The Building Safety Regulator is asking all residents living in tall, “high-risk” buildings in England to be aware of how new building safety laws affect them with its new campaign.
The ‘Your Home, Your Safety’ campaign is dedicated to relevant residents knowing their new rights and powers under the Building Safety Act 2022.
The campaign notes that every high-rise building is now required to have a Principal Accountable Person (PAP), ensuring that those responsible for managing the building’s safety can be held to account for fulfilling their legal obligations as well as listening to residents’ concerns under their enhanced rights.
The enhanced residents’ rights include:
- Assurance that safety risks in their building are being effectively addressed.
- Access to ongoing information on what is being done to improve safety in their building.
- Empowerment to voice safety concerns, with assurance that their concern will be taken seriously.
- Clear, accessible, and easy to understand information regarding safety matters.
Philip White, director of Building Safety at the Health and Safety Executive, said: “Residents are at the heart of our regulatory efforts. It’s vital for us to amplify their voices and to recognise the role they play in the safety of their buildings. Safety standards in high rise buildings must be assessed and managed by the PAP. The regulator will review how the building is managed and whether the PAP has complied with their duties.
“Our residents panel members represent the diverse resident community in high-rise buildings. They provide valuable insights based on their real-life experiences of living in a high-rise building. This engagement contributes significantly to our regulatory programme for HRBs.
“The residents’ panel welcomes the new measures empowering high-rise residents. They are encouraged by the assurance that residents can speak up with confidence, knowing that their voices will not only be heard but also that their concerns will be considered fully.”
