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SPECIAL FOCUS VENTILATION NEWS
Contractors’ Corner
Every building should be treated
as high risk, says BESA Many contractors are still ignoring safety regulations despite repeated warnings that measures introduced by the Building Safety Act are already in place and aff ect every project, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).
T
he Association is concerned that fi rms do not realise the Act has already altered
the regulations that apply to all construction work and not just higher risk/high rise residential buildings (HRBs) and, therefore, face potential prosecution. While the Act itself is primarily focused on HRBs, it has already changed many elements of the existing fi re safety and building regulations, including the supporting approved documents that apply to all projects. It is also introducing secondary legislation that aff ects all building work.
“Anyone sitting back and waiting to see what happens is going to be in a lot of trouble,” said Nick Mead, chair of BESA’s Building Safety Act Advisory Group (BSAAG). “The Regulator is looking for proof that you are complying with regulations now and that the people working on a project were competent to carry out the specifi c tasks assigned to them.” He said the industry should be
braced for a high-profi le prosecution under the Act because the Regulator would be keen to make a point. “The simplest thing is to treat
every building as high risk. The Act
has already signifi cantly changed the rules, and every occupant deserves to be safe,” said Mead. “Our industry has become very lax in its record keeping, particularly around change management. “If you cannot provide proof of why a decision was made or that the work was carried out by a competent person, the Regulator will not approve it.” The advisory group, which was set up to advise BESA members and other specialist contractors about the specifi c issues relating to the building services sector, warned that MEP fi rms faced particular scrutiny because of
the relative complexity of their work and the “eagerness of many specifi ers to spread risks around their supply chains”. The group also warned contractors
to be ready for a period of uncertainty as Building Control Offi cers (BCOs) prepare to become a registered profession in April. There are estimated to be more than 4,000 who must become certifi ed as competent to work as building inspectors under the new safety regime and they have until October to complete the required assessments and registration process.
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