A coalition of construction industry organisations has launched a campaign to encourage clients to speed up adoption of building safety standards.
New guidance produced by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) and supported by eight other bodies has been published with the backing of the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee.
BESA’s Client's Guide to the Building Safety Act is a response to growing concerns that many clients are still basing procurement decisions primarily on cost and speed of delivery and avoiding their legislative responsibilities to improve safety and sustainability.
BESA research, published late last year, highlighted that many clients were either unaware or choosing to ignore their legal responsibilities under the Act, which has been in force since 2022.
The new guidance sets out clients’ legal duties and emphasises their leadership role in the industry transformation needed to keep all building occupants safe and protect their long-term health and wellbeing. It reiterates the message that the new building safety regime applies to ALL buildings, not just higher risk (HRB) or high-rise residential developments.
The guide also boils down the complexity of the legislation into simplified guidance using plain English and avoiding the overload of information that can lead to important messages being misunderstood or ignored.
Jon Vanstone, chair of the Industry Competence Committee (ICC), which advises the Building Safety Regulator, said: “The Building Safety Act places clear legal duties on clients. They set the tone for projects through their procurement decisions, appointments and allocation of resources.
“If those duties are taken seriously and supported by competent appointments and informed oversight, the quality and safety of outcomes will improve. If they are not, no amount of downstream control can fully compensate.”
“Guidance that helps clients understand both their statutory responsibilities and the practical implications of those responsibilities is therefore welcome, particularly where it aligns with the Regulator’s Principles for Informed Clients and supports consistent cross-industry understanding.”
BESA’s director of specialist knowledge, Rachel Davidson, added: “This is a practical guide designed to help clients navigate the building safety process. It is intended to educate not intimidate by explaining what good looks like so clients can make better, safer procurement decisions that also make sense for their businesses.
“By following the information in the guide, they can reduce project risks and avoid costly mistakes which lead to expensive delays and re-designs.”
