Ahead of UKREiiF 2025, Tetra Tech’s Director and Head of Safety Management Mark Weeks discusses how the Building Safety Act has affected clients, future implications for organisations, and opportunities for success.
The Building Safety Act of 2022 introduced strict regulations for developers and building owners, increasing accountability to improve the safety of high-rise buildings. At last year’s UKREiiF, the Tetra Tech pavilion held a panel on ‘Navigating the Building Safety Act – Developing High-Risk Residential Building’.
This year, Director and Head of Safety Management Mark Weeks will be attending UKREiiF and be available to discuss with delegates how the implementation of this law and increased need for improved professional competence has affected clients, the industry as a whole, and the opportunities it presents for future success.
How has The Building Safety Act impacted your clients since its introduction?
A lack of awareness of the day-to-day activities of the key duty holders under the Building Safety Act has highlighted a need for additional support. Most clients only know that they need to appoint the new duty holders but are unaware of what / how workstreams will affect project delivery. Due to a lack of clarity and awareness, some clients are simply assuming it’s like the old ways and trying to retro-apply the new roles.
We’ve dealt with a lot of projects since the Act came into force, and our experience shows that where appointments are delayed most clients do not realise that they are by default the Principal Designer (Building Regulations) until a competent party is appointed. Until such a competent party is appointed most clients will not be able to correctly discharge the Principal Designer (Building Regulations) duties, and therefore, could unknowingly be in breach of aspects of the Building Safety Act.
There’s a lack of awareness when it comes to understanding the two different types of Principal Designer duties – these are completely separate duties, but both are required under specific requirements that are not always known to clients. This can sow the seeds of confusion and ultimately cost the client a great deal of risk, reputational damage, money and time in the long run.
What kind of benefits have been felt from it so far?
The introduction of the Building Safety Act has led to several key benefits, including enhanced safety standards and accountability across the construction sector. It has improved regulatory oversight; ensuring that safety considerations are prioritised throughout a building’s lifecycle.
The Building Safety Act has also fostered greater transparency and communication among stakeholders, reducing risks through effective collaboration and increasing trust amongst duty holders. This is indicating safer living and working environments, but we are still some years away from seeing the full impact.
The Building Safety Act encourages a culture of continuous improvement and compliance, ultimately leading to more technically sustainable and resilient practice spreading through not just design, but construction and end use as well.
What are clients still struggling with when it comes to adhering to the Act?
Clients are still grappling with the complexity and scope of compliance under the Building Safety Act. Key challenges include understanding and implementing the detailed regulatory requirements, managing increased documentation and reporting obligations, and ensuring that all stakeholders are adequately trained and informed.
Additionally, there is often difficulty in coordinating various disciplines to maintain consistent safety standards throughout a project’s lifecycle. These challenges can lead to increased cost and time commitments, which some clients find difficult to manage without clear guidance and resources.
One of the common issues Tetra Tech sees is that clients do not realise that design projects should not commence design work unless the Principal Designer (Building Regulations) has been formally appointed and is onboard and working with the design team. In addition, most clients are appointing the duty holder very late in design process, not realising that they need to be present right at the start of the design process to steer compliance in the right direction. If the appointment is made late in the design stage, then there is not enough time in programs to discharge the duties in accordance with the Building Safety Act and its secondary legislation.
A general lack of awareness of the day-to-day activities of the duty holders is the crux of this problem and the solution is simple – clients need to appoint competent and experienced professionals as early as possible in the design process to alleviate the issue and provide additional support.
Which focus points of the Act for 2025 are you looking forward to talking about with UKREiiF delegates?
During UKREiiF, I am looking forward to discussing several key points of the Building Safety Act with delegates – including the importance of the new regulatory framework for building safety, emphasising the roles and responsibilities of duty holders and the importance of engaging with them early. For example, why should the Building Safety Act stop at fire, structural and life safety?
I am also looking forward to highlighting the significance of the “golden thread” of information – whilst this is legally only applicable to high rise buildings it has greater benefits for all type of buildings as it is there to maintain clear and comprehensive documentation throughout a building’s lifecycle. As Tetra Tech is helping to unlock these “golden thread” challenges for clients through digital innovations that offer agile project information reviews that assess compliance, this is a topic I’m especially eager to discuss with UKREiiF delegates.
Finally, it is important for all UKREiiF delegates to understand clearly that the significant additional legislation and requirements for Higher-Risk Buildings (either 18m or 7 storeys in height) is disproportionately distributed. There are approximately 490 buildings in England that are over 18m; whilst some 77,500 buildings are between 11m and 18m. That is 0.63% of all buildings above 11m that have far more stringent measures to control design, construction, and occupation than all the other Higher-Risk Buildings!
How else can people get in touch with you to discuss any questions or needs they have in building safety?
Come over to the Tetra Tech pavilion during UKREiiF and have a chat with me! Alternatively, please feel free to contact me after the event by emailing: [email protected]
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