Building Safety Conference Calls for Industry to Step Up and Commit

THE BUILDING SAFETY Regulator (BSR) held its second industry conference in Birmingham this week.

The conference on 21 May marks a major milestone for BSR as the new building safety regime was fully established in law last month.

Over 1,300 delegates of industry leaders, regulators and buildings’ resident representatives met to discuss industry accountability. One aim is to empower residents to ensure their voices are heard in building safety decisions which affect their homes.

BSR Conference

HSE Chair Sarah Newton and HSE Chief Inspector Philip White, opened the conference, highlighting BSR’s achievements and outlining its future priorities.

Sarah Newton said: “At HSE, we understand that building safety is not just about regulation and compliance; it is about people.

“The new building safety regime is designed to give residents a stronger voice and for industry to ensure that their homes are safe.

“Today gave those on the building safety frontlines the chance to share knowledge and collaborate on solutions to translate the new regulatory framework into actionable steps, ensuring the safety of both existing and future buildings.”

Calls for Industry to Step Up and Commit

Despite the many industry warnings that there will not be sufficient building control professionals registered by the extend 6 July deadline, Philip White was upbeat in his remarks.

Philip White said: “So much has happened in the last year, and at such pace – showing how much we can achieve together when we have a common goal.

“More than 12,000 buildings have been registered with the regulator and many of our conference delegates, along with others across the UK have already registered as building inspectors and demonstrated their competence.

“Building control professionals play a critical role in ensuring the safety and quality of our built environment – and above all, being regulated will raise industry standards and increase public trust.”

Also addressing the conference was Minister for Housing Lee Rowley.

Panel discussions hosted with the Construction Leadership Council, emphasising the importance of building safety for the industry.

The conference also extended beyond the UK, with Dan O’Brien, CEO of Cladding Safety Victoria in Australia attending as part of an information-gathering visit. His attendance highlighted the international work taking place in the field of building safety.

The conference sessions and materials will be available online in the coming weeks.

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