黑洞社区

Dame Judith Hackitt, the author of the post-Grenfell report on building regulations and fire safety, has slammed those in the construction industry who worry more about the cost of a new competency system than the building safety regime it could create.

Speaking to 黑洞社区 yesterday at an Industry Response Group conference in London convened to discuss recommendations of the Competency Steering Group鈥檚 (CSG) 149-page Raising the Bar report, Hackitt said she had heard a delegate ask whether 鈥渢he size of the regulatory burden was worth the benefit?鈥�.

An exasperated Hackitt added: 鈥淚 wondered 鈥榟ow can you ask such a thing?鈥� This is about this industry getting to where it should have been, not about whether the cost is worth the candle. This is about a big culture change that absolutely must happen.鈥�

Hackitt said progress across the sector had been 鈥渆ncouraging鈥� but the industry was still 鈥渘ot moving fast enough鈥�. There had been a 鈥渨idespread culture of indifference and ignorance鈥� in some parts of the construction sector and 鈥渘o real sense about what matters鈥�, while some contractors had wanted to 鈥渏ust finish the job and not care about the quality aspect鈥�.

And she expressed disappointment that the CITB had not engaged more with the CSG鈥檚 13 working groups. 鈥淪urely it makes sense for this to be an industry-wide process. The CITB should be a part of that.鈥�

Responding to Hackitt鈥檚 comments, Steve Radley, the CITB strategy and policy director, said his organisation was already working closely with the installers鈥� and site supervisors鈥� working groups while also starting development of a training standard for core fire safety for those working in high-rise residential buildings.

鈥淲e are happy to engage with a fuller range of working groups if this will help to ensure a consistent response to the Industry Safety Steering Group鈥檚 recommendations.

鈥淗owever, we need to agree with the ISSG the best way to do this as these working groups cover occupations beyond our remit and have different approaches to establishing competence.鈥�

Hackitt said the introduction of any new competency system ought to be phased, with high risk residential buildings (HRRB) taking priority.

鈥淭he biggest risk is the scope question, because the bigger the scope the more challenging it will be to implement this. That is not to say that over time I would not want to see good practice filter down to every single aspect of all buildings [but] this is a culture change that should start with the highest hazards and risks 鈥� HRRB.鈥�

While she said the system would eventually need to cover buildings like those recently affected by fires at Barking in east London and at Worcester Park in south-west London, she added: 鈥淚 think we have to recognise that this is a project to be managed and that you have to do it in a number of stages. Let鈥檚 get it right and let鈥檚 get it working on the most important and highest risks first and then extend it.鈥�

And she criticised what she called moves to 鈥渄ilute鈥� the role of building safety manager and turn it more into a safety co-ordinator role.

She added: 鈥淭he industry has to change and it has to deliver. Many people out there need to know that we are doing all we can to make their homes safer.鈥�

and the final document is expected to be published by the end of the year or early in 2020.