GovWire

Who must operate a mandatory occurrence reporting system

Principal designers and principal contractors

The principal designer and principal contractor must establish and operate a mandatory occurrence reporting (MOR) system, during:

• construction of a new higher-risk building
• work on an existing higher-risk building, unless the work consists only of exempt work or emergency repairs
• work to an existing building that either makes it a higher-risk building, or stops it being a higher-risk building

A higher-risk building is a building that has at least:

• 7 storeys or is at least 18 metres high
• 2 residential units or is a hospital or a care home

You can read guidance about the criteria that makes a building a higher-risk building.

Principal accountable persons (PAPs)

A higher-risk building with at least 2 residential units must be registered with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) before people live there.

The PAP must:

• establish and operate a single MOR system for the high-rise residential building they are responsible for
• make sure there are regular reviews of the system so it remains effective

Systems operated by the principal designer and principal contractor

The principal designer and principal contractor must:

• establish and operate an MOR system before construction or building work begins
• maintain and operate their system throughout the project

Principal designers and principal contractors can operate the same, or separate MOR systems.

Your MOR system must enable prompt reporting by:

• designers and contractors working on the project
• others who periodically visit the work site

Find out more about the roles of principal designers and principal contractors in the guide design and building work: meeting building requirements.

Reportable incidents and risks

Your system must let people report building safety incidents and risks that have caused, or if not remedied are likely to cause:

• the death of a significant number of people
• serious injury to a significant number of people

Building safety incidents and risks involve at least one of the following:

• structural failure of the building
• the spread of fire or smoke in the building

For design work, a building safety risk is an aspect of the design related to structural integrity or fire risk, which if built could cause death or serious injury to a significant number of people.

You must report incidents or risks that meet these criteria to BSR as a safety occurrence. You must do this by submitting a mandatory occurrence:

• notice, as soon as you can
• report, within 10 days of the safety occurrence being identified

Operating the MOR system

To help identify building safety incidents and risks, frequent inspections of the:

• design work must be set up by the principal designer
• building work must be set up by the principal contractor

You must:

• promptly review the reports submitted on the system
• decide if any action is needed

What you must tell people

You must share information about how the system works with:

• designers, contractors and others working on the project, before they begin any work
• anyone who enters the work site, as soon as possible
• BSR, when requested

You should tell people:

• what they need to report
• how to make a report
• how and when the report will be dealt with
• when they should expect a response about a report they have made
• how youll collect and store information in line withGeneral Data Protection Regulation(GDPR)

It may be helpful to include examples of what people should report on your MOR system.

Systems operated by the PAP

As the PAP, you must establish and operate an MOR system for the building when it is occupied by residents. You must review the system regularly to ensure it remains effective.

Your system must allow quick reporting by:

• all residents
• APs
• others who use the building

Reportable incidents

Your system must let people report building safety incidents that have caused, or if not remedied are likely to cause:

• the death of a significant number of people
• serious injury to a significant number of people

Building safety incidents involve at least one of the following:

• structural failure of the building
• the spread of fire in the building

The relevant AP must report incidents that meet these criteria to BSR as a safety occurrence. They must do this by submitting a mandatory occurrence:

• notice, as soon as they can
• report, within 10 days of the safety occurrence being identified

Complaints system

Residents and others may be concerned about something that could cause a building safety incident in the future and submit it on your complaints system.

If a concern submitted on your complaints system meets the criteria of what to report to BSR as a safety occurrence, the relevant AP must:

• identify it as soon as possible
• submit a mandatory occurrence notice and report to BSR within 10 days of the safety occurrence being identified

Operating the MOR system

For the parts of the building they are responsible for, the APs must:

• promptly assess the reports submitted on the system
• decide what action is needed

What you must tell people

You must share information about how the system works with:

• all
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