fire or structural risk since original construction, with dates and current status. Where work is ongoing or planned, describe the works and how you are managing safety risks in the interim.

6) Fire safety measures and features relevant to spread of fire and smoke

Set out what standards you believe the building was designed to meet and how you inferred them if unknown. Describe external wall systems, structural fire protection, and prevention and protection measures such as sprinklers, alarms and smoke control. Describe balcony types, attachment, materials and dimensions where relevant to external fire spread and falling debris risk.

7) Compartmentation and fire doors

Explain compartmentation between flats, corridors, risers, shafts, bin stores, plant rooms, car parks and between residential and non-residential parts. Describe how you manage penetrations and third-party works that could compromise fire resistance. Demonstrate that appropriate fire doors and closers are in place, inspected and maintained. If a fire door survey was undertaken, evidence the surveyor’s competence, findings and your responses.

8) Detection, alarm, smoke control and escape

Describe detection and warning arrangements and the methods of smoke control, whether natural, mechanical or pressure differential. Explain the strategy for means of escape, including stairs, lobbies, refuges, travel distances, wayfinding and emergency lighting. Relate these to your building’s evacuation strategy and resident profile.

9) Building safety risk assessments

Summarise your structured assessments of the two building safety risks. Explain your methodology, risk criteria, key assumptions and uncertainties, and how you tested controls. Reference inputs such as a fire risk appraisal of externals, fire risk assessments, structural surveys and maintenance records. Link each hazard pathway to the specific controls and performance standards you rely on.

10) Safety management systems

Set out the management system you use to control risks, including policies, responsibilities, competence and training, inspection and maintenance regimes, permit-to-work controls for contractors, change control, and management of temporary measures. Describe how you monitor effectiveness, handle non-conformities and track actions through to closure.

11) Emergency plan

Summarise the emergency plan for foreseeable scenarios such as compartmentation breach, smoke migration, loss of power affecting smoke control, façade fire, structural incident or water ingress that threatens structure. Describe communications, coordination with fire and rescue services, the role of on-site teams, PEEPs or similar arrangements for residents who need help, and post-incident reporting into your MOR system.

12) Resident engagement and complaints interface

Reference your resident engagement strategy and show how residents are informed and consulted on building safety decisions that affect them, how you make information accessible, and how feedback influences your approach. Your report should join up with your separate complaints system and with your MOR process where concerns meet reporting thresholds.

13) Mandatory occurrence reporting (MOR)

Explain how the PAP’s MOR system enables residents, APs and other users to report safety occurrences and how APs assess, notify and report to the regulator within required timescales. During design and construction phases, principal designers and principal contractors must also operate MOR for higher-risk buildings. Your report should summarise interfaces, thresholds, examples and performance metrics.

14) Enforcement and incident history

Include a summary of relevant incidents and any enforcement actions under the Fire Safety Order or by the Building Safety Regulator, and what you have done in response.

15) Version control and continuous improvement

Label the report with date and version. Explain how you keep it up to date, how you gather and validate new information, and how you will notify the regulator when you make updates that reflect new or increased risks or further risk control measures. Be aware that the regulator may charge to review updates.

Registration and Certification: Key Steps and Timelines

Register the building before occupation. Provide summary details and key building information. The application fee is payable per building. It is an offence to allow residents to occupy an unregistered higher-risk building.

Prepare your safety case report, resident engagement strategy and MOR system as soon as practicable. Do not wait for the regulator’s instruction to start compiling evidence.

When the regulator prioritises your building for a Building Assessment Certificate, you will be told to apply and you must submit within 28 calendar days. The application includes your safety case report, engagement strategy and MOR information, and it attracts an application charge plus assessment charges in line with the charging scheme.

You must display the certificate prominently in the building if approved. If issues are identified, you may receive a contravention letter or compliance notice with deadlines.

Writing a Building Safety Case Report

Build a complete asset picture

Collate as-built information, O&M manuals, fire strategy, test certifications, façade details, structural drawings and calculations, warranties, historic approvals and any subsequent alteration records. Where information is missing, document the steps you took to find it and the rationale for any inferences you made.

Use competent assessors and surveyors

Commission EWS appraisals, invasive compartmentation checks, and structural condition surveys where necessary. Record competence checks for in-house and third-party teams and summarise findings and actions.

Quantify your risks

Use a consistent method to rate likelihood and consequence for the two legal risks. Identify credible worst-case scenarios and the specific control measures that prevent escalation. Tie risks to maintenance regimes, inspection frequencies and performance standards.

Connect assessments to real controls

Show evidence that fire doors close and latch, smoke control systems achieve design performance, riser doors are locked and labelled, fire stopping penetrations are sealed and tagged, and structural bearing elements are protected and inspected. Where you rely on management measures such as waking watch or interim alarms, justify them with timelines for permanent remediation.

Align your report with your Fire Safety Order duties

Make sure your Fire Safety Order risk assessment outputs align with the safety case, especially for means of escape, detection, warning and maintenance of fire safety measures. Clarify interfaces with Responsible Persons.

Prove resident engagement

Evidence practical steps you take to inform and consult residents about building safety decisions, accessibility of information, consultation timeframes, and how you measure participation and improve outreach methods.

Embed mandatory occurrence reporting

Publish a clear policy explaining what to report, how to report, how you assess, when you notify the regulator and how you feed learning back into your controls. Show examples. During construction or major works on a higher-risk building, ensure the principal designer and principal contractor have live MOR systems and share information with the PAP.

Plan for the regulator’s review

Be ready to provide demonstrations of systems, such as maintenance control measures or safety dashboards, and to show records on request. Expect questions on your rationale, prioritisation and timescales to close actions.

Building Safety Case Report : Common pitfalls to avoid

Waiting for the BAC instruction before preparing the report, engagement strategy or MOR. You risk missing the 28-day deadline.

Weak linkage between hazards, controls and monitoring. The regulator expects a clear line of sight from each risk to specific measures and evidence of performance.

Incomplete compartmentation evidence and unverified fire-stopping. Provide survey evidence and a plan to rectify defects with timelines.

Poor coordination where multiple accountable persons exist. You must show effective information sharing and clear demarcation of responsibilities.

No resident engagement metrics or accessibility plan. The engagement strategy requires periodic review and demonstrable effort to involve residents.

Failing to operate an MOR system in occupation or to meet reporting timescales for safety occurrences.

How Building Registration and the Safety Case intersect

The registration process requires a building summary, accountable person details and key structure and fire safety information. You have 28 days after submitting the registration application to provide more detailed structure and fire safety information, which will also support your safety case. Registration carries a per-building fee and the regulator can reject incomplete or unpaid applications.

The safety case then becomes your living document that draws on the same information plus deeper risk analysis, inspection evidence and management systems. When the regulator prioritises your building for certification, you submit the safety case report together with your engagement strategy and MOR details within the 28-day window.

Relationship with Fire Safety Order duties

Under the Fire Safety Order, the Responsible Person must take general fire precautions for relevant persons, including measures to reduce the risk of fire and its spread, provide and maintain means of escape, detection and warning, firefighting equipment, and arrangements for action in the event of fire including training. Many PAPs are also Responsible Persons for the common parts, so your safety case report should reference and align with your Fire Safety Order fire risk assessment and maintenance plans.

What the regulator looks for in assessment

When assessing your Building Assessment Certificate application the regulator checks whether you meet your Part 4 duties. They may request additional records, meetings, or demonstrations of systems like maintenance controls. They will either approve and issue the certificate, ask you to fix issues by a set deadline, or refuse and issue a contravention letter or compliance notice. You must display the certificate or compliance notice prominently in the building.

If you update the safety case report to reflect new or increased risks or further measures, you must tell the regulator promptly and provide details. The regulator may decide to review the update under the charging scheme.

FAQs : Building Safety Case Report

What exactly is a Building Safety Case Report?

A Building Safety Case Report is a structured explanation of the building’s specific fire and structural risks and how you control them. The report brings together evidence about the building, findings from risk assessments and surveys, your controls, your emergency plan and your management system. It is not just a file dump. The report must tell a clear, reasoned story about why people are safe in this building.

Who must prepare the Building Safety Case Report?

The principal accountable person prepares and maintains the report for each registered higher-risk building. Where multiple accountable persons exist, the PAP coordinates inputs and submissions. Agents can help, but accountability remains with the PAP.

When do I need to have the report ready?

Prepare it as soon as the building is occupied or when you become the PAP. You must submit it when told to apply for a Building Assessment Certificate and whenever the regulator asks. Leave enough time to gather evidence, commission surveys and close gaps.

What buildings are in scope?

High-rise residential buildings with at least 7 storeys or at least 18 metres in height and at least 2 residential units. The building must be registered before occupation.

What risks must the Building Safety Case Report cover?

Two defined building safety risks: the spread of fire or smoke in the building and structural failure of the building. Your assessments, controls, monitoring and emergency planning must address both.

What else must I submit when I apply for a Building Assessment Certificate?

You must include your resident engagement strategy and information about your mandatory occurrence reporting system along with the safety case report. You must apply within 28 calendar days of being told to apply.

How do resident engagement and MOR relate to the safety case?

Your engagement strategy shows how you involve, inform and listen to residents about building safety decisions. Your MOR system enables residents and accountable persons to report safety occurrences and ensures timely notification to the regulator. Both are part of a functioning safety management system and must align with the risks and controls described in your safety case.

What happens if the regulator finds issues in my application?

They may allow you to fix issues by a stated deadline. If you fix them in time, the certificate may still be issued. If not, the regulator can refuse the application and take enforcement action. You must display any compliance notice in a prominent place.

How often will my building be reassessed?

The regulator aims to reassess every five years, sooner if the building changes significantly, if issues are identified with how you manage risks, after relevant incidents, or following major safety improvements that the regulator needs to verify.

How does this interact with my Fire Safety Order duties?

Where you are also the Responsible Person, ensure your general fire precautions and fire risk assessment align with the safety case. The Fire Safety Order defines measures for reducing risk, means of escape, detection, warning, firefighting and emergency arrangements, which are central to your safety case controls.

What are the key fees and deadlines I should plan for?

At registration you pay a per-building fee. When instructed to apply for the Building Assessment Certificate you must submit within 28 calendar days and pay an application charge plus assessment charges under the regulator’s charging scheme.

Building Safety Case Report Checklist

Confirm the building is registered and key building information is current.

Compile a complete safety case report following the regulator’s content guidance.

Put a resident engagement strategy in place and evidence real consultation and accessibility.

Operate a working MOR system with clear thresholds, timescales and examples.

Align Fire Safety Order duties with your safety case controls and maintenance regimes.

Keep version control and a plan for updates, and be ready to notify the regulator when risks change.

If you follow the structure above and maintain evidence for every control you rely on, your building safety case report will be complete, credible and ready for Building Assessment Certificate assessment while giving residents confidence that you prioritise their safety.

Contact

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For more information on all aspects of this service see the collection of articles in our blog.

To commission a Building Safety Case please call 020 4534 3130.

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