Building Safety: The Time To Act Is Now

The construction industry is in the midst of rapid change. At the 2023 Construction Leader’s Summit, experts tackled the most pressing topics – including the challenge of improved building safety. Here’s what both specifiers and manufacturers need to know…

Dame Judith Hackitt was the person responsible for heading an independent review of Building Safety in 2018, which has since set significant changes in motion. At the summit, she presented a hard-hitting talk discussing the framework introduced by the Building Safety Act – which specifiers and manufacturers need to be understand as we move into a safer future in construction.

Opening with a recap on the need for better Building Safety and whilst the enquiries and debate following Grenfell are still ongoing, Dame Judith reminded everyone that change needs to happen rapidly – regardless of the eventual recommendations that will certainly follow when the enquiry is closed.

Innovations in safety are being brought into play despite hugely disruptive events such as COVID-19, Brexit, climate change, etc. The very concept of ‘building safety’ has changed – it now accommodates health risks, quality, resilience and longevity, and every element of a building has a part to play.

One important point was that building safety is a journey that is only just beginning. Practices and processes that have yet to feel the impact of new safety regulations will be forced to change in the near future. Dame Judith highlighted one example when discussing safety at a product level, showing us that manufacturers will have a vital role to play in championing change:

“We have much more work to do on product testing and assurance.”

So, what will this building safety journey look like for specifiers and manufacturers? What developments and considerations do you need to take on board to become a safer, more responsible company that supports change across the whole industry? Let’s take a closer look at some of the unmissable takeaways from this important presentation…

Specification helps ensure safety

Current safety standards make the importance of a ‘golden thread’ of information abundantly clear. This impacts specifiers and manufacturers alike – demanding that architects create robust, detail-rich specifications utilizing quality product information provided by manufacturers. Any subsequent changes, no matter how minimal, must be documented effectively to avoid future issues.

“The key is about maintaining good records throughout all stages of a project – design. Construction and in occupation. Changes, including substitutions, can still be made, but they must be properly considered’ they must not comprise the integrity of the building – so any changes to the specification must be recorded.”

Going forward, creating a reliable specification will be more crucial than ever – it will act as a living document that can be referenced at any time to ensure safety and meet any potential challenges from clients or regulators. If you need help producing specifications, click here to try NBS Source.

It’s not just about high-rise buildings

There’s a common misconception that the Building Safety Act refers solely to high-rise buildings. This is not true – the new framework accounts for the entire built environment. Whilst there is indeed a greater risk to account for in high-rise buildings, there are also more significant risks whenever increased chances of fatalities exist, such as in HMOs (houses in multiple occupation).

“It’s all about delivering quality buildings that are safe and fit to live in. Remembering, of course, in all of this, the important people in this process – the residents, with whom we all have a job to do in restoring confidence.”

Innovation must not come at the expense of safety

In her presentation, Dame Judith stressed the importance of tying safety into your product innovations:

“What we are out to do is to set up a regulator that is focused on making sure we get the right outcomes, NOT on telling you how to do it. That responsibility lies with all of you in industry. In part, that is so you can continue to innovate. But in innovating, you take with that the burden of risk and demonstration of proof that your innovations are safe and fit for purpose.”

Taking further steps to ensure safety isn’t just about pleasing the regulator either. Insurance companies and financers expect to see compliance with the Building Safety system, further incentivising you to prioritise safety.

The future Building Safety system and changes to design culture

The changes coming into effect will largely look at the ability to demonstrate safety and fitness for the purpose of buildings for use and occupation across the whole industry. Higher-risk buildings will be governed by a safety case regime, which makes people think about what can go wrong and how to manage the consequences. More importantly, it will force people to consider how to eliminate risks through good design.

All buildings will come under a gateway system at both the design and commissioning stages. The regulator has already implemented assessments of designs at the planning stage – initially rejecting over half of all UK designs submitted. Now, regulators are moving on to the detailed design process gateway and commissioning stage.

Each of these stages shows that the onus for ensuring safety falls on the designer and, in turn, on their supply chain. For manufacturers, you need to be able to respond differently and provide more data on products and materials.

Designers will not be able to ‘design as they go’ as it won’t meet regulator expectations, and instead there will be more focus on getting designs and material selection right from the early stages, meaning manufacturers need to ensure their product information is easily accessible and meets architect needs.

Dame Judith suggests that this tighter focus on planning and preparation will lead to greater standardisation of processes and a need for more digital evolution.

One such process that will be pivotal for manufacturers who want to comply will be the production of BIM objects, which allow for a complete digital model of products, which also contains all relevant data.

New versus existing builds

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to leave the race to the bottom behind and change industry practices for good.”

Existing and upcoming changes to Building Safety affect both new and existing buildings – though it is admittedly new builds where the biggest changes can be implemented. In new builds, the main focus is on changing the notion of value engineering to be about delivering quality, value, and resilience, not reducing costs. Building owners, occupiers, and financers will all expect to see proof of quality and competence, so manufacturers must again make sure they have accurate, compliant digital information to be utilised by architects.

Existing buildings are more complex due to the varied systems, material choices, design approaches and other factors already implemented in each building. The focus is on making proportionate improvements where the impact matters most.

You have to act now

Whilst there’s still some uncertainty around exactly how certain regulations will come into effect, the main thrust of change is already upon us.

Architects, engineers, contractors and manufacturers all form a key part of the chain. Dame Judith reminds everyone in the industry that:

These are just a few of the main points covered in Dame Judith’s presentation. We’d encourage every construction professional to watch the full presentation. If you’re wondering how you can best adapt to changes and comply with regulations, NBS can help you.