News

Many of the new requirements under the new Building Safety Act 2022 are still not understood by those making critical decisions in the supply chain, says leading cable supplier AEI Cables.

The Act – introduced in October 2023 – makes new requirements for higher-risk buildings which are those deemed to be of at least 18 metres in height or at least seven storeys containing at least two residential units.

The appeal for more easily understood information from the regulator comes following an earlier study from built environment specification experts NBS showed that half of respondents were either unsure or had no idea of duty holder responsibilities for higher-risk buildings.

The systems in these buildings powered by electrical cables – including smoke and heat extraction systems – assist fire services in firefighting and a safe evacuation in the case of life safety.

Stuart Dover, general manager of AEI Cables, said: “We are keen to share our own guidance on safety for electrical cables which provide power for many of the building safety systems in high-rise buildings but any further clear guidance from the regulator in the application of the details would be welcomed by the supply chain.”

The Building Safety Regulator will oversee the safety and performance of all buildings, as well as having a special focus on high-rise buildings. It will promote competence and organisational capability within the sector including for building control professionals and tradespeople.

Building owners should now have their building safety regime in place and any occupied higher-risk buildings should be registered with the Building Safety Regulator.

AEI Cables’ Firetec Enhanced cabling has been approved and certified by LPCB to BS8519 (Annex B), Category 3 Control in addition to Category 2 Control.The BS Code of Practice under BS8519 contains six categories of cables, three for power cables and three for control cables each covering survival times of 30, 60 or 120 minutes.

All AEI Cables’ products are supplied with approvals from independent bodies including BASEC and LPCB. It also holds approvals from organisations including Lloyds, the MoD, Network Rail and LUL and works to international standards around the world. For more information see the AEI Cables website, tel 0191 410 3111 or email sales@aeicables.co.uk.