News analysis with BESA
History is on our side H
urley told the annual BESA President’s Lunch that the Association would continue to press the new government to commit
to a national programme of commercial building retrofi ts adding that BESA members would be essential “to this now urgent work”. He pointed out that the UK has around 30 million
existing buildings many of which are “in dire need of an upgrade – and it is widely acknowledged that this will be a fundamental building block of net zero”. He told his audience at the Oxo Tower in London that the deployment of new technologies, like heat pumps, was exciting and progressive, “but there is so much we could still do to improve the performance of what is already built and installed.” However, he expressed serious concern that the “enormous task” of retrofi tting and refurbishing millions of buildings would be hampered by a serious skills shortage. “It will take a combination of innovation, more strategic use of digital technology, and better recruitment to address this.” The new President also lamented the fact that the number of women coming into the industry remained low and that many others were leaving early and before realising their full potential. “So, BESA is relentlessly pursuing ways to
improve training and attract new talent as well as accentuating the opportunity for people already working in our industry to learn new skills.” Hurley explained that the Association was
restructuring its training and skills service and revamping how it helps members provide evidence of their technical and professional competence and compliance with legislation, industry standards and best practice. “Attracting talent is not enough on its own. We
must provide rewarding career paths for our best people and encourage them to stay on the journey as we seek to create a better and more resilient built environment,” the new president said. On the topic of building safety, Hurley urged BESA members and the wider industry to prove their commitment to the Building Safety Act which he described as “groundbreaking legislation that goes far beyond safety into every aspect of our work”. Speaking just a week after the publication of the
fi nal report from the Grenfell Tower disaster public inquiry, he pointed out that it was highly critical of the construction industry and highlighted many
Adrian Hurley- BESA’s President
systemic failings. “It is a timely reminder of why the industry needs to put the wellbeing of people ahead of fi nancial gain,” he said, adding that Grenfell was “a defi ning moment in our industry’s history” and criticised those who had fostered a “lowest cost fi rst” culture.
Social assets
“Buildings are not just investment opportunities; they are social assets critical to keeping people safe, healthy and productive. Cutting cost should not be sought at the expense of good performance, but the good news is that the new ways of working required to make building occupants safer also have positive implications for quality. Better buildings are also safer buildings.”
He said that BESA’s Play it Safe interactive guide had been very well received because it helps to plug a gap in the industry’s awareness of its roles and responsibilities under the Act. Its main message was that the legislation applied to everyone working in the built environment. “This realisation is taking some time to dawn on some parts of the industry, but BESA will continue to bang that drum with the help of its Building Safety Act Advisory Group,” said Hurley. “The Grenfell report is a timely reminder to us
all about why what we do is important and has consequences if we make mistakes – or cut corners,” he added. “If you change something on site or in a design, have you thought about the wider implications of that change? It might make your life easier but what impact will it have on other parts of the project and the longer-term performance of the building?” He also reminded his audience that making the new
safety regime work depended on the industry. “This is on us. Civil servants and government are
Adrian Hurley C. Eng was elected as President of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) for 2024-25 at the Association’s AGM last month. He is managing director of the design, installation and maintenance contractor FP Hurley & Sons which was founded by his grandfather Frank 75 years ago
not contractors or building services engineers. They do not have the knowledge or skills to deliver the better buildings our society needs and deserves – but we do. So, let’s step up to that responsibility,” added Hurley. However, he warned the government that it would
have to properly resource and fund the building safety regime if it was to succeed and be capable of supporting its stated growth plans. “Without a well-funded planning and enforcement
system, vital projects including housing developments, mixed-use projects and hospitals, face delay, additional costs – and possible cancellation,” Hurley told the gathering of BESA members, guests and industry fi gures. “The government made construction growth one
of its fi rst priorities when taking offi ce in July, but this must not lead to another generation of rapidly built, poorly designed homes and commercial buildings.” Making people feel safe and protected in their homes and public spaces was crucial, Hurley added, but must not be done “at the expense of other aspects of building performance”. “Buildings need to be comfortable and have good indoor air quality. They need temperature control, and healthy levels of natural lighting and space. In other words, they should be designed to be ‘safe havens’ from all threats to health, safety and wellbeing including the growing impact of overheating as our climate warms up.” However, he said that the industry would have to
improve its collaboration to embed a better culture into its supply chains.
Collaboration
“We cannot meet our goals on our own. Collaboration across the whole sector is critical so the recent decision to refresh our working agreement with CIBSE is an important development.” He said that the two organisations had agreed to
provide deeper support for each other’s key events including conferences, seminars, and awards, while continuing their already successful collaboration on technical guidance. “We also have our ActuateUK network of like-minded bodies pushing ahead in key areas and BESA is playing an increasingly important role in BuildUK.” All these topics will be addressed at the BESA Annual Conference on 17 October at the Brewery in London.
6
October 2024
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