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Dame Judith Hackitt: building regulations ‘not fit for purpose’
Fire safety building regulations are “not fit for purpose”, Dame Judith Hackitt has said in an interim report on her independent review of the system.
Current guidance is “complex and unclear” and methods of assessing the competency of people involved in fire safety are “inadequate”, the report claims.
It does not provide specific recommendations but highlights the six areas to be focused on in the review’s final report, due to be published in spring 2018.
These include ways to strengthen enforcement powers against organisations that fail to follow regulations, and to improve residents’ ability to raise concerns about safety.
The report describes itself as “a call to action for an entire industry and those parts of government that oversee it” for a “universal shift in culture” on building regulations and fire safety.
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“As the review has progressed, it has become clear that the whole system of regulation, covering what is written down and the way in which it is enacted in practice, is not fit for purpose, leaving room for those who want to take shortcuts to do so,” Dame Judith said in her introduction to the report.
“I have been shocked by some of the practices I have heard about and I am convinced of the need for a new intelligent system of regulation and enforcement for high rises and complex buildings which will encourage everyone to do the right thing and will hold to account those who try to cut corners.”
She added that trying to change details of the system “would be akin to adding a paint job and decorations to a fundamentally non-roadworthy vehicle”.
And she urged owners of buildings with dangerous cladding “not to wait” for direction on replacements, but to use materials which have already been identified as safe.
The interim report stopped short of backing sprinklers, instead arguing that “it should be for building owners and landlords, with the right expert advice and the involvement of residents, to demonstrate that appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place”.
The Local Government Association (LGA) and Federation of Master Builders (FMB) both backed the report.
Gary Porter, chair of the LGA, said: “Today’s interim report reinforces our warnings about the complexity and confusion in the current system of ensuring buildings are safe, so tragically exposed by the Grenfell Tower fire.
“The government needs to endorse the report’s findings without delay and work with councils and the industry to take the process of reform forward in the way Dame Judith has set out.”
Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “We welcome the interim findings of the Hackitt Review, which make clear that there is much for the construction industry and its regulators to address post-Grenfell.
“In particular, we welcome the acknowledgement that although some safety-critical tradespeople, for example gas engineers, must be registered for different types of work, others do not have such requirements.”
Dame Judith will discuss her findings in a Communities and Local Government Committee meeting this afternoon.
What is the Hackitt Review?
Following the Grenfell Fire in June, which killed 71 people, questions were raised about the part that building regulations played in the tragedy.
On 28 July, Amber Rudd, the home secretary, and Sajid Javid, the communities secretary, commissioned Dame Judith Hackitt to conduct a review into building regulations and fire safety.
The review, which is being carried out independently of government, has a particular focus on regulations as they apply to high-rise residential buildings.
The review's interim findings were reported in December 2017.
Who is Dame Judith Hackitt?
Dame Judith is an engineer with extensive experience in the chemicals industry and former civil servant. She formerly chaired watchdog the Health and Safety Executive and is currently chair of manufacturing trade body EEF.
In 2006, she was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to health and safety and in 2016 was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
