Exploring New Regulations at the BIM Academy Building Safety Breakfast

Following on from the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire, these are the regulations that buildings are going to need to adhere to in order to keep people safe.

Bola Abisogun is unique in that he walked away from the whole building sector following Grenfell and worked to ensure that this disaster will never happen again. His body of work has been taken on as a core part of how the Hackitt report was influenced to ensure we don’t go back to the reckless way in which buildings have been designed, built, and managed, without any key person having responsibility for all of these buildings. 

Yesterday morning’s fantastic BIM Academy Building Safety Breakfast, organised by the wonderful Bola, discussed the legislation laid out within the new Building Safety Act.

It was an amazing opportunity to hear the insights and opinions of the leading figures in building safety, and to hear about the positive improvements and initiatives taking place to ensure safer conditions across the built environment.

From October 2023, all owners will be legally responsible for the prevention of fire spread and structural failure of their residential high-rises within England. Building safety cases will need to be created and delivered to the Building Safety Regulator between April and October this year. It will be a criminal offence for any unregistered high-rise to contain occupants from this point, and buildings will then have 12-months to implement all the relevant changes outlined in the Golden Thread report by Dame Judith Hackitt. We have a duty to ensure that tragedies like Grenfell are not repeated.

In London alone, there are 3000 buildings that must adhere to these regulations. As we continue to build up, the regulations must become stricter, and building owners must take responsibility for the safety of their occupants.

Information management is going to be a fundamental feature of deploying the Golden Thread throughout the UK’s buildings, ensuring they are ‘fit for occupancy’ and have the relevant evidence to prove as such.

It’s not just about existing buildings, either, but encompasses all future building projects, with both procurement and construction contracts needing to reflect the new regulations.

It is inspirational to hear the passion to implement change from so many working in the building sector. The built environment cannot be allowed to delay the focus on safety and security within buildings any longer. This is particularly true for high-rise buildings, who face unique challenges and risks and require equally unique smart solutions.

Yesterday’s breakfast session was a reminder on how much has been achieved, how fast change is happening, and how much is yet to come.