A keynote presentation from Dame Judith Hackitt at the BSI Fire Safety & Construction Industry Conference on 10th April 2018 in Manchester signalled significant future changes in the regulatory environment, competences, responsibilities and the culture of the construction industry.
One of the key findings in the independent review and interim report on building regulations, published in December 2017, declared that “the current regulatory system for ensuring fire safety in high-rise and complex buildings is not fit for purpose. This applies throughout the life cycle of a building, both during construction and occupation.”
While this formed a central theme to her talk, she also explored the need for a significant culture shift from a position of ‘did we build to specification’ to ‘did we build a safe building to live in’ and encouraged designers, clients and contractors to take ownership and responsibility not just to “do what the rules tell you.”
She said the interim report mapped out how the current system works, which she concluded sets itself up for failure because it is very complex and encourages people to look for shortcuts. She went on to say that the industry had focused on ‘the job is done when meeting compliance’; rather than ‘the job is done when homes are safe for people to live in’.
Alongside Dame Judith, Neil O’Connor, a Director at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) who has been leading policy development on building safety following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, together outlined key recommendations from the final report, which is scheduled for late Spring. They explained that the final report will not make recommendations for regulations and standards, as this will be left to the experts to make the necessary modifications within the new ‘culture of responsibility’ framework for the future.
Another important feature in the report will be to provide reassurance and recourse for residents to access information about the building, layers of protection included, and maintenance required.
The report will also push for:
- Higher levels of competence, which builds on the interim report’s findings that states: ‘There is a need to raise levels of competence and establish formal accreditation of those engaged in the fire prevention aspects of the design, construction, inspection and maintenance of high-rise residential and complex buildings.’
- Traceability of products needs to be clear, consistent and recorded to provide assurance that products in the building are fit for purpose.
- Better management for recording changes during construction and throughout the building’s life cycle after occupation including future maintenance and refurbishment.
The conference was attended by Nelson Godinho, a Fire Engineer for SE Controls, who explained: “Fire safety, particularly in high rise residential buildings, must not be underestimated or compromised in any way, as the results can be catastrophic. As the interim report identified a number of issues with the regulatory framework, as well as product performance traceability, competences and responsibility for buildings, the conference provided an excellent platform for identifying and sharing the changes that need to be made with those in a position to make those changes.”