The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in its role as the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), has appointed CROSS-UK (Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures) as the official voluntary reporting system for structural and fire safety until at least 2028.
As part of the Government’s response to the Grenfell Tower fire, the 2022 Building Safety Act introduced strengthened legislation covering building safety and construction products. This includes a requirement for an official Voluntary Occurrence Reporting System (VORS). While the system is a critical part of the HSE’s mission to improve building safety, it must be operated independently of both the regulator and the Government.
CROSS-UK has been operating the system on an interim basis since April 2023 and is seen as a success story by the industry - a practical way of recognising risks, promoting culture change, and improving public safety. Following a competitive tender process, CROSS-UK has been appointed to run the service until at least 2028.
Although appointed by the regulator, CROSS remains entirely independent, providing a trusted, confidential way for professionals in the construction industry and those responsible for managing buildings to voluntarily report safety concerns.
What is CROSS UK?
CROSS provides a confidential platform for professionals to report safety concerns, near-misses, and insights from across the built environment. Reports are anonymised, reviewed by experts, and shared with the industry to promote learning and improve standards.
Established in 2005 by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), CROSS-UK has been supported by the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) since 2021.
Philip White, Director of Building Safety, Health and Safety Executive said:
“Everyone deserves a safe and accountable built environment, and as the official operator of the Voluntary Occurrence Reporting System, CROSS will play a key role in making that happen. This public interest appointment promotes openness, learning, and culture change - exactly what’s needed to raise standards, improve building safety, and prevent future tragedies.”
Yasmin Becker, Chief Executive Officer, Institution of Structural Engineers said:
“CROSS is an important and trusted function of the building safety regime, now confirmed as the Voluntary Occurrence Reporting System until 2028. The HSE’s decision means there will be much needed continuity for the voluntary reporting of building and fire safety issues. The Institution of Structural Engineers is pleased to continue supporting CROSS-UK as part of our commitment to structural safety.”
Dr. Janet Young,
Director General, ICE said:
“One of the fundamental principles of the Institution of Civil Engineers is to provide the knowledge and services civil and infrastructure engineers need to build, operate, and maintain infrastructure that is safe and fit for purpose. Supporting CROSS is an important part of this work. Having CROSS selected as the official voluntary occurrence reporting system by the Health and Safety Executive is a testament to the essential role the service plays in public safety.”
Steve Hamm, Chief Executive Officer, Institution of Fire Engineers said:
“The Institution of Fire Engineers was honoured to support the expansion of CROSS to include fire safety reporting in 2021. The sector had never previously had such a facility but the benefits for the consumers of the information as well as the contributors were easy to comprehend and get behind. This news is a positive next step as we collectively strive towards continuous improvements to building safety.”
Paul Livesey,
Head of Operations, CROSS said:
“CROSS-UK is honoured to be appointed as the official voluntary reporting system for structural and fire safety under the Building Safety Act until 2028. CROSS has always championed the power of sharing knowledge to prevent future failures, and this appointment reinforces the critical role of confidential reporting in driving a safer built environment. We encourage all construction professionals to contribute by reporting concerns and near-misses. Each report can make a difference.”
Making a report to CROSS is simple and quick. Read more about the process and
submit a report online.
- Ends -
For further information please contact:
CROSS: Emma Shaw,
[email protected]
HSE: Judy Harris,
[email protected]
Institution of Civil Engineers: Maggie Eckel,
[email protected]
Institution of Structural Engineers: Helen Thompson,
[email protected]
Editors’ notes
About the Building Safety Act 2022 and the VORS
The Building Safety Act gained Royal Assent on the 28 April 2022 and makes ground-breaking reforms to give residents more rights, powers, and protections. The Act overhauls existing regulations, creating lasting change and makes clear how residential buildings should be constructed, maintained, and made safe.
As part of delivering the culture change within the industries involved, section 8 of the Act states that the regulator is required to appoint someone to establish and operate a Voluntary Occurrence Reporting System (VORS) for the voluntary giving of information about building safety. This system will be operated independently of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
VORS is separate and distinct to the mandatory reporting of building safety risks under the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) scheme which is operated by the HSE. MOR concerns those structural safety and fire safety risks discovered during the design and construction of higher-risk buildings (HRBs), and structural safety and spread of fire in occupied HRBs which must be reported by duty holders.
Clarification on jurisdiction
Under the Building Safety Act, the VORS formally applies only to England, as the BSR operates solely within this jurisdiction. Different regulatory regimes are in place across the devolved nations.
However, the BSR have obtained consent from both the Scottish and Welsh Governments for VORS to also operate in Scotland and Wales. In recognition of the shared market for construction products and the mobility of professionals across the UK’s built environment, the appointed VORS operator is expected to accept safety reports from both nations, with the relevant governmental approvals in place.
The VORS does not cover Northern Ireland or any countries outside of the United Kingdom.
Further information about the organisations involved:
About ICE
The Institution of Civil Engineers is a 97,000 strong global membership organisation with over 200 years of history. It is a centre of engineering excellence, qualifying engineers, and helping them maintain lifelong competence, assuring society that the infrastructure they create is safe, dependable, and well designed. ICE offers trusted, impartial advice to decision makers on how to build and adapt infrastructure to create a more sustainable world.
https://www.ice.org.uk
About IStructE
The Institution of Structural Engineers is the world’s largest membership organisation dedicated to the art and science of structural engineering. It is a leading source of expertise on all structural engineering and public safety issues in the built environment. The Institution of Structural Engineers has over 29,000 members in 112 countries around the world and was founded in 1908.
https://www.istructe.org
About CROSS
CROSS, which stands for Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures, is the safety reporting scheme supported by the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE).
The scheme allows professionals to report precursor events, near-misses and safety issues confidentially. CROSS welcome reports about structural safety and fire safety. These may relate to concerns at any stage of a structure’s life - from design, through construction and occupation, until its end of life.
https://www.cross-safety.org/uk
About IFE
A supporting institution of CROSS since 2021, the IFE is the internationally recognised professional body with over 15,000 members dedicated to promoting excellence in fire engineering. They enable individuals to gain professional credentials based upon the sound knowledge, practical skills, and ethical grounding essential for protecting people, property, and the environment.
https://www.ife.org.uk
About HSE
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. They are dedicated to protecting people and places and helping everyone lead safer and healthier lives.
About BSR
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was established as the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) by the Building Safety Act 2022. BSR is an independent regulator and works to ensure that high-rise residential buildings across England adhere to the highest safety standards. The BSR collaborates with local authorities, building owners, and residents to improve fire and building safety, creating safer living environments for all.
https://www.hse.gov.uk/building-safety/regulator.htm