James Moore, Editor, IFSEC Global
Legislative change has arrived... but what's next?
After several years of waiting, industry now has two key pieces of legislation passed through Parliament. The Fire Safety Act 2021 is designed to clarify accountability for reducing the risk of fires, and while the Building Safety Act 2022 has a plethora of secondary legislation that has yet to be passed, its significance for the wider building industry and fire safety professionals is already being felt.
Whatever the details may be of follow-up legislation, it feels like this is progress.
Has it taken too long? Perhaps. Does it go far enough? Perhaps not. But as Dame Judith Hackitt noted at the Fire Safety Conference 2022 – there has been “enormous commitment” to implementing change, and it will “end up with better and safer buildings”.
Grenfell was no doubt a wake-up call to an industry that had not been seen as a priority from those in Westminster for far too long. Complacency was the result.
Will legislation fix all these problems? In short, probably not. It is one piece of the jigsaw – a crucial piece, nonetheless – but it will not completely solve the challenges the sector faces, now almost six years on from the tragic events of June 2017.
While many fire professionals had been warning about such a disaster for several years, what has come out of the subsequent Inquiry has been shocking for the public to hear. As commentators have regularly highlighted: “Everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong”, from fire risk assessments, to building design and approvals.
Systemic culture change will be the next piece – one that the fire industry is already working towards.
The Fire Sector Federation launched its whitepaper, Developing a National Strategy for Fire Safety, at the Fire Conference in October (2022). Within the paper, the industry calls for a wider discussion to take place to create such a national strategy, seeking government support to ensure that fire remains a priority and that “change goes beyond current legislative proposals”.
Competency and accountability are phrases that have been used throughout this process of change. From Dame Judith’s ‘golden thread of information’ that flows through the lifecycle of a building, to improving competency of the fire installation, technician and engineering sector, these have been constant themes when addressing the issues surrounding fire safety failings.
As Fire Sector Federation Chair, John Spencer, explained upon the launch of the Federation’s whitepaper:
“While we have seen significant new legislation introduced in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, it is incumbent upon everyone in the built environment to avoid further complacency and address problems we know continue to exist and may evolve in future. Industry is well placed to understand these problems, and just as importantly, some of their solutions.
“Engaging positively and supportively with government, we believe a National Fire Strategy is the most effective way to achieve the shared aim of a fire safe society. Our desire is to have a road map to deliver an effective and resilient fire safety agenda aligned within a secure and sustainable environment and that requires collective actions in both industry and government.”
The fire industry has a crucial role to play in the future of the built environment. As building design continues to evolve, so too will fire safety innovation and strategy need to develop alongside it. An industry working collaboratively with itself and others is best placed to do this.
For what they are worth, those are my thoughts, at least. I’ve witnessed much change since coming into the sector as an outsider in late 2019, despite the obstacles that have been thrown in the way and the challenges that remain.
When putting this eBook together, we wanted to reflect some of these key developments introduced in the past year. These include new fire safety regulations that came into force at the beginning of 2023, as well as the creation of a new British Standard focused on the digital management of fire safety information from the BSI – what may well be a key part in implementing golden thread principles.
But we also wanted to focus on the future. How will new technologies, such as e-vehicles that house lithium-ion batteries, impact on fire risk mitigation? And how can the sustainability and fire safety agendas work together in future, rather than against each other?
What I’ve been left in no doubt over the past few years, is that there are many professionals in the fire, safety, construction and adjacent sectors that are already embracing both regulatory and culture change. Commitment is strong and passion for life safety remains as powerful as ever.
Happy reading, and I hope to see many of you in-person at FIREX between 16-18 May at London’s ExCeL for what is set to be another fantastic exhibition, full of expertise, guidance and innovation!
A professional who epitomised this commitment and passion was one Jonathan O’Neill OBE. Jonathan sadly passed away in his role as Managing Director of the Fire Protection Association (FPA) in early March. He was one of the most influential figures in the industry, and his enormous contribution to the field was recognised with the award of an OBE in 2017.
Industry tributes were many, and to echo the FPA’s own comments, all our thoughts and condolences go to Jonathan’s family, friends and colleagues. He will be missed.
