Safety Case Guidance
Clear, plain-English guidance on what a Safety Case is, who needs one, and how it should work in practice
The Safety Case is a core requirement introduced under the Building Safety Act 2022. It represents a shift in how building safety is regulated and evidenced. It is not a standalone report, a one-off submission, or a piece of software.
At its core, a Safety Case is a structured, reasoned explanation, supported by current evidence, that shows how building safety risks are understood and controlled. Those responsible for buildings must be able to explain, at any point, using up-to-date information, how safety risks are being managed.
This guidance explains what a Safety Case is, who is legally required to have one, what it should contain, and how Safety Case information should be structured and maintained over time.
What is a Building Safety Case
A Building Safety Case is not defined by a fixed template or a prescribed list of documents. Instead, it is an explanation that brings together information about the building, its risks, and the measures in place to control those risks.
A Safety Case should allow a non-technical reader to understand:
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What the building is and how it is used
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What the key safety risks are
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What controls are in place to prevent or mitigate those risks
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How safety is monitored, reviewed, and kept current
It is not enough to hold information. The Safety Case must show that risks are understood and that decisions are evidence-based, proportionate, and actively managed.
Who needs a Safety Case
Legal requirement and wider responsibility
Under the Building Safety Act 2022, a formal Safety Case is legally required for Higher-Risk Residential Buildings.
A building is classed as a Higher-Risk Residential Building if it:
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Is at least 18 metres in height or has at least 7 storeys, and
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Contains two or more residential units
For these buildings, the Safety Case is not optional. The Accountable Person, or Principal Accountable Person where there is more than one dutyholder, must be able to produce a Safety Case that demonstrates how safety risks are identified, assessed, and controlled. This information must be sufficient to satisfy the Building Safety Regulator and must be kept up to date over the lifetime of the building.
While buildings outside this definition are not legally required to submit a Safety Case, many organisations are now applying Safety Case principles more widely. Doing so supports confidence during audit, inspection, refurbishment, insurance renewal, emergency response, or transfer of ownership.
Who holds responsibility
Responsibility for the Safety Case sits with the Accountable Person, or the Principal Accountable Person where there is more than one dutyholder.
This role is typically held by the building owner, freeholder, or the organisation with legal responsibility for the structure and common parts of the building.
While managing agents, consultants, and advisers may support the work, legal accountability cannot be delegated. Dutyholders must be confident that the Safety Case is accurate, current, and accessible.
What should a Safety Case contain
A robust Safety Case will always draw on the same core components, even though the detail will vary from building to building.
These include:
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A clear description of the building and how it is occupied
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Identification of the key fire and structural safety risks
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Measures in place to prevent incidents and limit harm
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Supporting evidence, such as inspections, assessments, and records
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Arrangements for monitoring, review, and managing change
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Clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability
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An explanation of how information is kept current and usable over time
What matters is not the volume of documentation, but whether the Safety Case answers the right questions clearly and consistently.
Where Safety Case information should be held
A Safety Case is only as strong as the information that supports it. Confidence is quickly undermined if records are fragmented, difficult to locate, or out of date.
Safety Case information should be:
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Accessible to those who need it
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Clearly described and easy to find
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Held in a single, coherent structure rather than dispersed across systems
Well-structured information allows risks, controls, and evidence to be linked together. It also supports continuity as people, suppliers, and contracts change.
Stewardship, structure, and long-term confidence
For many dutyholders, the most challenging part of a Safety Case is not understanding what is required, but organising information that already exists across multiple sources.
The critical task is structure, not collection. Information must be organised using clear naming, consistent formats, and careful cross-referencing so that records work together to explain how safety is managed.
This work is front-loaded. When information is structured correctly at the outset, ongoing management becomes routine. Updates are incremental, changes are traceable, and confidence is maintained over time.
When information is accessible, structured, and current, Safety Cases move from being a compliance burden to a practical tool for governance, assurance, and long-term safety.
Download the Safety Case guide
The Building Safety Case guide provides:
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Plain-English explanations of Safety Case requirements
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Clarity on who needs a Safety Case and why
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A breakdown of core Safety Case components
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Guidance on structuring and maintaining Safety Case information
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Practical insight for non-technical dutyholders
Our approach
NBR guides are published to support clarity, consistency, and confidence across the property sector.
They reflect publicly available legislation and statutory guidance and are intended to support understanding and good practice. They are not legal advice and should always be read alongside the latest guidance published by the Building Safety Regulator and GOV.UK.
Where information is treated with care, structure, and accountability, safety management becomes predictable, defensible, and sustainable.
More building safety guidance
Explore our full Knowledge Hub for guidance on the Golden Thread, Mandatory Occurrence Reporting, dutyholder responsibilities, and Building Safety Regulator engagement.