Building safety - it’s time for us all to take responsibility

Six years ago, the Grenfell Tower fire held a mirror up to all those involved in the construction and maintenance of the buildings in which people live.

A lot has happened since then, and the whole industry is now well aware of the implications of cutting corners, allowing bad practice to go unchallenged, and failing to question when something doesn’t look, feel or sound quite right.

A major inquiry, the introduction of the Building Safety Act, and a root and branch review of competence have focussed all our minds on how much value is added when we get construction right and how the reputation of the whole sector is damaged when we don’t.

The key word is responsibility. As the new regime takes shape, companies and individuals need to understand what their responsibilities are and recognise that they will be held accountable for fulfilling them. And we all have a responsibility to question what goes on around us.

As we look at ourselves in that mirror, we can no longer say ‘that isn’t my job’ or ‘it doesn’t matter’. It does matter. The new golden thread of information means it will be clear whose responsibility it is, and everyone on a project will know who is accountable for every decision.

Most people I talk to are embracing the fact that as an industry we need to behave differently. The culture of ‘it will do’ is no longer acceptable, and that means we all need to step up. Everyone needs to understand what is within their control and what they can influence and then act accordingly.

There will be no hiding place within the new regime, so it is crucial that clients, designers, contractors, specialist contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, supported by their trade bodies and institutions, are aware of, and fulfil, their duties.

The first step is understanding the new building safety regime. While there is still a lot of legislation to come and we are waiting for decisions on key issues such as staircases and sprinklers, the Building Safety Regulator is committed to the major changes being introduced from 1 October, including a new building control process, gateways two and three, and the requirement for all new high-rise residential buildings to be registered before they can be occupied.

No organisation should be sitting back and waiting to be told what to do. The industry has taken the lead where it can. On issues that are not within the industry’s control, where the regulator or the government need to be specific on the requirements if we are to consistently get it right, we will continue to call for regulatory clarity.

To ensure businesses across the sector are aware of their responsibilities, Build UK is sharing its guide to the Building Safety Regime, with elements to be featured in Building. This is part of our support for the Building the Future Commission where it focusses on building safety. 

“This really does need a combined effort from ‘team construction’, with honesty, accountability and true partnership at its heart.”

Initially made available to Build UK members only, the guide has been endorsed by the CLC and welcomed by Dame Judith Hackitt and is regularly updated. It provides an overview of the new bodies that will oversee the regime, the new systems that we will all become familiar with, and reforms to existing legislation which may extend liability.

With more regulations coming into effect from October, as set out in Build UK’s Building Safety Timeline, we believe that helping the whole supply chain to see the bigger picture will make it easier for everyone to understand where they fit in and what their responsibilities are.

There will be no hiding place within the new regime, so it is crucial that clients, designers, contractors, specialist contractors, manufacturers and suppliers, supported by their trade bodies and institutions, are aware of, and fulfil, their duties.

No one company or organisation can do this alone. We talk a lot about collaboration and this really does need a combined effort from ‘team construction’, with honesty, accountability and true partnership at its heart. It is time for us all to move away from the ‘blame game’ towards a culture where we take pride in delivering buildings that – to quote Dame Judith – are safe, and feel safe, to occupy.

Suzannah Nichol, chief executive, Build UK