Construction firms need a deeper understanding of new building regulations and guidance, a specialist industry group has warned.
Just days before the new standard of building design and fire safety is formally published, the Business Sprinkler Alliance (BSA) said there remained “widespread misunderstandings” on applying regulations.
The group, which represents a coalition of fire safety professionals, said firms were too focused on meeting new guidance on high-risk residential buildings to meet other Grenfell Inquiry recommendations.
BSA secretary Thomas Roche said in a statement issued yesterday (25 November) that there needs to be “a rethink of approaches to fire safety” by firms.
He added: “The construction industry has long operated on a principle of compliance, meeting the minimum required… without always fully understanding the intent behind the regulations.
“This confusion isn’t limited to residential buildings, we see it manifesting in industrial and commercial structures as well, and that causes problems. There are different risks in those buildings, but they still need to be addressed proportionately,” he said.
Roche’s intervention came just before updated guidance on BS 9991:2024 Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings, is published by the British Standards Institution on 27 November.
The standard has an expanded scope that covers sprinklers, lifts, classifications for load-bearing structures and single-stair buildings.
Contractors at all levels, including tier one firms, were also urged by the Fire Industry Association (FIA) to improve their understanding of the new fire safety guidance. The FIA described BS 9991:2024 as “a pivotal step forward in fire safety regulation”.
The FIA has launched a compliance portal covering all aspects of the standard, including detector selection and commissioning, to help firms ensure they have the correct documents and use the right specifications.
The association said: “The 2024 revision incorporates significant updates to address modern building complexities and advancements in fire safety research.”
A further warning came in a discussion paper published yesterday by technology provider KMS Software, that contractors do not yet fully understand how to apply the ‘Golden Thread’. Under new design, build and maintenance rules created by the Hackett review after the June 2017 Grenfell fire, projects must create a digital chain of information about the build that continues even after completion.
In the paper, Dr Bola Abisogun, fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and member of the Chartered Institute of Building, said: “The common and misplaced assumption is that the Golden Thread – now a key Gateway 3/GW3 deliverable – begins at the beginning of the construction phase.”
Abisogun warned this was incorrect. He said: “Many project owners – and their funders – are not aware that the Golden Thread actually begins during the initial stages of the project at Planning Gateway One.”
The paper added: “Historically, many firms have struggled with fragmented data management, relying heavily on spreadsheets and siloed information. This model is no longer sustainable, particularly as more teams work remotely and require access to real-time project information from various locations,” it said.
