Post-Grenfell industry reform in focus

Where do we find competent building safety managers? What new evidence will have to be retained? What is the safety case format and scope? Will we be able to get PI cover? 

These are just a few of the many questions raised by those who joined GIRI's online forum at the end of last month to hear about the progress of the draft Building Safety Bill and the potential implications for the industry. The range of issues that the new legislation will raise for GIRI members and their colleagues is only just starting to be fully understood, and the latest of our free online sessions highlighted just how wide-ranging its ramifications are anticipated to be. 

Weightmans partner Paul Lowe and consultant Steve Green joined forum leader Nick Francis to discuss the background to the Bill and the reports and inquiry findings that have fed into it; the new duties that the legislation will place on companies and individuals; the enforcement landscape and legal implications, and to consider how GIRI's strategic aims and objectives support some of the industry changes that will be necessary. 

With the Bill still in draft form, it is not yet possible to fully assess what changes will be needed to meet its requirements, but the range and extent of questions raised by participants demonstrated that its forthcoming introduction is likely to herald fundamental changes in the way we work. 

A series of small group breakout discussions during the forum established that many industry professionals are seeking answers to questions ranging from the legal and practical implications for day to day operation, to the wider impact on insurance, for example, as well as the enforcement regime that could be introduced. 

Behavioural and attitudinal changes can be brought about through specialist training, such as the leadership, supervisory, and interface management modules developed by GIRI to support error elimination. Many of the outcomes these accredited courses deliver are relevant to the cultural improvements that the industry must implement. 

Watch the video of the event on our YouTube channel here; download the Mural board printout and slides here.

Background reading

• https://www.grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk/
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-building-safety-bill 
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-building-regulations-and-fire-safety-final-report 

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