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BESA: Overheating now a building safety concern
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BESA: Overheating now a building safety concern
T
he Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) is calling for urgent action to address overheating in UK
buildings, as prolonged heatwaves pose growing health risks. The Met Offi ce reports this summer as the sunniest and driest on record, with temperatures above average for 79 consecutive days. Researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimate 263 excess deaths in London during the June heatwave, with around 65% attributed to climate change. “2022 might have seen more dramatic
temperature peaks, but this year seems to mark a move into much longer and more relentless periods of heat stress,” said BESA technical director Kevin Morrissey. “This is signifi cant because it suggests we are experiencing a new long-term weather pattern which calls for a more concerted eff ort to adapt our built environment.”
Solutions Research by Friends of the Earth and the
University of Manchester identifi ed nearly 5,000 neighbourhoods in England regularly aff ected by heat stress. These areas include over 1,000 hospitals, 10,000 nurseries, and a similar number of care homes.
FoE warns that heat-related deaths could
exceed 10,000 annually by 2050 and is urging the government to strengthen its climate adaptation plans. “There are multiple technical solutions available, including both passive and mechanical cooling systems,” said Morrissey. “However, to ensure these reach the most vulnerable in our society, cooling must now become a central part of the UK’s push to decarbonise the built environment, which continues to focus primarily on how we heat buildings.” He added that adapting the Boiler Upgrade
Scheme to support heat pumps capable of cooling as well as heating “would be a positive and easy fi rst step.”
Risk
BESA argues that overheating should be included in building safety regulations. It notes that fi re- resistant insulation, while essential, can increase overheating risk unless paired with adequate ventilation and cooling. “Overheating is the most overlooked building safety issue,” Morrissey said. “Improving insulation to reduce heat loss and protect occupants from fi re is extremely important, but in many cases, this is exacerbating growing health problems caused by poor indoor air quality and condensation by raising temperature and humidity and reducing air change rates.”
6 September 2025 •
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