The industry’s journey towards safety reform is facing serious challenges. Delays at planning ‘gateways’, skills shortages and regulatory confusion are just some of the issues, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, according to Rachel Davidson* from the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).

The need for industry reform in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy has never been in doubt, but implementing that reform was never going to be easy.  The industry is struggling to adjust to the new demands of the Building Safety Act which assigns serious legal responsibilities to anyone who commissions, designs, builds and operates a building – with more stringent rules for higher risk buildings (HRBs).

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR), which oversees the regime, is also struggling to cope with the sheer volume of work that needs to be assessed. It recently reported that 70% of applications at planning gateway 2 for HRBs did not meet legal requirements. Chief inspector Philip White said many are rejected because they lack basic design information and fail to address “significant life safety issues”.

Everyone is stretched and developers are feeling the financial pressure. The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) blamed delays at the planning gateways directly for job losses across the construction sector.

Optimistic

However, there are glimpses of a more optimistic picture starting to emerge. One good example is the recent move made by the major drylining supplier Siniat. It became the first UK manufacturer to accept “full design” responsibility for the information it provides with its systems, which play an important role in passive fire protection.

This area has, traditionally, been a minefield and the firm said it needed to ease the liability pressure on contractors and designers struggling to meet their responsibilities. In announcing it would be “legally accountable” for the technical design information it issues, Siniat was agreeing to a significant shift in the way risk is shared.

“For too long, risk has cascaded unchecked across the supply chain. Taking ownership of the information we issue is the right step forward,” said head of specification Steve Warriner, adding that the company would provide clear design documentation, technical reports, and guidance for contractors and duty holders to help them navigate Gateway 2 compliance.

In effect, it is just doing the right thing which is what should be expected of everyone. However, it is also acknowledging that risk needs to be shared around fairly within supply chains and not ‘dumped’ downwards on to contractors who feel obliged to take it on – and that everyone is working towards a common goal of a safe and compliant design.

However, this also needs to be underpinned by technical and professional competence with firms having the necessary people and processes in place to achieve all round compliance.

As well as individual competence to carry out assigned technical tasks during a project, the Act calls for ‘organisational accountability’. So, firms must have enough competent people in their ranks or face serious legal risk – and you also need competent people to put a suitably detailed planning application together.

This is where third-party assessment comes into play. At BESA, our Competence Assessment Standard (CAS) has been developed over many years to assess the technical and business quality of firms applying for or renewing membership. Companies who do not reach the required standard are not accepted into membership.

The assessment process provides reassurance to the industry supply chain that BESA members are deemed competent in both their business management systems and technical ability to design, install, service and maintain plant and equipment. The CAS audit also ensures members can provide independently verified evidence of their competence and organisational capability to clients. 

This is a challenging time for contractors and their clients. The planning backlog is also a major blow to the government’s housebuilding ambitions. So, it is in everyone’s interests that we have a demonstrably competent and compliant industry capable of getting its plans through the new more rigorous approval process and meeting the goal of safer and more sustainable buildings.

*Rachel Davidson is director of specialist knowledge at the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).

www.theBESA.com