There are 66 Functional Standards which must be complied with if a building is to be considered as meeting the requirements of the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Some Standards apply to all building types, some to more specific situations.
These are Policy Statements, which set out the functional requirements that a building must reach.
The guidance contained in the Technical Handbooks supports these policies, and demonstrates ways in which most buildings may comply.
There is no obligation to follow the policy guidance, and Building Standards Officers are required to interpret the Functional Standards and their purpose in order to allow them to assess an application for Building Warrant.
Previously a system of formal relaxation existed, however this was replaced with officers now using their wide professional judgement to assess the proposal against policy.