How does offsite manufacturing support the new Building Safety Act 2022?

Pictured: OFP Web joists

Background

The Building Safety Act 2022 has brought about a major but necessary shift in the Construction Industry. The safety of our buildings, from construction all the way through to occupancy, is imperative and should always be the focus for all those involved. Although the Building Safety Act 2022, which came into force on 1st April 2023, overhauls the existing regulations, it created a lasting change and clarifies how buildings should be constructed, maintained and made safe. The overall purpose of the Act is to improve the quality and safety of buildings and at OFP, we are at the forefront of embracing a better built environment.

Although this has been in force for over a year now, the industry continues to navigate through the changes. The new requirements under the Building Safety Act do not just apply to taller buildings; they apply to all buildings, but there are specific additional controls for high-rise buildings.

According to the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, the Act creates a new and more rigorous regime for the planning, design, construction and operation of prescribed classes of buildings. New planning and building control gateways, accountable persons, safety cases and a statutory golden thread of information will all be linked to a formal certification of the building by the regulator for fitness to occupy.

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), such as prefabrication or off-site construction, require accurate data, precise technology and efficient communication to deliver excellent results. All of these lend themselves particularly well to the Building Safety Act 2022 requirements.

How does OFP’s use of MMC help to support the Building Regulations Act 2022?

At OFP, we use the latest advancements in technology and the automation of processes and procedures to exceed levels of accuracy and efficiency like never before, all of which help to support the requirements needed to comply with the Building Safety Act.

This is not something new to us. Although it is now enforceable by the Building Safety Act 2022, we have always worked in strict factory conditions to ensure high quality and safe products, and MMC has been the key for us in doing that.

Here are some of the ways:

• Documentation: Off-site manufacturing requires a high level of accurate data in order to manufacture precise products and therefore, timber frame structures are known for being well-documented. At OFP, our factory technology and machinery allow us to create complicated and exciting architectural designs that are extremely precise. This is all down to data and documentation.
• Accuracy: The Building Safety Act requires more detailed pre-design in order to limit the amount of changes that can be made onsite. Off-site manufacturing can provide huge support for this. At OFP, all our products are manufactured before arriving onsite, reducing the need for last-minute, timely and expensive changes onsite.