Higher Risk Buildings

Specific requirements for Higher-Risk Buildings (HRB) which are defined are those that are at least 18m in height or at least 7 storeys, and contain at least 2 residential units or is a hospital or care home. Further guidance is available here .

Gateway processes: decision points at 3 key stages of an HRB:

Gateway One, before planning permission is granted, HSE considers the fire safety needs of a project, including materials to provide advice to the Local Authority.
Gateway Two, before construction can begin, building control approval by the BSR is required to ensure building complies with all building regulations, and any changes to the plans or the building strategy are recorded in a ‘change control log’.
Gateway Three, when building is completed and before occupation, a completion certificate is issued by the BSR that the building complies and is safe to occupy, and it is registered with the Regulator.

Accountable persons: for occupied HRBs, they are responsible for registering the buildings, managing safety risks and addressing any concerns from residents.

Golden thread of information: create and keep updated an electronic audit trail throughout the life of the building, i.e. from when it is conceived and designed, throughout and until the end of its life. The information collected about a building will allow relevant parties to understand the building and know how to act to keep it safe, now and in the future.

The golden thread is designed to provide a single ‘point of truth’ for all the construction products used in a building. It covers design, specification, procurement, installation and maintenance of products.

Requirements for Mandatory occurrence reporting: report to the BSR of occurrence of fire and structural safety which could cause significant risk to life safety.

Page reviewed – 19/01/2026