Safety of society

Structural engineers are of critical importance in managing the risk to society throughout the lifecycle of the structure.

Structural engineers consider the safety of structures from design and construction through to operation and demolition, in accordance with local legislation. 

Structural engineers are key to ensuring that the built environment is robust and that lessons are learnt. This topic impacts upon the collaborative nature of construction and the need to ensure responsibilities are clearly defined at the outset of projects.

Effective retention and communication of project information, including maintenance and refurbishment, is paramount in ensuring the safety of society.

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Email updates are the best way to receive the latest safety information and news from CROSS, including the Newsletter. Register for a CROSS account and sign up to emails from the CROSS regions that are relevant to you to stay up to date.
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Read the latest CROSS newsletter

Read the latest CROSS newsletter

Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures (CROSS) publishes reports on fire and structural safety incidents and near-misses. Each report also contains expert analysis and insight to prevent future occurrences.

Featured resources

Related resources and events

Course
A piling works construction site.

Ground investigation and outline foundation design - November 2027

Ground investigation and outline foundation design - November 2027

This half-day in-person course provides guidance to early career structural engineers to develop a better understanding of geotechnical engineering and use that knowledge to enhance and promote sustainable design.
Date – 17 November 2027
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS and online
Price – £235 - £360 + VAT
Course
Firefighters saving a fire.

Structural fire engineering - October 2027

Structural fire engineering - October 2027

This course is designed to provide structural engineers with a greater understanding of fire safety, key legislation, and the principles of risk analysis in order to ensure that adequate structural performance in fire is achieved.
Date – 13 October 2027
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS
Price – £330 - £485 + VAT
Course
A building undergoing demolition

Demolition and structural refurbishment - October 2027

Demolition and structural refurbishment - October 2027

This course provides guidance on specific aspects of demolition and refurbishment from an engineering perspective, while addressing safety, environmental and sustainability influences.
Date – 12 October 2027
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS
Price – £330 - £485 + VAT
Course
Temporary bracing of steel frame

Steel essentials: practical design of structural steelwork - September 2027

Steel essentials: practical design of structural steelwork - September 2027

This course presents practical guidance on key aspects of preliminary scheme development and detailed scheme design in structural steelwork.
Date – 23 September 2027
Location – Online
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Course
industrial factory with old machinery

Conservation engineering: an advanced workshop - September 2027

Conservation engineering: an advanced workshop - September 2027

This course will provide engineers who already have experience of working with historic and listed buildings with greater confidence in their skill set, including negotiating with statutory authorities, clients and design team members.
Date – 16 September 2027
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS
Price – £330 - £485 + VAT
Course
hong kong high rises

Lateral stability of building structures - July 2027

Lateral stability of building structures - July 2027

This half-day, online course covers the methods by which the lateral stability of a building structure is achieved.
Date – 13 July 2027
Location – Online
Price – £255 - £380 + VAT
Course
Image of building ruined by an earthquake

Eurocode 8: worked examples of dynamic analysis and seismic building design - March 2027

Eurocode 8: worked examples of dynamic analysis and seismic building design - March 2027

This course delivers practical advice through the use of worked examples on dynamic analysis, conceptual design for earthquake resistance and seismic design of structural elements to Eurocode 8.
Date – 10 March 2027
Location – Online
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Course
A foundation construction site

Ground investigation and outline foundation design - November 2026

Ground investigation and outline foundation design - November 2026

This half-day in-person course provides guidance to early-career structural engineers to develop a better understanding of geotechnical engineering and use that knowledge to enhance and promote sustainable design.
Date – 18 November 2026
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS and online
Price – £225 - £345 + VAT
Webinar
Basement excavation for The Londoner hotel

Waterproofing new-build basements: systems, risks and watertight performance

Waterproofing new-build basements: systems, risks and watertight performance

A webinar digging down into the construction and design systems that produce watertight new-build basements and the associated risks.
Date – 17 November 2026
Location – Online
Price – £45 - £70 + VAT
Course
A construction site revealing a concrete structure and scaffolding against bright sun is shown.

Eurocode 2: design of concrete structures - November 2026

Eurocode 2: design of concrete structures - November 2026

This course covers the design of common structural elements to Eurocode 2. Participants will be introduced to concrete material properties and learn about designing for durability and fire.
Date – 17 November 2026
Location – Online
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Course
steel roof

Eurocode 3: structural steelwork design - November 2026

Eurocode 3: structural steelwork design - November 2026

This course provides an introduction to structural steelwork design to Eurocode 3 for building design.
Date – 3 November 2026
Location – Online
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Course
industrial factory with old machinery

Conservation engineering - October 2026

Conservation engineering - October 2026

This course will provide engineers with the confidence to work with listed buildings, balancing protection of building fabric while managing safety.
Date – 27 October 2026
Location – Online
Price – £315 - £465 + VAT
Regional Group
Building fire

Design of building structures for fire: compliance approach and the role of the structural engineer

Design of building structures for fire: compliance approach and the role of the structural engineer

Structural fire engineering for structural engineers: the gap, the factors, and when to call a specialist.
Date – 22 October 2026
Location – The Institution of Structural Engineers
Price – Free
Training
A basement construction site seen from above.

Ground investigations for effective basement waterproofing

Ground investigations for effective basement waterproofing

A technical on-demand webinar unearthing the geotechnical perspective of waterproof basement design and construction.
Date – 29 September 2026
Author – Alex Nikolic, Director, A-Squared Studio & Stuart Wagstaff, Director, Soil Consultants
Price – £45 - £70 + VAT
Training
Construction workers wearing hard hats look up at a large metal scaffolding structure against an orange sky.

Safety, culture, resilience: shaping communities’ safety and experience

Safety, culture, resilience: shaping communities’ safety and experience

Watch this presentation from the 2026 Structural safety and risk conference calling on structural engineers to act with ambition and moral courage to prioritise people’s lived experiences in organisational decision-making.
Date – 16 September 2026
Author – Gill Kernick
Price – Free