The Building Safety Act 2022 created the most significant change to UK building safety law in a generation. It established the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), brought residential buildings over 18 metres or 7 storeys within a new higher-risk building regime, and introduced three mandatory gateway stages: Gateway 1 (planning), Gateway 2 (pre-construction) and Gateway 3 (completion).
For fire compartmentation, Gateway 2 requires a full building safety case including a documented fire strategy before construction can begin. The golden thread requirement means every product in the compartment line must be traceable: the product selected, the test evidence it carries, and the installation detail on site must all be logged and accessible.
Under section 38 of the Building Safety Act, developers and principal contractors face potential liability if a building does not comply with building regulations, and the limitation period for civil claims has been extended. For specifiers, this substantially raises the importance of third-party certified products, competent installation and documented inspection records.
Tenmat cavity barrier systems are supported by third-party certification and clear product information intended to support robust specification and golden thread record-keeping.