The new building safety bill will be setting out some new regulations and guidelines for mixed-use buildings.
It is important that you understand these changes, and how they are going to impact you if you are the owner of a mixed-use building, a safety manager, or even a contractor.
This bill is expected to pass as early as October 2022, so you need to keep your eye on this and get acquainted with the changes when they come into force.
That’s what we’re going to be discussing below, so let’s take a look.
What is a mixed-use building/property?
A mixed-use building or property refers to a property that is used for a variety of purposes. For example, it is possible that the top part of the property has been split into separate apartments, and the bottom part is being used for some kind of commercial use.
Essentially, a property must have both residential and commercial spaces in order to be considered mixed-use.
How will the new building safety bill impact mixed-use buildings/property?
Mixed-use buildings tend to be larger than a lot of the others that you would find on the market. Also, due to the fact that there are a number of different uses going on in one building, they are often marked as high risk.
The height and square footage alone of buildings like this tends to place them in this category, but the added variation in usage is also a factor.
This is relevant as one of the focuses of the bill is higher risk building regulations.
The main point of importance in reference to mixed-use buildings is that of responsible persons.
These are defined under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and the new bill does not seek to change these, but rather add further obligations to it.
Responsible persons must make themselves known to other responsible persons, making it clear which parts of the building they are responsible for.
As there are so many things going on in a mixed-use property, this is essential for clarification purposes.
It must be known who is responsible for what in a property like this to keep everything moving along and working effectively.
The Building Safety Bill relates largely to fire spread and structural failure. These are the two main accident hazards, and one of the main changes to the bill.
Those who are held accountable for these buildings will need to ensure and prove that they have taken every precaution possible to avoid a fire spread.
Will the regulatory regime changes impact mixed-use building/property differently to non-mixed-use?
Contractors, safety managers and other persons involved in the safety of a building should not see many differences in the way that the regime changes impact mixed-use and non-mixed-use buildings.
Other than the further obligations of the responsible persons that we mentioned, the majority of other changes will impact everyone the same.
In all buildings, if there is a need to report a safety issue, the responsible person for that part of the building is required to inform the correct authority.
Mandatory Occurrence Reporting will begin when the design process starts and continue for as long as the building is occupied.
How can owners/managing agents best prepare for the building safety bill changes?
The best thing that you can do as an owner or managing agent of a mixed-use building is stay on top of safety at all times.
Have regular checks of the building, ensure that all safety codes are being practiced right down to the letter, and report anything that isn’t right.
In order to ensure that you are compliant with all regulations, you should think about hiring a company that specialises in operational risk, compliance and safety services.
This way, all managing agents and owners will be compliant with the regulations of the building safety bill at all times.
There isn’t much that can be done by way of change until the new bill is passed, so for now, staying up to date with your safety regulations is the best thing that you can do.
Hopefully, you have found this article helpful, and now have a better understanding as to how the new Building Safety Bill is going to impact mixed-use buildings.
A friendly member of the team is ready and waiting to answer any and all queries you may have.
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