Delivery of independent enhanced voluntary reporting system, that includes fire safety and expert advice to the regulator in determining future voluntary reporting requirements

As part of its duties under the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA), section 8 requires the newly created Building Safety Regulator (BSR) to make arrangements for a person to establish and operate a voluntary occurrence reporting system for the giving of information about building safety. This includes the receiving, processing, publication and dissemination of information and intelligence. Voluntary reports will be on structural and fire safety, although the reporting system could be extended to other safety occurrences if agreed and funded.

The voluntary reporting system will be run independent of BSR, but is an important part of the regulator fulfilling its statutory duty under section 5 BSA, to keep under review the safety of people in or about buildings, and the standard of buildings. The statutory obligations builds upon the existing, longstanding CROSS reporting scheme, delivered by Structural Safety Ltd, and owned by the Institution of Structural Engineers. The voluntary reporting has been enhanced with Government funding to includereporting on fire safety. The enhanced website was developed in accordance with Government Digital Standards.

As newly established, BSR needs time to fully identify and determine its procurement requirements for a voluntary reporting service . To work with CROSS and stakeholders so as to be able to independently evaluate the existing voluntary reporting in place to inform what it needs to fulfil its duties under the BSA and ensure value for money. Also, to ensure that in the interim there is no loss in the current voluntary reporting service while procurement processes are completed.