BSA Highlights BBC’s Watchdog Report On The Vast Gap Between Building Regulations, Performance And Safety

Following a report by BBC’s Watchdog that highlights the hundreds of new build homes, which posed a fire risk, everybody is once again reminded of the dangerous gap between the expectation of safety, the reality of building regulations, and the performance of buildings.

Lack of communication 

People assume that the buildings are safe, but if a building is built to regulations, what does that mean? What do people hear? Is it that the building complies with the statutory minimums, so as to secure the health and safety of those, who are present in and around the building? In other words, people will escape the fire, but their property will be totally lost.

Or, do people hear that their property is protected by fire, so both they and their possessions will be safe, and protected from fire? Or, do people think that they are safe from fire, but there may be a little damage to their property.

Need for clarity on building regulations compliance

The issue is, therefore, a case of clarity and an understanding of what the terms mean

The issue is, therefore, a case of clarity and an understanding of what the terms mean. It’s not unusual to hear after a fire that the building complied with building regulations. The fire may well have been devastating, in terms of property damage, but it was a success in terms of regulation and no more could have been done.

One only has to look at the devastating fire on New Year’s Eve at the Shurgard self-storage facility, located in Croydon, United Kingdom, as an example of the ambiguity and misunderstanding of building regulations.

Shurgard self-storage facility fire incident

The Shurgard self-storage facility was built to safety regulations, but that did not stop the fire from destroying 1,198 rented units and the impact it had on the hundreds of people, whose possessions were lost in the blaze. It was another painful reminder that fire does not discriminate, whether it is a self-storage warehouse, a university, a car park or an office, fires happen on a regular basis.

The issue raised by BBC Watchdog needs to be addressed, but at the same time, everybody needs to work, in order to help people clearly understand that it is the minimum required. Building regulations will not protect their property from being lost, in the event of a fire.

Building regulations for new build homes

In the case of a new build home, building regulations compliance means meeting the minimum required. Fire spread in building voids and the time for a fire to break out of a room will be limited and the occupants will have time to escape.

Regulation and guidance is about minimums, but all too often the minimum is not clearly defined or communicated

Regulation and guidance is about minimums, but all too often the minimum is not clearly defined or communicated. The protection of property is often misunderstood.

A recent YouGov survey found that 69% of the businesses polled thought that following the Building Regulations’ Approved Document B (ADB) guidance meant that their business premises and contents would be adequately protected from fire events. It doesn’t, but it should.

Reviewing Building Regulations Approved Document B

The decision to review Building Regulations Approved Document B (ADB) is welcomed by the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) and many construction organizations, across the industry.

Property protection should be a consideration of the ADB guidance, in order to make buildings of the future more resilient to fire. In order to be resilient to fire, property and home owners cannot rely on the minimum.