Draft Building Safety Bill points to more regulation, more certification, more inspections and greater accountability…
In May 2018 Dame Judith Hackitt published her independent review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, concluding that ‘there is a need for a radical rethink of the whole system and how it works’. In July 2020, the Government has published a Draft Building Safety Bill that is claimed to prioritise the urgent reform of the regulatory system for buildings.
The Bill aims to introduce a new era of accountability, making it clear where the responsibility for managing safety risks lies throughout the design, construction and occupation of buildings. There will be tougher sanctions for those that fail to meet their obligations.
Central to ensuring the regime is effective will be a powerful new Building Safety Regulator housed within the Health and Safety Executive. It will have responsibility for implementing and enforcing the more stringent regime for higher-risk buildings and will oversee the safety and performance of all buildings.
Exactly how much of the draft will become law remains to be seen, but it seems fairly clear that we can expect more regulation, more certification, more inspections, more accountability and higher penalties for non-compliance.
In its current form, the draft would see the creation of a list of ‘safety critical’ construction products that would have to comply with specific standards. This may include a review of testing and certification standards and a review of supporting documentation including the Declaration of Performance and risk assessments.
Furthermore, it is proposed that developers for certain projects would have to join a New Homes Ombudsman Scheme, display an up-to-date certificate and follow the scheme’s code of practice, with possible civil and criminal charges for non-compliance.
At Performance Doors, we take our responsibilities very seriously. Across our brands, we have what is probably the most comprehensive range of independent test certificates from BM TRADA and IFC available in the UK. What’s more we will ensure that if the regulations change, we take the necessary steps to ensure that our products are always compliant, giving our customers and end-users peace of mind that their Performance Doors will perform.
Whether you need doors or doorsets, high quality internal doors, fire doors, acoustic doors, hygiene doors, x-ray doors, security doors or bespoke hardwood doors, the knowledgeable team at Performance Doors would welcome your enquiry. Visit our website for more detail, or contact us on 01244 551360 or enquiries@performancedoors.co.uk
