The publication of BS 9991:2024 ‐ Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings ‐ at the end of last year has created some confusion for those preparing and submitting applications for Building Control Approval because it does not reference the transitional arrangements for amendments to Approved Document B.

Applications for Building Control Approval are assessed against the functional requirements of the Building Regulations, which have not changed, and the previous BS 9991:2015 is still included in the list of relevant standards in Approved Document B. The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has confirmed to Build UK that until further notice applications for Higher‐Risk Buildings can refer to BS 9991:2015 and/or 2024 as the guidance or standard used to support designs, and more information can be found in this Build UK statement.

The BSR has published criteria for assessing applications for a Building Assessment Certificate (BAC). The criteria are designed to ensure consistency when reviewing applications and cover all the information that a Principal Accountable Person needs to provide for the building, including the Safety Case Report, Resident Engagement Strategy, and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting system.

Take our Building Safety Act Training Course

FIS created an online training course to help members understand compliance with the Building Safety Act, specifically for those in the finishes and interiors sector.