BWF responds to Independent Review of Building Regs and Fire Safety

We have responded to the independent review of the Building Regulations, led by Dame Judith Hackitt, which is examining the regulatory system around the design, construction and on-going management of buildings in relation to fire safety. As part of the review, Dame Judith has consulted the Buildings Regulations Advisory Committee – which advises the government on changes to building regulations– as well as the construction and housing industry, the fire sector, international experts, MPs and the public.

BWF has provided a detailed response. The key points made include:

1. Third Party Certification is adopted within the regulations to support product choice

2. Approved documents must be simplified and core principles/criteria established

3. The Construction Design and Management and the Fire Safety Order are aligned to ensure responsibility for fire safety is clear throughout the construction process

4. The process for compliance with Regulation 38 is urgently reviewed

5. Competence for installation and assessment is better defined and linked to approved training, in the case of installation this could be linked to CSCS card system.

6. Greater clarity over the various roles of Building Control, the Fire Brigade and Health and Safety Executive are essential

7. A legal register of Responsible Persons is essential to support transparency of reporting and communication of responsibility

8 .FD20 doorsets constructed as per Building Control Alliance Note are not recognised by the industry

9. Works on Passive Fire Elements on site should be controlled in a process similar to the Hot Works Permit

10. CE Marking of products like Fire Doorsets could lead to confusion as it does not demand standard as high as third party certification and for some companies will create substantial retesting costs

You can read the full response here. BWF has also contributed to the Passive Fire Protection Forum response and Construction Products Association response.