“Duty holders have nowhere to hide on public safety” asserts Fire Aware

Fire Aware’s CEO Gavin Skelly has declared: “We need to act quickly. Cultural change is starting to happen, but not nearly fast enough. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, we need to know that we’re all subscribing to the same principles of Best Practice.”

In a statement issued for the fire safety and related sectors, Skelly said: “The consumer should ultimately be able to choose companies who are brave enough to corporately commit to responsible behaviours.”

Correct behaviours breed competence

Further, Skelly commented: “As an industry, we need to signal clearly to the market that we’re adopting all Best Practice methods to ensure safety for the public without them having to challenge companies on issues of competence. If the behaviours are correct within a given business, the competence will naturally follow.”

Skelly went on to state: “After all that has happened, and the change that has been introduced, it’s difficult to comprehend that we’re still seeing examples of companies cutting corners in the name of commercial gain.”

According to Skelly, providing the consumer with a choice to make about their service provider’s cultural and moral behaviours is “surely as important” as identifying their technical ability when people’s lives are at stake.

“This choice cannot be confined solely to those who construct,” observed Skelly. “It must encompass the entire supply chain with a simple unifying message that means the same wherever the consumer sees it. Technically, the public doesn’t know what competence looks like, but they know how safe they feel. When things go wrong, they will be the judge to help change happen.”

As an organisation, Fire Aware continues to demand the highest standards technically and morally in order to ensure that people – and the buildings they inhabit/visit – are safe at all times. “This industry is a vocation and should be treated as such,” concluded Skelly.

Regulatory reform

The introduction of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the creation of the Building Safety Regulator – along with other legislation – has added additional regulatory reform to the building safety industry.

For their part, Fire Aware’s members commit to a Code of Conduct with specific charters which take the safety process beyond legislation. Skelly has emphasised that the fire safety principles of the organisation are relevant to any sector which relies on Best Practice (including the retail industry, the hospitality domain, stadiums, healthcare and public infrastructure).

Dame Judith Hackitt has called for cultural change through moral and ethical behaviours with support from the Building Safety Regulator, itself created to promote competence and higher standards.

Fire Aware is a recognised membership body serving the built environment and related sectors with a common aim to work and trade responsibly to all Best Practice standards in the interests of the general public’s safety.