From construction sector professionals to building owners and the general public, a survey is open to anyone who wants to share their views on government plans to prevent a repeat of the worst residential fire in modern UK history.
Published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government the consultation on ‘proposals for reform of the building safety regulatory system’ is open for eight weeks, closing on 23:59 on Wednesday 31 July 2019.
The consultation “proposes a stronger voice for residents of high-rise buildings to ensure their concerns are never ignored,” according to the government’s website, GOV.UK. “This includes better information regarding their buildings so that they can participate in decisions about safety, as well as clear and quick routes of escalation for their concerns if things do go wrong.”
Fire safety lawyer Warren Spencer recently said the Fire Safety Order “might need a judicial review”
With eight days until the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, in which 72 people lost their lives, the Home Office has also launched a call for evidence on the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Abbreviated to the Fire Safety Order, this legislation has served as the framework for fire safety responsibilities in residential and commercial properties for 14 years.
Fire safety lawyer Warren Spencer recently told IFSEC Global he believed the Fire Safety Order “might need a judicial review”.
The government is also consulting on how to better regulate the use of construction products to ensure fire protection is prioritised. It has already proposed creating a new standards committee to provide impartial advice on new standards and guidance for construction products.
A consultation on a technical review of Approved Document B – the building regulations for England – is intended to lead to publishing of a single, online searchable document of all approved documents and guide to the building regulations.
Explaining why the government commissioned Dame Judith Hackitt to conduct ‘The Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety‘, a press release from the government said the Grenfell Fire “shattered the lives of many people and shook the trust of countless more in a system that was intended to ensure the most basic human need of having a safe place to live.
“Following research into building safety culture across the industry, it became apparent that too many in the building industry were taking shortcuts that could endanger residents in the very place they were supposed to feel safest – their own home.”
In a webinar last year Dame Hackitt told the Healthy Work Company that the review “had to steer a course through the complex structure of the series of more specialist review’s that were going on at the time.” She emphasised that her report was “just the beginning”, with her remit to “analyse the system, not getting into the details or how it evolved, but to look at how it can be improved going forward.”
In the Building a Safer Future plan published In December 2018, the government undertook to implement all of Dame Judith’s recommendations.
Among these was the creation of a system of ‘dutyholders’, who will bear responsibility for making sure building regulations are followed in residential buildings. They will be tasked with safeguarding the ‘golden thread’ – safety information about how the building was designed and built – for the building’s entire lifecycle. The information must be stored electronically, kept up to date and be readily accessible to residents.
A new building safety regulator will have the authority to take enforcement action – imposing criminal and civil sanctions like fines or imprisonment – against responsible persons who neglect their obligations.
The government is funding the replacement of aluminium composite material cladding – the material used on Grenfell Tower – from high-rise residential homes and has banned use of combustible materials on external walls of new high-rise buildings.
The proposals encompasses five areas:
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Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.
