How Tetra Consulting Has Stepped Up to Meet the Challenges of the Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act (BSA) has introduced significant changes to the way building safety is managed in the UK. As the sector continues to adapt to these evolving regulations, Tetra Consulting has taken a proactive approach, leveraging years of experience and a full-time team of experts to guide clients through this complex landscape.

From addressing competence gaps to fostering meaningful resident engagement, Tetra is committed to providing long-term support and leadership in building safety.

1. A Full-Time Team of Specialists: Consistency and Expertise

A key differentiator for Tetra Consulting is that all our consultants are directly employed. This unique approach ensures continuity, accountability, and deep engagement with each client, providing a level of commitment difficult to achieve with associates or temporary staff. Fully qualified and dedicated, our team offers reliable, expert guidance through every stage of compliance

Suzanne Moore, Business Development & Client Services Director, reflects on this:

"Having a full-time team means that our consultants are deeply invested in the long-term success of our clients. They bring a level of commitment and continuity that associates simply can’t match."

This model ensures that every safety case we manage receives consistent and expert attention.

?2. Proactively Managing Regulatory Uncertainty

The BSA introduced many new requirements, but regulatory guidance and feedback has been slow or vague. Tetra has always advised clients to take early action, even in the absence of full clarity, ensuring that safety cases can be developed and refined as new information becomes available.

Robb Taylor, Health, Safety and Fire Operations Director, explains:

"We can’t wait for perfect clarity. By starting early, our clients are prepared to adapt as regulations evolve, keeping ahead of the game rather than reacting at the last moment."

This proactive approach allows Tetra’s clients to remain prepared and compliant, ensuring they can meet the evolving demands of the Regulator.

3. Competence: Addressing a Key Industry Gap

One of the most pressing issues highlighted by the Grenfell Inquiry was the lack of competence in fire risk assessors and safety professionals. Tetra consultants are fully qualified and employed directly, providing clients with a team of highly competent experts who meet the highest professional standards.

As Dr Shaun Lundy, Tetra’s Quality Assurance and Strategy Director, noted in a recent webinar:

"Competence is critical. The inquiry showed that unqualified assessors pose significant risks. We’ve made it a priority to hire full-time professionals who meet the highest standards, ensuring that our clients receive the expertise they need."

This focus on competence aligns with the increasing regulatory demand for qualified professionals in building safety.

4. Experience with Hundreds of Building Safety Cases: Proven Expertise

Tetra has submitted hundreds of Building Safety Cases, leveraging our extensive experience to ensure that each case meets regulatory requirements. However, as Dr Lundy pointed out, the feedback from the Regulator has been slow:

"We’ve submitted hundreds of safety case reports, and in many cases, we’re still waiting for feedback. This is months after submission. Without timely feedback, it’s hard for building owners and managers to know if they’re meeting the necessary standards or if they’re going to face penalties down the line."

Despite these delays, Tetra continues to guide clients through this uncertain period, updating safety cases as necessary to reflect any new feedback.

5. PRISM: Streamlining Building Safety Case Management

Tetra’s PRISM innovative risk management SaaS software plays a pivotal role in supporting clients with their Building Safety Cases. Developed with direct client feedback, PRISM helps organisations manage the complexities of the Building Safety Act through its Building Safety Case Management Module.

PRISM centralises all safety documentation, making it easier to collate and manage the Golden Thread of information required under the BSA. Suzanne Moore explains:

"We’ve developed a new module in PRISM for the Building Safety Act, enabling clients to track their Golden Thread documents. It’s a significant investment in making sure our clients can easily manage their compliance obligations. And we believe our software offering is market-leading."

With features like automated task linking, high-level reporting, and comprehensive audit trails, PRISM significantly reduces administrative burdens while ensuring that clients can track and store all relevant safety data in one place.

By offering clear visibility into compliance progress, PRISM supports clients in managing their safety cases efficiently and staying compliant with evolving regulations.

6. Ongoing Maintenance: Ensuring Long-Term Compliance

The BSA requires ongoing attention to compliance, and Tetra offers a comprehensive maintenance service to help clients keep their safety cases up to date. This includes annual reviews and unlimited amendments, ensuring that clients remain compliant as regulations change.

Suzanne Moore explains:

"Our maintenance service provides peace of mind. We make sure our clients’ Safety Case Reports remain compliant and that any new regulations are incorporated into their Safety Case Report or building changes."

7. Resident Engagement: A Core Element of Safety

A central pillar of the BSA is resident engagement, and recent discussions in the industry have emphasised this more than ever. During the latest webinar, Dr Lundy highlighted the critical role resident engagement plays, stating that it is essential to building trust and ensuring that residents are fully informed about the safety of their buildings.

"Resident engagement isn’t just a regulatory checkbox—it’s about fostering trust. The Grenfell Inquiry showed us how crucial communication with residents is to building safety. It’s about giving them a voice in managing the safety of their homes."

This increased emphasis on meaningful engagement has been a key focus for Tetra, as we work with clients through our Competent Support offering to develop robust strategies that involve residents in the ongoing management of building safety. Our approach goes beyond compliance, ensuring that residents are active participants in the process.

7. Educating the Industry: Shaping Standards and Sharing Knowledge

Tetra Consulting has not only supported its clients but also contributed to the broader education of the industry. This year alone, we have hosted three well-attended webinars on Building Safety Cases, providing essential insights and best practices to help building owners, managers, and professionals understand their obligations under the BSA.

"Our role as educators is crucial," says Dr Shaun Lundy. "By sharing what we’ve learned, we’re helping to raise standards across the industry and ensuring that everyone is better prepared to meet the demands of the Building Safety Act."

Our ongoing contributions to industry events and webinars are part of our commitment to elevating safety standards across the sector.

Conclusion: Leadership, Expertise, and Commitment to Building Safety

Tetra Consulting’s response to the Building Safety Act is defined by proactive leadership, a focus on competence, and a deep commitment to resident engagement. With hundreds of Building Safety Cases submitted, a full-time team of dedicated professionals, and ongoing contributions to industry education, Tetra remains a trusted partner for building owners and managers navigating the challenges of the BSA.

As the Regulator continues to provide feedback and the regulations evolve, Tetra remains committed to ensuring that our clients are fully compliant, their residents are actively engaged, and the highest standards of safety are maintained.

Are you confident that your Building Safety Case is ready to meet the regulatory demands of tomorrow?

Contact Tetra Consulting to learn how our expert team can help you stay compliant, manage ongoing safety obligations, and maintain the highest standards of safety.

About Tetra

At Tetra, we make buildings safer for people. Uniquely in our industry, we directly employ all our consultants, ensuring consistent training, quality, and service. This in-house expertise positions us as leaders in health and safety, fire safety, asbestos control, and legionella management. Our innovative approach includes PRISM, our cutting-edge property risk management software. We also offer a monthly programme of events and webinars, sharing our extensive industry insights. Recently, our commitment to quality and excellence was recognised with The Property Institute’s Ace Award for Health and Safety Partner of the Year.