Fire Aware: Driving Cultural Change for a Safer Future

By raising the standards of responsible behaviour among all those practitioners working in the supply chain, and in doing so helping to support technical knowledge wherever possible, we – in unison with our partners and members – can make a difference when it comes to delivering the cultural change in the construction industry demanded by Dame Judith Hackitt in 2018.

Dame Judith’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety found the existing Building Regulations and fire safety regime were “not fit for purpose” and driven by a culture of cutting corners to complete projects quickly and cheaply rather than focusing on the core aspects of quality and safety.

The Independent Review concluded that changes to the regulatory regime would help, but on their own would not be sufficient unless we can move the culture away from one of doing the minimum required for compliance to one of taking ownership and assuming responsibility for delivering a safe system throughout the lifecycle of any given building.

Cultural change

At the outset, it would be opportune to examine what we mean by the term ‘cultural change’. Culture is defined as ‘how we do things around here’. In other words, it’s how a group of people think, feel and behave. Indeed, the behaviour and actions of Fire Aware’s own members are the cornerstones of our philosophy.

Only by standing by these behaviours across everything we do can we truly recognise the moral responsibility and Duty of Care we hold as responsible individuals in the fire safety industry.

My own experiences tell a story. Some local and newly occupied flats playing host to many families and individuals – and on which construction began in late 2016 with completion post-Grenfell in 2018 – were suddenly (and once again) shrouded in scaffolding. My prediction, and one that turned out to be correct, was that the solid-state cavity barriers in the external walls had been left out.

This stopped me in my tracks. How much warning and loss of life does it take to make the point about proper fire safety systems implementation and, therefore, prevention? I decided there and then to follow Dame Judith Hackitt’s words. In short: ‘Don’t wait. Do something.’

On a personal level, I started to create what’s now Fire Aware: a growing body of members and like-minded individuals who want to make sure the process is absolutely right. The principles of Fire Aware apply to all sectors of relevance, and this includes those operating across industries beyond fire safety with an inherent responsibility to protect people and the buildings they inhabit. These sectors include – but are not limited to – healthcare (where, of course, vulnerable people are involved), hospitality and the leisure sector (ie hotels, restaurants and bars), as well as stadiums and retail where people congregate for different reasons.

Building Safety Regulator

On 27 January, the Building Safety Regulator left the Health and Safety Executive to become a standalone executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The Building Safety Regulator has also stepped in with its own call for cultural change: “Much more progress needs to be made if we are to change the mindset and behaviours of industry, in other words ‘industry culture’, and drive up the safety and standards of buildings to prevent future tragedies from occurring, while also restoring public trust.”

Legislation, mainly in the form of the Building Safety Act 2022 and its requirements, has added weight, but also some confusion as supply chains seek to understand and meet the demands within.

The Building Safety Act established three gateways at key stages in design and construction. Gateway 2 applies before building works start and applications must demonstrate to the Building Safety Regulator how the design proposals comply with Building Regulations requirements.

During 2025, the construction industry faced significant backlogs in the Gateway 2 system, which were stalling several hundred higher-risk building projects at a time. Since then, the new Innovation Unit has speeded up applications and started to clear the backlog.

The call by Fire Aware cuts across sectors and extends beyond construction and allied industries. We’ve asked for change and now we are seeing it in action, albeit that it’s demanding and challenging for many. Beyond that, we also offer a series of charters for the various groups of members and a Code of Conduct, which helps guide us all through the requirements being rightly demanded and expected of those working in the built environment domain.

Responsibility in the mix

The thread of cultural change resides with those meeting their Duty of Care. Fire safety is a vocation. It’s a way of thinking that comes with responsibility and a requirement to consider the safety of people.

This cultural way of working resides with all those practising in the fire safety supply chain including designers, developers, asset owners, managers and other key stakeholders.

We understand the need for competence, but when dealing with an industry upon which members of the public rely to keep them safe, there has to be more than that. There has to be a demonstrated commitment to safety. As is true of a number of other sectors and professions, the fire sector harbours a wide array of duty holders, but they all share one common requirement: primarily, they exist to keep the public safe.

We are appealing to the fire safety industry (and those with responsibility for making key decisions) to think about their moral duty from the outset of any project. Thanks to the feedback we receive from our members, we know that the industry is keen to make this work. We believe in going above and beyond legislation, minimum standards and test regimes.

We’re witnessing a growing interest in our organisation and what it stands for. Membership is developing quickly and those joining our ranks all want to adhere to Best Practice. We’re seeking to shift the culture of the built environment sector both morally and technically. We believe in setting standards. Members of the Fire Aware community are taking a stand.

For example, Julian Day (managing director of certified Fire Aware member 3B Fire Consultancy, which is part of the Plus Group of companies) expressed the view of many members when he said: “We want to do things the right way and for the right reasons. We’ve been an advocate of Fire Aware since its inception and continue to embrace its ethos.”

Day continued: “We provide a comprehensive range of consultancy services to help ensure the safety and compliance of buildings with fire safety regulations. Specialising in consultation services for fire protection and risk assessment within the sector, we sometimes simply spend time helping to guide clients or those who need assistance.”

He concluded: “Ultimately, we want to keep people safe and make sure that our clients are on the right side of the law at the same time. We’re proud to be associated with Fire Aware.”

Visible moral position

The visible moral position of member companies can also be performance tested, ensuring the services they provide are in line with their moral undertakings. Underperformance can be monitored by the Fire Aware organisation and agreed action taken in the event of consistent disregard for the safety of those who inhabit the buildings we create and manage.

All members must abide by and comply with the law and regulations that are relevant within their specialism in addition to the Fire Aware Code of Conduct.

Supporting the Code, Fire Aware’s series of charters apply to main contractors, property developers, building management, designers, local councils, specialist contractors and sub-contractors.

The Fire Aware Charter conditions don’t seek to override any legal obligations as imposed by those of sector-specific professions. The charters ask the member business to consider the safety of the end user and to go above and beyond minimum standards in order to promote an enthusiasm within the member business that identifies itself as one that cares.

Further, Fire Aware’s members provide training courses relating to fire safety and management relevant for designers, main contractors, domestic trades, material suppliers, building management, hotel and leisure operators, commercial and private landlords and local authorities.

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

We’re asking any organisation considering how to improve their moral and technical standards of operation in the built environment to reach out to us for more information and become involved on the road to cultural change.

Gavin Skelly is CEO of Fire Aware (www.fireaware.org)

*Created in 2019 to heighten awareness of fire safety responsibilities in the built environment, Fire Aware comprises membership groups encompassing local authorities, private developers, asset owners, designers, main contractors, sub-contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, landlords and building operators