Safer Sphere supports Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons by helping them understand what is required, identify gaps and put the right systems and evidence in place.
We help dutyholders stay informed, prepared and in control of their Building Safety Act responsibilities.
If you are responsible for an occupied higher-risk residential building, you need clear arrangements, reliable information and a practical way to manage your duties.
Supporting Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons with clear, practical advice for occupied higher-risk residential buildings. If you need help understanding or managing your duties, speak to our team.
We work with dutyholders (organisations and individuals) who are a Principal Accountable Person (PAP) or an Accountable Person (AP) with responsibilities for managing building safety risks in relation to the residential units, common parts, structure or the exterior of occupied higher-risk residential buildings, including:
The occupied higher-risk residential building regime introduces new legal duties.
These duties are detailed, evidence-based, and time-sensitive. They require clear systems, accurate information and defensible documentation.
Dutyholders must manage:
Our AP/PAP Advisor service is structured around three clear areas:
Consultation. Provision. Review
This gives dutyholders practical support at the right level, whether you need help understanding your duties, preparing key information or reviewing the effectiveness of existing arrangements.
We start by understanding your position.
Through focused online sessions, we:
This stage sets direction and removes uncertainty.
Effective support relies on full cooperation and access to relevant building information.
We provide practical, hands-on support where you need it.
Training Support
Clear training on Building Safety Act duties for occupied higher-risk residential buildings – HRB(s).
Technical Guidance
Straightforward guidance explaining:
Supported by practical templates and frameworks.
HRB Registration
We can undertake specific activities on your behalf, as an authorised person:
Building Assessment Certificate Preparation
Developing structured, evidence based applications, including:
Submission quality matters. Poorly prepared applications create delay, friction and risk.
Safety Case Report Preparation
Producing clear, defensible reports demonstrating how building safety risks are assessed and managed.
Resident Engagement Strategy
Developing practical, building specific strategies that meet legal duties and support a proactive safety culture.
We assess the effectiveness of your systems.
Our compliance reviews provide:
An Accountable Person (AP) is the organisation or individual responsible for managing building safety risks in the part of an occupied higher-risk residential building for which they are legally responsible. AP duties include assessing and managing fire spread and structural safety risks, maintaining relevant Golden Thread information and cooperating with other dutyholders.
The Principal Accountable Person (PAP) is the Accountable Person with overall responsibility for the structure and exterior of an occupied higher-risk building, or the sole AP where there is only one. The PAP has additional duties including registration, Safety Case Report preparation, Building Assessment Certificate applications, resident engagement and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting arrangements.
Every AP has responsibilities for assessing and managing building safety risks in the part of the building they control. The PAP has additional building-wide responsibilities, including coordinating information and preparing key evidence required by the Building Safety Regulator.
An AP/PAP Advisor provides practical support to Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons in understanding, managing and evidencing their duties under Part 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022.
Safer Sphere’s AP/PAP Advisor service includes consultation, preparation of key information and review of existing arrangements.
There is no statutory role called an “AP/PAP Advisor”, but APs and PAPs may appoint competent specialist support to help them understand their duties, assess gaps, prepare evidence and maintain effective building safety arrangements.
The legal responsibility remains with the relevant AP or PAP.
A PAP’s duties can include:
The BSR describes these as part of the PAP’s legal responsibilities for occupied higher-risk buildings.
Each AP must assess and manage building safety risks in the parts of the higher-risk building for which they are responsible. They must also maintain relevant information, cooperate and coordinate with other APs and provide information where required.
The Principal Accountable Person is responsible for ensuring an occupied higher-risk building is registered with the Building Safety Regulator. A higher-risk building must be registered before it is occupied.
A Building Assessment Certificate (BAC) is issued by the Building Safety Regulator following an assessment of whether the PAP and APs are complying with relevant Part 4 duties.
The PAP must apply when directed to do so by the BSR.
The PAP must apply for a Building Assessment Certificate when directed to do so by the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Safety Act requires the application to be made within the specified statutory period following that direction.
A BAC application requires evidence demonstrating how the building’s Part 4 duties are being managed. This includes key information such as the Safety Case Report, Mandatory Occurrence Reporting arrangements and Resident Engagement Strategy.
Yes. An AP/PAP Advisor can help review existing arrangements, identify gaps and prepare the documentation and evidence needed for a BAC application.
Safer Sphere provides Building Assessment Certificate preparation support, including Safety Case Reports, MOR information, compliance declarations and Resident Engagement Strategies.
A Safety Case Report explains how building safety risks have been identified, assessed and managed within an occupied higher-risk building.
It brings together the evidence demonstrating how APs are managing fire spread and structural safety risks and must be maintained and reviewed by the PAP.
The Principal Accountable Person is responsible for preparing and maintaining the Safety Case Report, using the relevant assessments and risk-management information from each Accountable Person.
There is not simply a “write it once” requirement. The PAP must keep the Safety Case Report under review and revise it where necessary or appropriate, including where the building, risks or safety arrangements materially change.
Each AP must assess the building safety risks within the part of the occupied higher-risk building for which they are responsible.
For Part 4, the relevant building safety risks relate to the spread of fire and structural failure.
A building safety management system is the framework used to organise how building safety risks are identified, controlled, monitored and reviewed.
BSR guidance describes it as a formal management framework for managing safety risks in an occupied higher-risk building.
Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) is the process for identifying, recording and reporting qualifying building safety occurrences.
The PAP must establish and operate an effective MOR system, while APs have reporting responsibilities for relevant occurrences relating to the parts of the building for which they are responsible.
The Golden Thread is the accurate, accessible and up-to-date information required to understand the building and manage building safety throughout its life.
APs have duties around keeping, obtaining and sharing relevant building safety information and documentation.
What happens to Golden Thread information when an Accountable Person changes?
Where responsibility transfers from one AP to another, the outgoing AP must hand over relevant building safety information and documentation to the incoming AP so that continuity of safety management is maintained.
A Resident Engagement Strategy sets out how residents and non-resident owners will be informed about and involved in building safety decisions.
The PAP must prepare, maintain and act in accordance with the strategy, while APs have responsibilities for providing it to relevant residents and owners.
Yes. APs have duties to respond to certain written requests from residents and non-resident owners for building safety information and documentation, subject to the relevant legislative requirements and exemptions.
The BSR assesses whether the relevant Part 4 duties are being complied with. If it is not satisfied, it can refuse to issue a BAC, although legislation also provides for situations where a contravention may be capable of being remedied promptly.
An AP/PAP Advisor can help review the issues identified, assess gaps and support the development of an improvement plan.
Yes. Safer Sphere’s AP/PAP Advisor service can support organisations responsible for individual buildings or multiple occupied higher-risk residential buildings, including HRB registration, Key Building Information, BAC preparation, Safety Case Reports, resident engagement and compliance reviews.
Safer Sphere’s AP/PAP Advisor service is focused on occupied higher-risk residential buildings.
Buildings under construction fall under the construction-phase Building Safety regime and should be supported through the appropriate Building Regulations and Building Safety services instead.
Working with Safer Sphere helps you:
This service applies to:
Occupied higher-risk residential buildings.
It does not apply to:
For construction phase support, please see our Construction and Building Safety services or reach out to us.
An Accountable Person (AP) is the organisation or individual responsible for managing building safety risks in the part of an occupied higher-risk residential building for which they are legally responsible. AP duties include assessing and managing fire spread and structural safety risks, maintaining relevant Golden Thread information and cooperating with other dutyholders.
The Principal Accountable Person (PAP) is the Accountable Person with overall responsibility for the structure and exterior of an occupied higher-risk building, or the sole AP where there is only one. The PAP has additional duties including registration, Safety Case Report preparation, Building Assessment Certificate applications, resident engagement and Mandatory Occurrence Reporting arrangements.
Every AP has responsibilities for assessing and managing building safety risks in the part of the building they control. The PAP has additional building-wide responsibilities, including coordinating information and preparing key evidence required by the Building Safety Regulator.
An AP/PAP Advisor provides practical support to Accountable Persons and Principal Accountable Persons in understanding, managing and evidencing their duties under Part 4 of the Building Safety Act 2022.
Safer Sphere’s AP/PAP Advisor service includes consultation, preparation of key information and review of existing arrangements.
There is no statutory role called an “AP/PAP Advisor”, but APs and PAPs may appoint competent specialist support to help them understand their duties, assess gaps, prepare evidence and maintain effective building safety arrangements.
The legal responsibility remains with the relevant AP or PAP.
A PAP’s duties can include:
The BSR describes these as part of the PAP’s legal responsibilities for occupied higher-risk buildings.
Each AP must assess and manage building safety risks in the parts of the higher-risk building for which they are responsible. They must also maintain relevant information, cooperate and coordinate with other APs and provide information where required.
Each AP must assess and manage building safety risks in the parts of the higher-risk building for which they are responsible. They must also maintain relevant information, cooperate and coordinate with other APs and provide information where required.
The Principal Accountable Person is responsible for ensuring an occupied higher-risk building is registered with the Building Safety Regulator. A higher-risk building must be registered before it is occupied.
A Building Assessment Certificate (BAC) is issued by the Building Safety Regulator following an assessment of whether the PAP and APs are complying with relevant Part 4 duties.
The PAP must apply when directed to do so by the BSR.
The PAP must apply for a Building Assessment Certificate when directed to do so by the Building Safety Regulator. The Building Safety Act requires the application to be made within the specified statutory period following that direction.
A BAC application requires evidence demonstrating how the building’s Part 4 duties are being managed. This includes key information such as the Safety Case Report, Mandatory Occurrence Reporting arrangements and Resident Engagement Strategy.
Yes. An AP/PAP Advisor can help review existing arrangements, identify gaps and prepare the documentation and evidence needed for a BAC application.
Safer Sphere provides Building Assessment Certificate preparation support, including Safety Case Reports, MOR information, compliance declarations and Resident Engagement Strategies.
A Safety Case Report explains how building safety risks have been identified, assessed and managed within an occupied higher-risk building.
It brings together the evidence demonstrating how APs are managing fire spread and structural safety risks and must be maintained and reviewed by the PAP.
The Principal Accountable Person is responsible for preparing and maintaining the Safety Case Report, using the relevant assessments and risk-management information from each Accountable Person.
There is not simply a “write it once” requirement. The PAP must keep the Safety Case Report under review and revise it where necessary or appropriate, including where the building, risks or safety arrangements materially change.
Each AP must assess the building safety risks within the part of the occupied higher-risk building for which they are responsible.
For Part 4, the relevant building safety risks relate to the spread of fire and structural failure.
A building safety management system is the framework used to organise how building safety risks are identified, controlled, monitored and reviewed.
BSR guidance describes it as a formal management framework for managing safety risks in an occupied higher-risk building.
Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) is the process for identifying, recording and reporting qualifying building safety occurrences.
The PAP must establish and operate an effective MOR system, while APs have reporting responsibilities for relevant occurrences relating to the parts of the building for which they are responsible.
The Golden Thread is the accurate, accessible and up-to-date information required to understand the building and manage building safety throughout its life.
APs have duties around keeping, obtaining and sharing relevant building safety information and documentation.
What happens to Golden Thread information when an Accountable Person changes?
Where responsibility transfers from one AP to another, the outgoing AP must hand over relevant building safety information and documentation to the incoming AP so that continuity of safety management is maintained.
A Resident Engagement Strategy sets out how residents and non-resident owners will be informed about and involved in building safety decisions.
The PAP must prepare, maintain and act in accordance with the strategy, while APs have responsibilities for providing it to relevant residents and owners.
Yes. APs have duties to respond to certain written requests from residents and non-resident owners for building safety information and documentation, subject to the relevant legislative requirements and exemptions.
The BSR assesses whether the relevant Part 4 duties are being complied with. If it is not satisfied, it can refuse to issue a BAC, although legislation also provides for situations where a contravention may be capable of being remedied promptly.
An AP/PAP Advisor can help review the issues identified, assess gaps and support the development of an improvement plan.
Yes. Safer Sphere’s AP/PAP Advisor service can support organisations responsible for individual buildings or multiple occupied higher-risk residential buildings, including HRB registration, Key Building Information, BAC preparation, Safety Case Reports, resident engagement and compliance reviews.
Safer Sphere’s AP/PAP Advisor service is focused on occupied higher-risk residential buildings.
Buildings under construction fall under the construction-phase Building Safety regime and should be supported through the appropriate Building Regulations and Building Safety services instead.
If you need support with Building Safety Act duties, training or compliance for an occupied higher-risk residential building, speak to our Building Safety team.
