What is a building safety case?
A building safety case is the structured body of information that demonstrates how building safety risks are understood, managed and kept under review in a higher-risk building.
Read the full answerBuilding Safety Case FAQs
Straight answers on building safety cases
The questions we are asked most often by Accountable Persons, building safety managers and consultants — covering safety cases, evidence, risk assessment, software and AI.
33 questions answered
Building Safety Cases
What a safety case is, who is responsible, what it should contain and how it is kept current.
What is a building safety case report?
A building safety case report summarises the key information from the building safety case and explains how the Principal Accountable Person is managing building safety risks.
Read the full answerWhich buildings need a building safety case?
In England, safety case duties apply to occupied higher-risk buildings within the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022.
Read the full answerWho is responsible for the building safety case?
Legal responsibility sits with the Accountable Persons, with the Principal Accountable Person holding specific responsibilities for the safety case report and Building Assessment Certificate process.
Read the full answerWhat should a building safety case contain?
A good building safety case should explain the building, its relevant hazards and how the risks of fire spread and structural failure are being managed.
Read the full answerWhat does the Building Safety Regulator expect from a safety case report?
A safety case report should provide a clear and proportionate explanation of the building safety risks and how they are being managed.
Read the full answerWhat does "all reasonable steps" mean under the Building Safety Act?
Accountable Persons must take all reasonable steps to prevent a building safety risk materialising and to reduce the severity of an incident if one occurs.
Read the full answerHow do you demonstrate that building safety risks are being managed effectively?
Effective risk management requires more than identifying that a control exists — the Accountable Person needs confidence that important controls actually work.
Read the full answerWhat evidence should support a building safety case?
Evidence should support the claims being made about the building and its risk controls.
Read the full answerWhat are the most common weaknesses in building safety case reports?
The most common weakness is treating the safety case as a compliance report rather than a risk management argument.
Read the full answerWhat happens if the BSR does not accept a safety case report?
A report that does not adequately demonstrate how building safety risks are managed may lead to requests for further information or contribute to a Building Assessment Certificate application being refused.
Read the full answerHow often should a building safety case be reviewed?
A safety case should be kept under continuous review rather than updated only when the regulator requests it.
Read the full answerWhat is a live building safety case?
A live building safety case changes as the building, evidence and understanding of risk change.
Read the full answerCan an existing safety case report be improved rather than rewritten?
An existing safety case report rarely needs rewriting from scratch — the priority is improving the underlying safety case.
Read the full answerHow long does it take to prepare a building safety case?
There is no standard timescale — it depends on building complexity, information quality and how well the risks are already understood.
Read the full answerHow much does a building safety case cost?
Consultancy fees are only part of the cost — surveys, staff time, RFIs and rework often matter more.
Read the full answerBuilding Assessment Certificates and the BSR
What the certificate process involves, what the regulator looks for and what it does — and does not — prove.
What is a Building Assessment Certificate?
A BAC is issued by the Building Safety Regulator following its assessment of how building safety duties are being met.
Read the full answerWhat information is needed for a Building Assessment Certificate application?
The regulator needs enough information to assess whether the building safety duties are being met, with the safety case report at its core.
Read the full answerCan you resubmit a safety case report after a BSR refusal?
Yes — but the response should address the underlying risk and evidence issues, not just reword the report.
Read the full answerWhat does a proportionate and risk-based safety case look like?
It concentrates effort, evidence and scrutiny on the risks that matter most to the safety of that particular building.
Read the full answerDoes obtaining a Building Assessment Certificate mean the building is safe?
No. A certificate is a regulatory milestone, not a guarantee — building safety risk must still be managed continuously.
Read the full answerRisk Assessment and Bowtie
Methods for understanding building safety risk and judging whether controls actually work.
What is a bowtie risk assessment?
Bowtie analysis is a visual risk assessment method that shows how an unwanted event could occur and how its consequences are prevented or mitigated.
Read the full answerHow can bowtie analysis be used for building safety?
Bowtie analysis helps building owners move from describing safety measures to understanding how those measures contribute to risk reduction.
Read the full answerHow do you assess whether a building safety control is effective?
Control effectiveness should consider whether the control is appropriate for the risk, correctly implemented and working as intended.
Read the full answerSafety Management and Performance
The organisational arrangements and measures that keep building safety risk under control.
What is a Safety Management System for a higher-risk building?
A Safety Management System provides the organisational arrangements used to manage building safety risks through the life of the building.
Read the full answerWhat are leading indicators in building safety?
Leading indicators are measures that provide warning that safety performance may be deteriorating before a serious incident occurs.
Read the full answerBuilding Safety Case Software
How specialist software supports safety case information and portfolio oversight.
What is building safety case software?
Building safety case software is specialist software used to structure, maintain and provide assurance over the information that supports a building safety case.
Read the full answerWhat are the benefits of using safety case software instead of Word?
Word works for producing a report, but it becomes harder to manage when the underlying safety case changes frequently or involves large amounts of evidence and multiple contributors.
Read the full answerCan building safety case software manage multiple higher-risk buildings?
Yes. Portfolio-level safety case software can provide oversight across multiple higher-risk buildings while retaining the detailed safety case for each individual building.
Read the full answerAI and Building Safety
Where AI genuinely helps building safety professionals — and where it should not decide.
Can AI write a building safety case?
AI can assist with preparing a building safety case, but it should not replace competent professional judgement or make building safety risk decisions on behalf of the Accountable Person.
Read the full answerHow can AI support building safety case preparation?
AI can reduce some of the administrative burden involved in reviewing large volumes of building information.
Read the full answerCascade
How Cascade supports live safety case management, including existing reports.
How does Cascade help manage a building safety case?
Cascade is a specialist building safety risk and safety case management platform that connects the information used to understand, demonstrate and manage building safety risk.
Read the full answerCan Cascade help if we already have a safety case report?
Yes. You do not need to start your safety case again simply because it was originally produced in Word or by an external consultant.
Read the full answerBuilding safety legislation, regulation and Building Safety Regulator guidance can change. This page is general information, not legal advice — always refer to current legislation and official guidance for your building.
Want your safety case to stay current between submissions?
Cascade connects building information, risk arguments, evidence, deficiencies and actions so you always know where your buildings stand.