CIBSE FM EVENT | BUILDING SAFETY ACT DAME JUDITHS URGENT APPEAL Dame Judith Hackitt and Sir Ken Knight told an audience at a recent CIBSE FM group event they must be ready to respond to upcoming consultations on the implementation of the Building Safety Act. Juliet Rennie reports D ame Judith Hackitt has urged construction professionals to act now on building safety rather than wait for legislation supporting the Building Safety Act to be published. At a CIBSE FM group event, Dame Judith, who chaired the review of safety following the Grenfell Tower fire, said it was important for the industry to share its expertise and knowledge by responding to the secondary legislation consultations, which are due in the coming months. The event took place at Sodexos London offices in September and was hosted by Sir Ken Knight, chair of the Independent Expert Advisory Panel at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities). He started by reiterating the Building Safety Act as the foundation for the urgent cultural change needed to ensure better building safety. Sir Ken emphasised that the scope of the Act and associated regulatory bodies extends to all buildings, not just those categorised as higher-risk. Importantly, he said, residents in higher-risk buildings will also have more say in how their buildings are kept safe, with the ability to relay safety concerns to the accountable person(s). Sir Ken introduced Dame Judith Hackitt. She began by recognising the ongoing industry work being done to drive change, which includes the development of new competency frameworks and guidance for the built environment industry. Dame Judith said the initial response to the Building Safety Act demonstrated a need to rebuild confidence in the investment sector. There is work to be done to change perceptions and regain trust, she said. Concerning the new Building Safety Regulator, which sits within the HSE, Dame Judith alluded to the differences in approach that can be expected as part of the new regime. A retroactive adherence to rules will not fly; instead, the requirement will be to demonstrate how safety requirements are met before anything can be progressed. Along with financial stakeholders, Dame Judith emphasised that the Building Safety Act is also about regaining public trust. Having strong regulations and regulators is important, but ultimately, its trust in those carrying out the work that will make the difference. Dame Judith urged the audience to engage with the ongoing government consultations around the secondary legislation. She highlighted the vital role of industry in sharing its expertise and knowledge, influencing how these changes are adopted, in practical terms. It will not be watered down, but Dame Judith said the industry can feed back on what they believe are the most realistic ways to enact these vital changes. With that in mind, Dame Judith also strongly encouraged those concerned to act now, rather than wait for the secondary legislation. The Act applies to both future and existing buildings. There are a lot of lessons that can be learnt from the way the Regulator reacts to new buildings, regarding applying the same reforms to existing building stock. Echoing Sir Kens earlier reference to requirements around resident engagement, Dame Judith praised those in local authority and the construction sector who have started work on developing robust consultation processes with residents. Addressing FMs specifically, Dame Judith highlighted that historically, the HSE has demonstrated a proportionate approach, and she believes this also applies to what is achievable within an existing building. However, the responsibility to understand Sir Ken Knight introduced Dame Judith Hackitt at the CIBSE FM group event 24 November 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Nov 22 pp24-25 FM group event / SCA Advertorial.indd 24 21/10/2022 15:46