GIRI responds to the Building Safety Bill committee

7 Oct 21

GIRI's research on the benefits of eliminating error at the start of a building’s lifecycle indicate that error and waste have become culturally accepted parts of the construction industry. This is preserved by a lowest cost approach which means procurement is focused on cost over value and high quality – leading to compromises over the specification of materials and services which ultimately impact building safety.

We have recently brought this issue to the attention of the Public Bill Committee as part of its scrutiny of the Building Safety Bill. As it stands, the bill proposes a new framework of regulation, training, and oversight to improve safety standards.

GIRI’s view is that rules and regulations only go so far. As we move towards the implementation of a new regime, we must make sure the legislation also pursues cultural change in our industry. To make buildings safe, economical and deliverable, the new system has to tackle a fundamental fault in parts of our industry: that error is considered an unavoidable and even permissible feature of construction.

This landmark bill must be seen as an opportunity to reinforce the value of eliminating error and getting buildings right first time. That is the way to bring about genuine change and ensure all buildings are made safe.

Read and download GIRI's full submission here.

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