Grenfell Tower fire
After the devastating Grenfell Tower disaster, the UK government is pushing for reforms in building and fire safety laws.
As the second anniversary of the fire approaches, new reforms which put residents’ safety first are being proposed. Dame Judith Hackitt was commissioned to carry out an independent review of building regulations and fire safety. Her findings revealed the current regulations for high-rise building safety were “not fit for purpose”.
Hackitt has proposed a number of recommendations to improve the regulations and regain public confidence.
Recommendations focus on five key areas
A fundamental reform has been proposed to building safety standards. This includes recommendations in five key areas. One of these areas is ensuring residents have a strong voice to make sure any concerns they have aren’t ignored. Duty holders will also have much clearer responsibilities in terms of the design, occupation and construction of buildings.
Other key recommendations include appointing a new building safety regulator and introducing tougher sanctions for non-compliance. Businesses based in high-rise buildings for example, will need to ensure they invest in reliable, fire-safety equipment. The Grenfell Tower fire was started by a faulty refrigerator, highlighting the need for equipment and appliances to also be regularly maintained.
Appointing a new building safety regulator
One of the major reforms to be introduced is to appoint a new building safety regulator. They will be in charge of the management and design of buildings. The government has suggested keeping a periodic review and regulating construction products to be kept separate from the regulator’s duties. They also suggest carrying out a review every five years.
Strict sanctions to be introduced
Another job of the new building safety regulator will be to enforce tougher sanctions for non-compliance. They’ll do this via a three-step process.
Firstly, they’ll reinforce operating standards and provide professional guidance to duty holders. They’ll also partake in proactive monitoring and intervention if their guidance doesn’t help. This could include issuing a notice. Finally, if these two steps don’t work, enforcement action will take place. This could be in the form of fines, revoking building safety certification or legal prosecution.
The proposed reform to the building and fire safety laws is a positive step forward after the Grenfell tragedy. There have been more than 400 high-rise buildings identified as high-risk since the disaster two years ago. The government has pledged £600m to help bring these buildings up to safer standards. Currently, the government is considering the feedback provided from its consultation regarding the new regulations before it publishes its findings after summer.
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