Government Publish Draft Building Safety Bill And Launch Fire Safety Consultation

The government is determined to continue to learn the lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire, and reform building and fire safety to ensure that such a tragedy can never happen again.

Government published the draft Building Safety Bill which “takes forward reforms to the (domestic) building and fire safety system.” They state the Bill will “improve building and fire safety, so that people will be, and will feel, safer in their homes.”

UKAS Accredited Third-Party Certification

The government has also launched an important consultation to strengthen the current Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 which covers fire safety in England and Wales. The government also notes the significance of improving compliance with the Fire Safety Order to ensure buildings continue to remain safe from the risk of fire.

BAFE will be thoroughly reviewing the consultation and responding with comments. Stephen Adams, Chief Executive – BAFE said: “Although some excellent review work has been performed since the tragic Grenfell Tower Fire, this consultation is long overdue. BAFE will continue to bang the drum of evidential competency via UKAS Accredited Third-Party Certification and the ongoing nature of re-assessment for the upkeep of competency across the whole built environment."

He adds, "This is a vital next step to improve fire safety for all buildings and I would hope that everyone with an interest in fire protection will review and comment on the consultation to make this something that can no longer be open to interpretation. Competence must be measurable and have a clear definition in legislation to make real compliance a genuinely achievable process for the Regulatory Bodies including the Fire and Rescue Services to enforce.”