Comment piece from NBS on government’s building safety measures

Richard Waterhouse, NBS, Response to Building a Safer Future Government Consultation

“For those who want to, the government will help the industry to build better and build safer. For those that will try to abuse the system, there will be a regulator with a keener eye and sharper teeth.”

This places the need for high-quality digital data right through the design, construction and operation phases. It gives statutory weight to the change that the industry must deliver. In an industry known for its inertia to change, this is the lever that will get the ball rolling.”

“As well as supporting a true digital future for construction, this response is also pragmatic, recognising that the seismic shift that this will bring to an industry known for inertia, cannot happen overnight. Starting with buildings of eighteen metres in height or six stories or more but then reviewing this to include a greater scope, will allow parts of the industry to adapt, without placing too great a pressure on the industry as a whole – something that would simply fail.”

“For the many people who were affected by Grenfell, and the many more stuck in mortgage misery because of the ‘unsafe cladding and doors’ on their properties, this is a major step forward. The only issue is that it has taken nearly three years and the next steps have to be taken quickly. As Judith Hackitt said at our conference, ‘why are you waiting?’”

“It’s clear that the Government is serious about delivering fundamental change in the regulatory processes around building design, construction and operation and will be delivering a new regulatory framework that supports improved processes but with regulatory teeth for those who wish to abuse it.”

“There’s not clear guidance on the timeframes. That said, the industry needs to change quickly and building owners and users need clarity now.”

“A new level of trust needs to be built between the construction industry and the people that use the outputs of our processes; processes that have demonstrably failed the wider community. This is the step change needed to build that trust.”

Golden Thread

“The response makes it clear that Hackitt’s Golden Thread of Information will be at the heart of the solution, although we still await the detail. Given the central nature of the Golden Thread, the definition of data structures, exchange requirements and accessibility will be fundamental to the success of the whole Building A Safer Future project. What is clear is that the information on the products and systems will be key, placing the building specification, linked to the building models, as a central pillar of successful design and documentation throughout the Golden Thread.”

“Building the whole process around the Golden Thread will provide the transparency and accountability that the industry needs to wean itself off the destructive processes of cut-throat pricing and dangerous cost-cutting. Changing this culture is a gargantuan task and I am delighted that the regulatory powers that will be provided will give the new regulatory body the power it needs to make this happen.”

“Not only will the Golden Thread link all of the Gateways and processes, but it will also inform much of the required reporting including the Safety Case and ongoing maintenance. This places high quality and connected data at the centre, something that those in the BIM community have recognised as essential for the past decade.”

Competency

“The review also focusses on the relative competency of the people across the industry. Whilst there is clear intent to push requirements on competency through the design and construction workflow, it delivers a pragmatic approach, starting with the duty holders and moving through professionals and tradespeople. It is interesting that amongst all of the industry professional groups, architects are singled out in the the document, with specific reference to working with the Architects Registration Board on competence.”

“The whole regulatory compliance and approvals process also gains some focus. The complexity of our building control processes has to improve. We have to make the essential information easily available and checkable. This is an area where I think the report could have gone further. In a future digital industry, our current building regulations (through the Approved Documents) become a barrier to the process. Whilst some elements are machine-readable, they cannot be automatically checked across the suite of requirements. This must be a future area of focus.”