Visible And Tangible Action Needed On Building Safety

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The Institute of Occupational Safety & Health has called for 'visible and tangible action' on improving building safety. 

In January, IOSH welcomed new commitments from the UK government to accelerate building safety improvements as the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick announced new measures to improve building safety in the UK.

The announcement included the immediate establishment of a Building Safety Regulator within the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

There was also a proposal to extend the existing combustible cladding ban and accelerate its removal from buildings across the country.

 “While it’s positive to hear the new government declare it won’t tolerate the slow pace of improvement to building safety in the UK, we now need to see visible and tangible action.”

– Richard Jones 

Head of Policy and Regulatory Engagement, IOSH

Reassuring

“Working with the HSE will be reassuring for many, given it’s a world-class regulator that secures near universal praise nationally," IOSH's Jones. "It has successful experience of co-regulation, as well as of operating permissioning and safety-case regimes and enforcing the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, so should be ideally placed for such a role.

"However, it will be vital that it’s properly resourced for taking on this substantial additional responsibility and workload for this new regime, which we understand will be fully chargeable.

 Combustible cladding ban

“In IOSH’s response to the combustible cladding ban consultation, we emphasised the need to remove it from all high-rises in both residential and non-residential buildings. We are pleased that the government is now reconsidering its position and have clarified its guidance for building-owners.

“We also look forward to further government action on sprinkler requirements and to the Fire Safety Bill and its clarification of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.”

Picture: IOSH has called for 'visible and tangible action' on improving building safety and more action on combustible cladding.

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
03rd February 2020

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