Building a Safer Future Charter launches ‘Charter Champion’ initiative to “help drive systemic culture change in building safety”

Designed to help companies and the wider construction industry in driving systemic culture change to put building safety first, The Building a Safer Future (BSF) Charter has launched its ‘Charter Champion’ initiative.

The Charter, which is open to all, will help companies identify potential issues and develop continuous improvement plans to advance their overall approach and performance on leadership and culture in relation to building safety. It is believed this is critical if further tragedies like the Grenfell fire – where failure of leadership and culture were key underlying causes – are to be avoided in the future.

The British Safety Council is delighted that the first 12 companies have signed up to complete the robust benchmarking and independent assessment process required by the ‘Charter Champion’ status, and in so doing are demonstrating real sectoral leadership.

The Charter has set out five commitments, which those who want to become a Charter Champion must proactively support. These are:

1. Collaborate to spearhead culture change and be the voice of building safety across the sector
2. Be transparent in the interests of safety, sharing key information with residents, clients, contractors and statutory bodies in a useful and accessible manner in the design, construction and occupation phases of the process.
3. Make safety a key factor of choice in who we work with, ensuring that building safety is placed at the centre of selection decisions without compromising quality or value for money.
4. Ensure that the voices and safety of residents, visitors and employees are central in our decision-making process.
5. Set out and communicate clear responsibilities within our organisation and with our partners, ensuring everyone with a stake in the building during design, construction and occupation understands their role and has the time and resources they need to achieve and maintain building safety.

Mike Robinson, Chief Executive at the British Safety Council, commented: “The Charter is a key mechanism for delivering the culture change badly needed by the sector. Becoming a registered signatory means organisations can proactively demonstrate their commitment to building safety. The whole sector has a collective responsibility to safeguard the people living in their buildings and ensure these are safe places to live, both now and in the future.”

“We would encourage participation in the Charter Champion initiative from across the construction and wider built environment sector and, in particular, the Duty Holders required under the new legislation to undertake the benchmarking process.”

“We look forward to seeing the Charter Champions group grow as others also realise the benefits of becoming part of this important scheme.”

Abigail Bainbridge, Chair of the British Safety Council Construction Sector Group and Persimmon Homes Group Health, Safety and Environment Director, said: “The principles of the BSF Charter clearly align with our commitment to building safety, so we are proud to sign up to the initiative. We look forward to encouraging partners and suppliers across the industry to strive for Charter Champion status.”

Find out more about the Building a Safer Future Charter, here. 

Building Safety is on the agenda at FIREX Connect, with a dedicated panel discussion featuring leading industry experts set to take place on 24th June. Register for FIREX Connect, below! 

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