Managing safety in high-rise buildings is both a legal duty and a critical part of responsible building management. Risk assessments help identify, evaluate, and control the unique hazards that come with taller structures. This guide outlines how to approach a full building risk assessment, what methods to use, and how to ensure the results are properly recorded and acted upon.

Why Risk Assessments Matter

In the UK, buildings over 18 metres tall or with seven or more storeys—and which contain two or more residential units—are classed as higher-risk. These buildings are subject to the Building Safety Act 2022, which requires that building safety risks, particularly fire and structural failure, are properly assessed and controlled.

Carrying out a thorough assessment not only helps meet this legal requirement but also improves awareness of vulnerabilities across the building. It supports long-term planning, emergency preparedness, and transparency with residents and regulators alike.

Who Should Be Involved?

A competent assessment team makes a significant difference to the quality and accuracy of the risk review. While external consultants can add value for complex buildings, internal teams with the right knowledge often have the best understanding of the property’s day-to-day conditions. Fire safety specialists, structural engineers, facilities managers, and those with detailed knowledge of resident needs all bring vital perspectives to the process.

At MosaicGT, we offer tools to support collaboration and task management, ensuring teams stay aligned, actions are tracked, and nothing is overlooked.

Dividing the Building for Assessment

Large or complex buildings benefit from being divided into smaller, manageable zones. For example, it may make sense to group assessments by core, floor, or use—such as residential, communal, and service areas. In buildings with multiple responsible persons, division by control may be more appropriate.

The key is to choose a structure that reflects how the building operates and to ensure each zone is assessed both in isolation and in the context of how it interacts with adjacent spaces.

Identifying Hazards and Planning for Risk

A well-rounded risk assessment must account for fire risks, structural hazards, and any other safety concerns. These risks may vary depending on the design, age, and use of the building.

Fire safety concerns could include issues like fire spreading through shared service risers, compromised compartmentation, faulty alarms, or blocked escape routes. On the structural side, risks might stem from water damage, poor maintenance, original design flaws, or ageing materials.

Beyond fire and structure, other potential hazards include power failures, inadequate lighting, poor ventilation, or unauthorised changes made by residents. Scenario planning is crucial to exploring the full picture. Ask questions like “what if the detection system fails?” or “how would a fire in the basement affect upper-floor evacuations?” This allows you to plan not just for likely risks but also for rare but serious incidents.

Choosing a Method for Assessment

There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but your chosen method must be systematic, repeatable, and suitable for the building’s complexity. The HAZID (Hazard Identification) approach is commonly used because it encourages collaborative thinking. The process involves dividing the building into areas, holding structured team discussions about what could go wrong, and then ranking and recording each risk. This helps build a shared understanding across the team and ensures recommendations are based on careful reasoning.

Another useful tool is the risk matrix, which helps you rank hazards based on how likely they are to happen and how severe the impact would be. By combining these two factors, you can focus efforts where they’ll have the greatest effect—whether that’s repairing a fire door or replacing faulty smoke detectors.

Reviewing Existing Safety Measures

Once you’ve identified the risks, take time to review the controls already in place. It’s not enough to simply have alarms, fire doors, or lighting systems; they must be in good condition, correctly installed, and regularly maintained. You’ll also need to confirm that safety measures have not been compromised by previous building works or alterations.

For example, fire compartmentation may be undermined if a contractor has cut through a wall to install cables without proper fire-stopping. Similarly, an escape route may become unsafe if furniture is stored in communal areas. Reviewing these types of risks and comparing them to the expected safety strategy will highlight any shortfalls that need addressing.

Evacuation Planning

The chosen evacuation strategy must match the building’s fire safety design. A stay-put policy, for instance, depends heavily on intact compartmentalisation. Residents are expected to remain in their flats unless affected by smoke or fire. This can reduce congestion in stairwells and protect vulnerable occupants, but it relies on safety measures being fully operational.

In contrast, a simultaneous evacuation strategy requires clear escape routes, working alarms, and suitable communication systems. This approach is often used where buildings don’t support compartmentation or where the resident profile has changed over time. In either case, you’ll need to check that signage is clear, emergency lighting is functional, and residents know what to do.

Engaging and Informing Residents

A successful risk management strategy isn’t just about systems and structures—it also depends on the people who live in the building. Residents must be informed, involved, and encouraged to report problems early.

Clear communication plays a key role. Regular notices, welcome packs, and digital alerts can all be used to explain evacuation plans, highlight safety rules, or provide updates on maintenance. Encouraging feedback and offering contact points for questions helps to build trust and promotes a culture of shared responsibility.

Recording and Reporting the Assessment

Once completed, the assessment must be documented clearly. This includes outlining your method, identifying who carried out the work, and summarising the risks found and actions taken. These findings then form part of the building’s official safety case report, which is required under the Building Safety Act and must be submitted to the Building Safety Regulator when requested.

Digital tools such as MosaicGT can help by keeping assessments, checklists, and supporting documents in one place. The ability to assign actions, set reminders, and track updates is especially useful when managing several buildings or coordinating across teams.

Keeping the Assessment Up to Date

A risk assessment is not a one-time task. It should be reviewed regularly—at least once a year—or when changes occur. Significant triggers for a reassessment include major refurbishments, changes in occupancy, system upgrades, or an incident such as a fire or alarm failure.

Regular reviews allow you to revisit assumptions, adjust for new risks, and confirm that all safety measures remain effective. They also help demonstrate to regulators and residents that building safety is being taken seriously and managed proactively.

Supporting Risk Management with Technology

Managing safety across one or more high-rise buildings can quickly become complex, especially when juggling inspections, deadlines, resident communications, and compliance records. That’s where a platform like MosaicGT can make a difference.

We offer a tool that helps organise safety workstreams—allowing you to schedule checks, assign tasks, store documents, and track completion all in one place. While we don’t provide safety services ourselves, our app supports those who do by reducing admin, improving visibility, and making it easier to stay on top of critical tasks.

Final Thoughts

Risk assessment is a core part of managing high-rise buildings safely and lawfully. A structured approach helps identify and reduce hazards, support evacuation planning, involve residents, and demonstrate compliance. Whether you’re using HAZID, a risk matrix, or another method, the process must be systematic, evidence-based, and regularly reviewed.

At MosaicGT, we’re here to support the people responsible for this work—not by doing it for them, but by giving them the tools to manage it more efficiently. If you need to stay compliant, keep your records organised, and ensure nothing slips through the cracks, our platform can help you do just that—with clarity and control.