How we lessen the pain of Gateway 2 for M&E contractors

In 2002, in response to the tragic Grenfell disaster, the UK Government updated the Building Safety Act to ensure that during the construction of potentially high-risk buildings, all safety issues are thoroughly considered. The act requires developers to submit a building control application to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and no construction can begin until this has been approved.

What are the three Gateways?

The building safety process consists of three “Gateways”—critical checkpoints during construction. Gateway 1 applies at the planning permission stage before construction begins. It requires a statement that fire safety has been considered, and the plans are reviewed by the local authority.

Gateway 2, which focuses on design safety and compliance, is handled by the building safety regulator.

It requires the developer to provide:

• full, detailed design plans,
• a fire and structural safety strategy,
• a construction control plan,
• golden-thread information,
• competency declarations.

Gateway 3 should be delivered at the end of construction at completion, before handover to the tenant. The developer must prove that the building has been constructed in line with the Gateway 2-approved design, the golden thread information is complete and accurate and that the building is safe to occupy.

Gateway 2 and the M&E

A modern building will involve many complex mechanical and electrical systems, including heating and lighting, data cabling, and fire detection systems, among others.

The M&E team, reporting to the main contractor, is responsible for ensuring that all installed systems, including access control, are documented and traceable.

The main contractor will look to the mechanical and electrical (M&E) team to provide all the necessary information.

Meeting the requirements of the golden thread is particularly demanding, as it requires accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible digital building safety data across the building lifecycle.

Smoothing the process

At NSP Security, we appreciate that the updated Building Safety Act and the gateways are necessary to ensure that buildings in the UK are constructed to the highest standards, and the smart access systems, involving all internal and external doors, are a critical part of this.

That said, there’s no getting away from the fact that they are a significant pain point for everyone involved. While the government had promised a three-month turnaround after the submission of the final report, we are seeing feedback that it is taking between six and nine months. This is delaying projects from starting, putting additional strain on the construction industry. As such, the last thing that developers would want is questions coming back from the regulator.

That’s why at NSP Security, we have a dedicated team to ensure the M&E has all the information it needs to fulfil its requirements to the developer, as smoothly as possible.

As such, we provide a comprehensive competency statement for all our products, demonstrating that everything we deliver is fully compliant with all leading standards. As well as product data, this includes detailed schematics that show integration with power supplies, fire alarms, and building management systems (BMS).

Let’s go into some more detail about what is required by the M&E.

Fire strategy and emergency egress

Gateway 2 submissions must include a detailed fire and emergency file that demonstrates how the building enables safe evacuation and limits the spread of fire. M&E contractors must prove that building systems, including access control, won’t compromise fire safety.

To support M&Es deliver on this, our systems include features such as a fail-safe release ( and all our access control points allow for emergency overrides, ensuring fire doors and escape routes remain accessible. All our locksets are either FD30 or FD60 fire-safety rated and PAS 24 security compliant.

By meeting these standards and providing the relevant documentation, we can ensure that all access control features are part of the overall life safety system, a key focus for the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) during the Gateway 2 assessment.

Construction phase safety and control

Gateway 2 also requires a clear construction control plan that outlines how work will be safely managed. For M&E contractors, this includes the staged installation and commissioning of systems like access control. Our smart access platform supports this by enabling the M&E to set up controlled access to sensitive areas during the fit-out phase. By assigning temporary credentials to subcontractors, testers, and commissioning teams. The system also maintains detailed logs of who accessed what and when, aiding in audit and accountability to ensure full compliance with Gateway 2.

Let us ease your Gateway 2 pain

Ultimately, we provide the M&E with all supporting product compliance information needed, so it can deliver that critical capability document in a timely and stress-free way.