Guide · Building Safety Act
Building safety case reports: what they are and how to prepare one.
If you are responsible for a higher-risk building in England, you need a safety case report. Here is what goes in it, how it is used and how to get one right.
In short: a safety case report is the document the Principal Accountable Person for a higher-risk building in England uses to show the Building Safety Regulator that the building's major fire and structural risks have been identified and are being managed. It summarises the wider safety case: the evidence, assessments and management arrangements behind it.
Which buildings need one
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, an occupied higher-risk building in England is one that is at least 18 metres tall or has at least seven storeys, and contains at least two residential units. These buildings must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and since April 2024 their accountable persons have had ongoing duties to assess and manage the building safety risks.
If you are not sure whether your building is in scope, the height and storey count matter. Our North Point, Leeds case study shows how a building with conflicting reports was measured properly and confirmed as below the 18 m threshold.
Who is responsible
Every higher-risk building has a Principal Accountable Person (PAP), usually the freeholder or the organisation responsible for the structure and exterior. Where other organisations are responsible for parts of the building, they are accountable persons for those parts and must assess and manage the risks in them. The PAP coordinates the work and prepares the safety case report.
You can appoint consultants to prepare the report, but the legal responsibility stays with the accountable persons.
The two building safety risks
The safety case report is not a general health and safety document. It focuses on two defined risks:
- The spread of fire and smoke, including through the external walls, compartmentation and common parts.
- Structural failure of the building.
For each, the report should explain what could cause a major incident, what is in place to prevent one, and what would limit the consequences if one happened.
What goes in a safety case report
There is no single template, but a clear report usually covers the following.
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| The building | Height, storeys, use, number of homes, construction and the main systems: structure, external walls, fire safety systems and services. |
| Accountable persons | Who the PAP and any other accountable persons are, and which parts of the building each is responsible for. |
| Risk assessment | How fire spread and structural risks have been assessed, with the key findings from the fire risk assessment, external wall appraisal and structural information. |
| Prevention and mitigation | The measures in place, such as compartmentation, fire doors, cavity barriers, alarms, smoke control and sprinklers, and how they reduce the risk. |
| Safety management system | How the risks are managed day to day: inspections, maintenance, competence, contractor control, change management and record keeping. |
| Residents | The residents' engagement strategy and how residents are told about, and involved in, building safety decisions. |
| Reporting and information | The mandatory occurrence reporting system, and how the building's information is kept up to date and accessible. |
| Gaps and actions | Anything still unknown or outstanding, and the plan and timescale for closing it. |
An example structure
Most of the reports we work on follow a structure close to this:
- Summary. The building, its main risks and the overall conclusion, in a page or two.
- Building description. Key facts, drawings and photographs.
- Accountable persons and responsibilities.
- Fire spread risk. Hazards, external walls, compartmentation, escape, firefighting provisions and the evidence for each.
- Structural risk. Structural form, known issues, inspections and the evidence behind them.
- Safety management system.
- Residents' engagement.
- Action plan. Outstanding gaps, owners and dates.
- Appendices. The supporting reports, referenced rather than pasted in.
When the Building Safety Regulator asks for it
The report must be kept up to date and given to the BSR when it is requested. The main point at which this happens is when the BSR directs the PAP to apply for a building assessment certificate. Once directed, the application, including the safety case report and residents' engagement strategy, is normally due within 28 days.
In July 2026 the BSR announced a more targeted, risk-based approach to building assessment certificates after assessments took longer than planned and many applications were refused. The duty to prepare and maintain the safety case report does not wait for a direction, so it is worth having the report ready now.
Why reports fall short
The most common problems we see are:
- The construction of the external walls is assumed from drawings rather than confirmed.
- The fire risk assessment or external wall appraisal is out of date.
- Hazards and measures are listed, but the report does not explain how one controls the other.
- Structural information is thin or missing.
- Generic text that could describe any building.
The external walls and the safety case
For most residential blocks, the external walls are one of the main fire spread risks, so a current FRAEW to PAS 9980 (see what is a FRAEW?) is usually central to the evidence. Where records are incomplete, intrusive investigations confirm what the walls are actually made of. Our One Vesta Street FRAEW, on a 169-flat higher-risk building in Manchester, is an example of that evidence in practice.
Who can prepare a safety case report
The law does not set a specific qualification for whoever writes the report, but the accountable persons must make sure the people they appoint are competent. In practice the work draws on fire, façade, structural and building management expertise. We start with a gap analysis of the building information, close the gaps, and prepare the report. See our safety case report service.
Frequently asked questions
Is a safety case report a legal requirement?
Yes, for occupied higher-risk buildings in England. The Principal Accountable Person must prepare a safety case report, keep it up to date and give it to the Building Safety Regulator when asked.
What is the difference between a safety case and a safety case report?
The safety case is all the information used to identify and manage the building safety risks. The safety case report is the document that summarises it and explains how the risks are being managed.
How often should a safety case report be updated?
Whenever something significant changes, such as works to the building, new survey findings or a change of accountable person, and as part of regular review. It should always reflect the building as it is now.
Do we need a FRAEW for the safety case report?
Usually. The external walls are often one of the main fire spread risks, so a current PAS 9980 FRAEW is an important part of the evidence.
Can you prepare our safety case report?
Yes. We carry out a gap analysis, coordinate the surveys and inputs needed, and prepare the report. The accountable persons remain legally responsible for it.
Related reading
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Need a safety case report for your building?
We prepare safety case reports for higher-risk buildings, starting with a gap analysis and closing the information gaps behind the report, including the external wall appraisal.