Her Majesty’s most gracious speech to both Houses of Parliament – better known as the Queen’s Speech – outlines key policy priorities for the Government. As you would expect, Brexit was at the top of the list, but there were also a number of important takeaways for the building industry.

Among them was a commitment to rubber-stamp the recommendations set out in the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety led by Dame Judith Hackitt, and even to enforce stronger measures in some areas.

In ushering in a raft of changes designed to “overhaul the current building safety system”, the Queen’s Speech marked another important milestone in the industry’s difficult journey following the Grenfell tragedy in June 2017.

Within this new system, residents will be given a stronger voice when it comes to building safety, while the industry can expect a new regulatory environment “with local enforcement agencies and national regulators working together to ensure that the safety of all buildings is improved”.

Catalyst for change

The devastating loss of life and tragic circumstances surrounding the Grenfell disaster have made it a powerful catalyst for change, galvanising various stakeholder groups around the common goal of preventing such a dreadful event from happening again.

More recent high-profile events – thankfully without loss of life – have also provided poignant reminders of the critical importance of fire safety in multi-family residential buildings. These include the destruction of Richmond House in Worcester Park in September and, in August, the burning down of the Beechmere retirement complex in Crewe.

The language used in the Government’s proposals shows an unequivocal approach to building safety, talking of “strong oversight” by the new regulator and “taking a tougher approach” to ensuring those responsible are “held to account” if they are found to come up short. It claims to be addressing a culture within the current regime where, for some, perceived infrequent activity by regulators means non-compliance is not being sufficiently discouraged.

Meeting new standards

To provide the necessary encouragement where it might be lacking, the Government is proposing to introduce new criminal offences in relation to the safety of high-rise residential buildings, with focus on design and construction. Judgement from the new regulator, it says, will be “quick and effective”, and backed by financial penalties.

In addition, local authorities will be given more time to serve enforcement notices so that they can take action where problems are uncovered later, and private individuals will also be able to make a claim for damages where work has not met building regulations standards and they have suffered harm as a result.

Clearly, all such measures are to be applauded. With consensus on the need for change, these recommendations provide a framework for improvement and, for the industry, shine an important spotlight on working to accredited standards and addressing the various factors that can fully close the compliance loop.

Elements to address

For fire safety, this means paying close attention to updated guidance set out by Building Regulations. This includes any regional variances, any differences in specification for domestic or commercial buildings, or any additional demands based on building use. The Approved Documents, while complex, act as the industry’s reference point – although the Hackitt Report also contained the welcome proposal that they should be restructured and reordered in the interests of clarity.

Compliance also clearly has a human angle, making it vital that roles are carried out by those with relevant and up-to-date qualifications from professional and accreditation bodies, and good communication becomes even more important, both within the building supply chain and with external stakeholders, such as fire and rescue services and the Responsible Person.

Contributing to the bigger picture

Change across the industry must be reflected in change at an individual level. At Eden Facades, we know it is our responsibility to have a detailed knowledge of approved materials and to continually review our skillset and processes so that we are meeting – and potentially exceeding – the high standards demanded by our clients.

We are accredited to the Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme (CHAS), members of Constructionline, and registered as an approved contractor for high-quality materials suppliers, such as Sika, regularly assessing performance and undertaking training to ensure we maintain approved status.

We are currently in the process of securing FIRAS accreditation – a voluntary, third-party scheme for installation contractors of both passive and active fire-protection systems – to enhance our cavity fire-barrier installation offering. We are also aiming for certification to ISO 9001:2015, which sets out a number of stringent quality-management principles, as well as ISO 14001, which formalises our efforts to enhance environmental performance across the business.

Measures such as this may seem like a drop in the ocean, comparatively speaking, but allied to a new regime for fire safety regulation and replicated across the industry, they have the potential to have a powerful cumulative effect and contribute towards lasting improvement.