BSR - Operational Standards Rules consultation

Overview

About this consultation

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will be operating as part of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) from April 2023.  We want to hear your views on the proposed operational standards rules (OSRs) we are developing for building control bodies.

We are consulting on:

• OSRs
• BSR monitoring arrangements including reportable data and key performance indicators (KPIs) for building control bodies
• the strategic context for building control oversight

The OSRs use the definitions in the Building Act 1984.

The OSRs will apply to building control functions for buildings or works in England. These functions are delivered by building control regulators:

• local authorities
• registered building control approvers

We want to know your views on our proposals. We will use your views to shape and refine our proposals.

We will publish the OSRs in Spring 2023.

Background

We are currently preparing for the different BSR functions set out by the Building Safety Act 2022. The independent oversight of building control regulators is one of those functions.

The act has now passed through Parliament. This gives us the opportunity to hear your views on our proposals.

To support the development of the draft OSRs, we have:

• done research to get insight from building control bodies and professionals
• reviewed building control procedures
• assessed different approaches to current operational standards and KPIs
• evaluated lessons learnt from partner regulators

We believe that effective consultation is one element in an open and transparent approach to decision-making.

We will consider the responses to this consultation before we finalise our proposals and launch them by Spring 2023.

Responding to this consultation

You can respond online

This is probably the easiest way for most people to reply. The questions for the online consultation are embedded in the document attached to this page. Tell us what you think now.

You can respond in writing

Write to us at this address:

Operational Standards Rules consultation
Health and Safety Executive
Building Safety Regulator programme
2.2 Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7HS

You can respond by email

Email us at: OSRConsultation@hse.gov.uk

The consultation will close on 25 October 2022. You must respond by this date.

Your responses to the consultation

We aim to make our consultation procedures as thorough and open as possible.

We will acknowledge and consider all responses. We may contact you again if - for example - we have a query about your response.

We will post a summary of responses to this consultation on the HSE website after the consultation closes.

Confidentiality

Any information you provide in response to this consultation may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with:

• the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA)
• the Data Protection Act 2018
• General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
• Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR)

If you would like us to treat any of the information you provide as confidential, please explain your reasons for this in your response.

If we receive a request under FOIA or EIR for the information you have provided we will take full account of your explanation. However, we cannot guarantee that confidentiality will be maintained in all circumstances. For this reason, we will disregard any automatic confidentiality disclaimer generated by your IT system.

We will process all personal data collected as part of this consultation in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). HSE’s Privacy Policy Statement is available on the HSE website.

Code of practice on consultation

We follow the Government’s consultation principles. You can read more about these at GOV.UK.

If you need a more accessible format of this document, please email us at HSE.Online@hse.gov.uk and we will consider your request.

Complaints

If you have any complaints about the consultation process (as opposed to comments about the issues) write to:

Susan Robinson
HSE Consultation Coordinator
2.2 Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
L20 7HS
Email: susan.robinson@hse.gov.uk

We aim to reply to all complaints within 10 working days. If you are not satisfied with the outcome you can contact:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

You can also write to:

Sarah Albon
Chief Executive
Health and Safety Executive
Redgrave Court
Merton Road
Bootle
Merseyside
L20 7HS

You can ask your MP to take up your case with us or with ministers.

Your MP may ask the Independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman) to review your complaint.