Highlights to 1 November 2026 (12-week rolling period)

Overall decisions Over the last 12 weeks, the Building Safety Regulator made 403 Building Control decisions across all higher-risk building categories, achieving an overall national approval rate of 92% (with a total of 370 cases approved). These equate to 19,409 residential units.

New high-risk buildings and conversions The approval rate stood at 95% (40 approvals out of 42 decisions) with a median approval time of 20 weeks for 9,453 units. In London, approvals stood at 97% with a 20-week median approval time for non-complex cases (6,733 units in total).

Existing building remediation Existing building remediation approvals stood at 93% (113 approvals), significantly exceeding historical performance levels and equating to 9,956 units. In London, approvals reached 98% (4,881 units).

National Health Service applications Approvals for National Health Service healthcare applications reached 86% nationally with 18 approvals from 21 decisions and a median determination time of 20 weeks.

Increased applications and Building Safety Levy contingency The Building Safety Regulator activated contingency plans to manage a pre-Building Sfety Levy surge of 93 applications submitted ahead of the Building Safety Levy coming into force on 1 October 2026.

Investigation and enforcement The Building Safety Regulator intends to publish future transparency data on investigation and enforcement activity, thereby providing greater visibility of its risk-based regulatory interventions.

New-build, conversion and complex projects

The Building Safety Regulator continues to drive improvements regarding the assessment of applications for new high-rise residential buildings and major conversions.

Over the latest rolling period, the Building Safety Regulator made 42 decisions on new-build projects, approving 95% of applications (40 approvals in all) with a median approval time of 20 weeks.

These approved schemes represent 9,453 new residential units. In November 2025, overall remediation decision times stood at 44 weeks with an approval rate of 32%. In short, “substantial progress” has been made.

Data shows an increasing number of new-build projects progressing through Gateway 2, with 24,689 homes under construction and a further 24, 833 approved, but yet to start on-site.

Most new-build activity continues to take place in London, which accounted for 30 of 42 national decisions made.

The Building Safety Regulator approved 29 of these 30 projects in London. This represents an approval rate of 97% in the capital, unlocking a total of 6,733 residential units. The median determination time in the capital was 20 weeks for non-complex cases.

Nationally, the Building Safety Regulator is managing 183 live new-build and conversion applications (39,843 units).

Managing the Building Safety Levy application surge

In the period leading up to the introduction of the Building Safety Levy on 1 October 2026, the Building Safety Regulator experienced a surge in higher-risk building applications. Submissions rose to 64 in September, compared to 34 in August and 17 in July. This was followed by a post-Building Safety Levy drop to six in October.

The Building Safety Regulator anticipated this surge and deployed a structured five-step handling plan of enhanced validation, triage categorisation, demand management, senior management assurance and detailed assessment.

Earlier messaging also highlighted to the sector that the Building Safety Regulator will reject clearly sub-standard submissions that fail to meet statutory requirements if they cannot be brought up to standard.

Existing building remediation

Targeted operational measures under the Building Safety Regulator’s External Remediation Improvement Plan, introduced in April 2026, continue to drive significant performance gains. The Building Safety Regulator determined 122 remediation applications over the rolling period, approving 113 projects (93% approval rate) representing 9,956 residential units.

In London, regional remediation approvals reached 98% (55 approved from 56 decisions), in turn unlocking 4,881 units.

The Building Safety Regulator has made substantial inroads into clearing legacy applications. The volume of remediation cases dating from 2024 has fallen from 42 at the start of 2026 to just five (including four in one development). All are targeted for full clearance by the end of November this year.

While resolving these older and more complex cases maintains the overall rolling median determination time at 32 weeks nationally and 39 weeks in London, newer applications submitted in 2026 are progressing more quickly in 22 to 26 weeks with a 90% approval rate.

Nationally, the Building Safety Regulator is managing 292 active remediation cases, representing 23,479 residential units (with 171 in London, representing 13,180 units). As regulatory performance has improved, application quality and applicant engagement have become increasingly important factors in securing timely approvals.

Data shows that well-prepared applications progress around 50% faster than poorer-quality ones. Delayed responses to requests for information can also have a significant impact on determination times.

National Health Service healthcare applications

Building Control applications for National Health Service healthcare facilities (encompassing hospital maintenance, wing expansions and structural upgrades) are tracked as a distinct regulatory category to support critical public infrastructure.

The Building Safety Regulator made 21 determinations on National Health Service applications, approving 18 (86%), with a median determination time of 20 weeks. London saw six projects approved from seven determinations.

Refurbishments and early Gateway 3 indicators
Category A and B internal refurbishments accounted for 218 decisions over the 12-week period. This represents 54% of all Gateway 2 decisions nationally and 63% in London.

The Building Safety Regulator achieved a 91% national approval rate (199 approvals from 218 decisions) with a median determination time of 30 weeks.

In London, approvals reached 92% (151 approvals from 164 decisions) with a 32-week median determination time for refurbishments. Plans are also underway to increase resourcing and drive improvements for internal refurbishments in the coming months.

New applications were received at an average rate of 39 per week (470 total). The Building Safety Regulator is currently overseeing 1,116 active internal refurbishment cases nationally (751 in London).

At Gateway 3, no new-build projects passing Gateway 2 have reached final assessment. Active Gateway 3 cases stand at 138 for internal works, 16 for National Health Service works and ten for external remediation.

Growing regulatory momentum and maturity

Charlie Pugsley KFSM, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, explained: “Our latest data reflects continued momentum and growing maturity across the regulatory regime. Overall Gateway 2 approvals have reached 92%, unlocking 19,409 residential units, with remediation approvals climbing to 93% nationally and 98% in London.”

Pugsley continued: “While we continue to streamline determination times for high-quality applications, safe homes require high-quality applications and robust, but proportionate regulation. Through our expanding site inspection programme and multi-disciplinary workforce, we’re focused on ensuring adherence to approved designs during construction.”

Further, Pugsley commented: “Coupled with our structured handling of the recent pre-Building Safety Levy surge, the Building Safety Regulator is determined to maintain rigorous scrutiny at every stage.”

In conclusion, Pugsley noted: “Our core objective remains unchanged: driving accountability across the sector to guarantee that residents are safe, and feel safe, in their homes.”

While the FIA has continued to develop and improve the value it offers to the fire industry, the organisation’s mission remains the same: upholding the highest standards of fire safety through sharing knowledge, empowering those in fire safety roles with technical guidance, delivering first-class training and supporting members and non-members alike from across the industry, both nationally and internationally.

Fire safety-focused challenges continue to change. All the while, the FIA remains at the centre of the industry, leading the sector forwards and driving growth on a continual basis.  

Indeed, the FIA continue to drive greater success and performance in all areas of the industry, growing its own membership cohort to 1,300-plus companies, expanding the available training portfolio and competence routes and extending the organisation’s event calendar.

Throughout 2026, the FIA recorded over 8,000 training bookings, duly reflecting continued demand for professional development across the fire safety industry. With the introduction of new courses – including hose reel maintenance, fire risk assessment and fire blanket-focused training, the FIA has not only increased training participation, but also expanded the range of subjects and disciplines available to learners.

As British and international standards continue to evolve, the FIA remains committed to developing and updating its training portfolio, ensuring fire safety professionals have access to the latest knowledge, skills and qualifications needed to demonstrate competence and maintain industry standards.

Technical guidance

In truth, the FIA’s influence extends far beyond training. The organisation provides a wealth of technical guidance, expertise and support through its extensive network of Councils, Working Groups and Special Interest Groups.

During 2025-2026, the Trade Association welcomed the establishment of its newest council, namely the Technology Council, alongside the launch of its first four Working Groups. The collective efforts of these Working Groups continue to drive progress in relation to industry standards, research, regulation and emerging technologies, delivering practical benefits for fire safety professionals in their everyday work.

Throughout 2026, the FIA strengthened its working relationships with key UK organisations, including the National Security Inspectorate, BAFE, the National Fire Chiefs Council and Government bodies, while in parallel continuing to build valuable partnerships with members and member benefit providers.

The FIA’s influence has also continued to grow internationally. Building on established relationships in countries such as Australia, Singapore, Cyprus and Gibraltar, the FIA has extended its reach into new markets, including Mexico and exploratory work concerning Brazil, South Africa and Morocco. This further reinforces the FIA’s position as an influential voice when talk turns towards global fire safety.

These expanding relationships and opportunities have contributed to an increasingly busy and successful events calendar. With more than ten events held across the UK and internationally in 2026, the FIA has strengthened its industry presence, raised its profile and created valuable opportunities to share knowledge, promote competence and support the development of fire safety standards beyond home shores.

Wider community

Importantly, the FIA has also continued to give back to the wider community, organising a charity padel tournament in support of the Children’s Burns Trust, duly raising over £2,000 for a cause close to the hearts of so many.

Reflecting on 2026, it has been a year of significant progress, collaboration and achievement for the FIA. A process of laying strong foundations for the future.

As the organisation looks ahead to 2027, the FIA is excited by the opportunities and projects on the horizon. The focus remains firmly on driving industry excellence, raising professional standards and delivering lasting value for Trade Association members, the wider fire safety sector and society at large.

*Read the Fire Industry Association’s Annual Report 2026 online

Reading that fire safety failings on construction sites have fallen by one-third in 12 months might make you think the industry is finally taking control of fire safety. Look a bit closer at the figures, though, and it isn’t that simple.

What those figures show is that sites are now better at those elements inspectors check. That on its own isn’t evidence that sites are safer.

The figures were obtained from the HSE by training provider CE Safety. Inspectors recorded 361 fire safety failings on construction sites in 2024-2025, which is down from 536 the year before. Enforcement Notices nearly halved, from 92 to 50. Non-fatal injuries caused by fire or explosion barely changed, at 14 as opposed to 15 the year before.

These figures only count failings found during inspections so they do depend on how many sites the HSE visits in a given year and precisely what inspectors are looking for when on-site.

There has been some improvement. Home Office figures state that Fire and Rescue Services attended 318 primary fires on construction sites in England across 2023-2024, which is down from 375 two years earlier. However, in every one of those years, deliberate fires were the largest single cause, accounting for more than one-third of the total in 2023-2024.

This tells us that more needs to be done to tackle the root cause of many construction site fires, not just the few elements inspectors check. That process begins with better construction site security.

Keep the fire risk assessment live

Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the principal contractor plans and manages fire risk on-site on a daily basis. The problem with many plans is that they’re written at mobilisation and never touched again, even as the site changes around them.

The risks during groundworks are nothing like the risks posed once the frame is up or once fit-out contractors have filled floors with packaging. A fire risk assessment should be a live document, updated at every build phase and whenever escape routes, storage areas or ‘hot work’ locations change.

Much of the fire risk assessment process focuses on sources of ignition. That isn’t wrong, but the amount of fuel on-site decides how fast and how far a fire spreads. It’s best to clear waste and packaging daily and keep skips away from the building and the hoarding. Skips are a prime target for anyone looking to start a fire deliberately.

Store gas cylinders and flammable liquids in secure and ventilated areas away from the main structure. Further, bring materials to site as they’re needed rather than stockpiling them. This matters most on any project where there’s an exposed timber frame.

Controlling the time

The Fire Protection Association’s Joint Code of Practice on fire prevention for construction sites, which is now in its Tenth Edition, calls for a continuous fire watch for at least one hour after ‘hot works’ have finished. That should be followed by checks at least every 20 minutes for a further hour (and longer where the risk assessment calls for it).

The fire watch must carry on through tea and lunch breaks, while the Code of Practice expects thermal imaging cameras to be used routinely in order to find hidden ‘hotspots’. It’s a Code of Practice rather than the law, but many insurers make compliance a condition of cover so it’s opportune to check what the policy states.

Problems usually come down to the end of the day. ‘Hot work’ overruns, crews want to leave and the individual doing the work ends up acting as their own fire watch. If people cannot or will not stay for the full period, either start ‘hot work’ earlier or replan it. The other option is a professional fire watch service that will serve to cover everything.

With deliberate fires the largest single cause of unwanted blazes on construction sites, out-of-hours security is a key part of fire safety. Start with a fully secured perimeter. Lock away anything that could start or otherwise feed a fire and clear waste from site before everyone leaves. Don’t leave it until the next morning.

Temporary fire alarms linked to remote monitoring give an early warning when no-one is on-site. A fire watch or security patrol can also keep watch and raise the alarm if a fire starts.

Pay particular attention to longer shutdowns, such as during the Christmas period or even on a normal weekend. These periods need extra planning given that the site may be empty for days at a time.

Training for reality

Anyone who has worked on a construction site knows the fire safety induction is usually a quick run-through that lasts a few minutes at best (if it happens at all). People know where the assembly point is located. They don’t always know how to raise the alarm from the floor on which they’re working, where the nearest fire extinguisher is or how to use it.

These are easy things to fix. A trained fire marshal on each shift is the simplest way. Short toolbox talks whenever an escape route or exit changes also help people to keep on top of what to do if something happens.

Bear in mind that it’s not just about passing an inspection. Making sure all of these outlined elements are right is what keeps individuals safe on a construction site.

John Melling MSyI is Group CEO at ProFM Group (www.profmgroup.com)

Building on last year’s objectives, the Policy Manifesto continues the FPA’s commitment to “protecting people, property and the UK environment, while enabling innovation in the construction and property sectors without compromising fire safety”.

Through the 15-page document, the FPA is calling on Government, regulators and industry stakeholders to work together on delivering meaningful change across the built environment.

Policy priorities

The Policy Manifesto sets out five policy priorities designed to strengthen fire and building safety across the UK, while in parallel supporting innovation in construction, property and sustainable technologies.

The 2026-2027 policies are as follows:

*mandate qualified and accredited fire risk assessment for medium-risk and high-risk buildings

*modernise competence requirements for safety-critical built environment roles

*strengthen construction products-focused regulation and cladding system testing

*mandate sprinkler protection in all new and refurbished schools

*improve fire safety standards for building-mounted solar installations

In calling for the introduction of mandatory qualifications and accreditation for those carrying out fire risk assessments in medium-risk and high-risk buildings, the FPA argues that fire risk assessments are a fundamental element of effective fire safety management and should only be undertaken by competent professionals operating under recognised certification schemes.

The Policy Manifesto states that Government should “move beyond voluntary uptake and mandate qualified and accredited providers for medium-risk and high-risk buildings, while requiring all assessors to adopt the latest standards immediately, regardless of building risk profile”.

Competence requirements

Alongside reform of fire risk assessor competency, the FPA is also calling for broader changes to competence requirements across safety-critical roles in the built environment. The organisation wants to see mandatory competence verification, registration and Continuing Professional Development requirements introduced for professionals including fire engineers, structural engineers, construction managers and fire risk assessors.

According to the Policy Manifesto: “Safer buildings require a competent workforce at every stage of a building’s lifecycle: from design and construction through to occupation and management.” It adds that greater emphasis is needed on “independent verification, mandatory registration, enforcement against poor practice and creating a sustainable pipeline of skilled professionals capable of supporting future building safety demands”.

Construction products and cladding systems also feature prominently within the Policy Manifesto’s programme, with the FPA urging Government to accelerate construction product reform, clarify future regulatory requirements and strengthen testing standards for external wall systems.

The Policy Manifesto highlights the importance of ensuring that “products and systems perform as intended in real-world conditions” and proposes retaining non-combustible cladding requirements for buildings over 18 metres in height, while allowing innovation in medium-rise buildings through “rigorous full-scale testing of complete façade systems rather than relying solely on component-level assessments”.

Education infrastructure

Education infrastructure continues on from last year’s Policy Manifesto as a key area of focus. The FPA is renewing its long-standing call for automatic sprinkler system protection to be mandated in all new schools and major refurbishment projects in England, bringing requirements into line with those already in place in Scotland and Wales.

The Policy Manifesto notes that: “Schools are critical assets whose loss extends far beyond the physical building, impacting childhood education, families and local communities.” The FPA argues that sprinklers provide “proven life safety and property protection benefits, reducing disruption to education, protecting public investment and improving community resilience”.

Reflecting the growing importance of renewable technologies, the final policy priority addresses fire safety standards for building-mounted solar systems. The FPA is calling for the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework covering the design, installation, inspection, maintenance and fire performance of roof-mounted and building-integrated solar systems.

The Policy Manifesto warns that poorly designed or installed solar systems can create “significant fire and property resilience risks” and states that Government should establish clear requirements to manage concerns around fire ignition, electrical faults, installation quality and the wider impact of rooftop fires as solar deployment continues to expand across the UK.

Through these five priorities, the FPA is seeking to drive further improvements in competence, regulation, resilience and innovation, thereby helping to ensure that fire safety remains central to the future of the built environment.

*Copies of the FPA’s 2026-2027 Policy Manifesto are available to view online

In 2024-2025 alone, there were 2,932 recorded fires in prison. Despite this, HMPPS announced in March that it would no longer be able to meet a long-standing commitment to ensure that all cells in England will have automatic fire detection systems installed by the end of 2027, blaming underinvestment by the previous Government, the collapse of a contractor and lack of prison capacity.

The Justice and Home Affairs Committee notes that this is “far from the first time” that automatic fire detection system-focused works have been delayed and timelines have slipped.

The House of Lords Committee argues that, considering the level of overcrowding in prisons, it’s “simply not credible” that HMPPS could not reasonably predict capacity constraints. “Either HMPPS knew and did not act,” observes the Committee, “or chose to bury its head in the sand until such time as disclosure was unavoidable.”

The Justice and Home Affairs Committee has now called on the Government to publish plans to introduce automatic fire detection systems and update Parliament on this matter “at least” on an annual basis so that both the plans and progress can be effectively scrutinised.

Preventative measures

The House of Lords Committee praises preventative measures taken by HMPPS such as the Safer Vape Pen Project, which introduces vape pens in prisons with built-in safety features to prevent fire setting, in turn leading to a significant reduction in the number of fires started.

Further, the Justice and Home Affairs Committee encourages the Government to improve preventative work in this area through sharing Best Practice and supporting implementation. “However,” warns the Committee, “until the root causes – such as overcrowding, poor mental health support and a lack of purposeful activity – are effectively addressed, HMPPS will find that it’s fighting a losing battle and fires will continue to be a problem.”

As Crown Premises, publicly run prisons benefit from Crown Immunity status, which means that they cannot be subject to criminal prosecution (with some significant exceptions). Fire safety is not one of those exceptions.

Alongside this, the regulator – ie the Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate (CPFSI) – is expected to inspect fire safety in all prisons as well as in other Crown Premises, but has just 11 members of staff on its books coupled with limited enforcement powers.

The Justice and Home Affairs Committee recommends strengthening the CPFSI’s powers, boosting its resources and reviewing the application of Crown Immunity to prisons regarding fire safety, which “poses a barrier” to fire safety improvement on the prison estate.

Lack of transparency

Lord Foster of Bath, chair of the Justice and Home Affairs Committee in the House of Lords, said: “HMPPS has demonstrated a lack of transparency regarding progress on fire safety in prisons. It’s deeply disappointing that it has required Freedom of Information requests and litigation from external partners such as the Howard League to secure information on progress to introduce automatic fire detection systems in particular and fire safety improvement works more generally. The argument from HMPPS that it would be ‘unwise’ to predict when works will be completed suggests either a lack of candour, a lack of competence or, indeed, both.”

Lord Foster continued: “The fire at HMP Highpoint [a Category C prison in Suffolk] at the tail end of April this year shows how effectively HMPPS staff and the Emergency Services can respond to a fire that’s potentially very serious. However, we are alarmed at the discrepancy between what senior leaders at HMPPS are telling us versus prison officers and governors regarding fire drills and training. We fear that, without a resolution to the prison staffing crisis and rigorous and dedicated fire safety training, the response at HMP Highpoint risks becoming the exception rather than the norm.”

In addition, Lord Foster commented: “We believe that stronger oversight is essential as in several cases senior HMPPS officials seemed complacent regarding fire safety in prison. They assured us that progress was being made on introducing fire safety equipment despite long and repeated delays to this process taking place. They were not aware of prevention practices being developed in prisons and appeared to have no plans in place for how to identify and disseminate good practice.”

Concerns over policy

Lord Foster explained: “Officials were also unaware of concerns raised by the regulator regarding their fire safety policies and appeared to misunderstand the powers held by the regulator. Problems cannot be promptly addressed and change delivered if there’s no drive among leaders to do so. The House of Lords Committee saw in HMPPS officials a recognition of the problem, but not the restless determination required to swiftly rectify the situation.”

In conclusion, Lord Foster affirmed: “We hope that the Government will take our recommendations seriously in order to save lives. We look forward to receiving a response.”

Neill founded Western Business Publishing in 1991. Initially, he launched Industrial Plant and Equipment and eventually grew the company to include Handling and Storage Solutions (now Logistics Matters), Health and Safety Matters, Cleaning Matters, Controls Drives and Automation, Fire Safety Matters and Security Matters.

He also oversaw the launch of numerous B2B exhibitions including The Health and Safety Event, The Fire Safety Event, The Security Event and more.

Neill sold the business to Nineteen Group in 2018, but was instrumental in helping us to buy back the publications in 2019. The company remains named after him.

He enjoyed a 35-plus year legacy in B2B publishing and events.

Neill was admired by clients, contractors and members of staff, many of whom still work for the business.

A man who was incredibly generous and always available to offer support. A proper ‘Old School’ publisher who will be greatly missed by us all.

Our love and sympathy go out to his wife Julie, his son Cameron and his wider family.

Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government figures highlight that 129 firefighters were injured in attacks in England in the year ending March 2025. That’s a 34% increase on the 96 incidents recorded in the previous year. In addition, 13 firefighters suffered serious injuries requiring a hospital stay.

The Government figures also reveal that there were 933 incidents involving attacks on firefighters in England in 2024-2025. Although this figure was slightly lower than for the previous year, attacks remain significantly higher (61%) than a decade ago, when 578 incidents were recorded.

The majority of incidents were categorised as verbal abuse, but attacks on firefighters can also involve physical violence, threatening behaviour and objects being thrown at crews while they’re responding to emergencies.

This serious issue extends beyond England. Figures from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service show that attacks on members of staff rose by 30% in 2025-2026 (from 59 to 77 incidents) and included 16 physical attacks and 20 attacks on property and equipment.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is highlighting the impact that violence and abuse can have on firefighters and the communities they serve as Fire and Rescue Services enter a period of increased demand associated with Bonfire Night and other seasonal events.

Treating firefighters with respect

NFCC chair Phil Garrigan said: “Firefighters put themselves on the line to protect others, as they demonstrated during the busiest wildfire season on record. They should never face violence or abuse from the people they are there to help.”

Garrigan continued: “Behind every uniform is a person. Firefighters are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbours and members of the communities they serve. They return home to their families after every shift just like anyone else.”

Further, Garrigan observed: “Every attack on a firefighter is unacceptable. As well as putting individual firefighters at risk of harm, it can affect their ability to respond effectively and protect the communities that rely on them.”

In conclusion, Garrigan explained: “As we enter a busy period, we’re asking everyone to treat firefighters with the respect they deserve so that they can continue to keep people safe.”

Misuse of fireworks

Alongside raising awareness of the dangers of attacks on firefighters, the NFCC has also supported measures aimed at reducing the misuse of fireworks.

In the organisation’s recent response to a Government consultation on fireworks and pyrotechnics, the NFCC backed tighter restrictions on the sale of certain higher-risk fireworks to members of the public, including rockets and other projectile fireworks.

These measures could help to reduce the number of attacks perpetrated on emergency workers, deliberate fire-setting and anti-social behaviour, while also allowing people to continue enjoying fireworks responsibly and through professionally organised displays.

*Further information is available online at www.nfcc.org.uk

Established under the Building Safety Act 2022, the Building Advisory Committee (BAC) puts residents’ safety and confidence at the heart of its advice. It provides independent advice and information to the Building Safety Regulator, helping to ensure robust evidence and critical thinking inform policy decisions that protect people and improve building safety standards.

The cross-sector insight that’s energised also aims to anticipate emerging risks, enable safe innovation and provide detailed technical support for a safer, more equitable and sustainable built environment.

The planned recruitment will broaden expertise and refresh membership as both the Building Safety Regulator and building safety itself evolve. It’s an opportunity to contribute independent advice, systems thinking and equitable and innovative protection methods to the work of the BAC. 

Vital source of information

Currently chaired by Dr Barbara Lane (who has nearly 30 years’ worth of experience in engineering and building safety and served as an expert witness during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry), the BAC is committed to strengthening its role as a vital source of information.

To expand and support work of the BAC, applications are being sought from a variety of different sectors including academia, design, construction, fire safety, housing, risk management and safety and regulatory spheres.

The BAC will provide evidence, advice and information from across the built environment, reflecting the whole building lifecycle and the broad range of disciplines and trades upon which effective safety and risk management relies.  

The BAC is now seeking dynamic individuals who can help shape its future work and contribute towards improving outcomes across the built environment through independent advice, insight and constructive challenge. 

About the roles

The Building Safety Regulator is currently looking to fill the following positions on the BAC:

Academic (built environment) Contributing expertise derived from leading education and research programmes relevant to the built environment sector and providing evidence-based insight into issues affecting the safety, sustainability and performance of the built environment

Building contractor (construction) Contributing expertise in the delivery of residential and commercial construction projects (including new-build, refurbishment and remediation works)

Building control (private) Contributing expertise from a registered building inspector operating within a Registered Building Control Approver

Building services engineer Contributing expertise in the design, performance and operation of building services that support safe, comfortable and sustainable indoor environments

Construction industry practitioner (supply chain) Contributing expertise in the construction industry supply chain (including collaborative supply chain leadership, sector growth and stakeholder engagement)

Fire safety specialist Contributing practitioner expertise in fire safety risks, resilience and engineering practice

Inclusive design (accessibility and inclusive design practitioner) Contributing expertise in accessibility and inclusive design across the built environment

Local authority housing provider Contributing expertise in the provision and management of local authority housing, including higher-risk buildings

Private sector higher-risk buildings representative Contributing expertise from the occupied private higher-risk building sector, including the commercial, investment and development considerations that shape the management of private residential assets

Public sector registered building inspector (Class 3H) Contributing expertise from a registered building inspector operating within a local authority Building Control function

Risk expert: organisational/large scale (risk management professional) Contributing expertise in the identification, assessment and management of organisational, systemic and large-scale safety risks across the built environment 

Structural safety specialist Contributing expertise in structural risk, resilience and engineering practice

BAC members will be appointed for three years and can expect a time commitment of 15 days per annum. These are voluntary roles, but incurred expenses will be reimbursed.

Next phase of development

Dr Barbara Lane said: “The building safety landscape is continuing to evolve, bringing new challenges, opportunities and expectations of the construction industry. Joining the BAC offers a unique opportunity to contribute to work that’s of national importance and help shape the future of building safety.”

Further, Dr Lane stated: “Successful candidates will engage with experts from a broad range of disciplines, demonstrating the rigorous approach that drives well-founded independent advice. This will ensure better regulatory outcomes and improvements in safety for everyone in the built environment.” 

In conclusion, Dr Lane noted: “The urgent need for both new homes and for work to remediate defective homes requires a radical commitment to creating practical safety measures.”

Charlie Pugsley, acting CEO of the Building Safety Regulator, observed: “The BAC is both practical and influential and offers a unique opportunity to use professional expertise for real-world challenges and help shape the future of the built environment.”

Pugsley continued: “Building on the appointment of Dr Lane as the independent chair of the BAC, we are now looking for new members who will bring fresh thinking, deep expertise and constructive challenge to the fore.” 

Pugsley concluded: “This will help to support the Building Safety Regulator’s strategic aim of enabling the building of safe new homes, raising standards in existing homes and helping to create a culture where safety and accountability, as well as transparency, are part of everyday practice in the built environment.”

Photograph: Surrey Fire and Rescue Service/Health and Safety Executive (Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0)

The four subcontractors were working under the control of C Watkins Plumbing Limited to install an air source heat pump on the roof of the Old Telephone Exchange development in Staines-upon-Thames when the incident occurred on 26 July 2024.

Sparks from welding work ignited uncovered rigid foam insulation that had been laid across the roof. The self-sustaining fire developed quickly, duly spreading across the whole of the roof space before burning itself out when it ran out of fuel.

The four men escaped through a single opening in the floor and down a ladder to Level 14. There was no other way to exit the roof, no means of raising the alarm and no fire extinguishers were present on-site.

Investigation process

An investigation process conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that C Watkins Plumbing Limited had failed to plan, manage and monitor the ‘hot works’ that had been conducted on the roof of the building.

Despite the company having policies in place requiring them, there was no risk assessment or method statement in place and a ‘Permit to Work’ had not been issued for the welding.

The HSE’s dedicated guidance (ie HSG168 – Fire Safety in Construction) states that fire safety measures must be considered throughout all stages of design and procurement and implemented effectively during construction. Risk assessments must identify high-risk activities where fires can spread quickly and situations where evacuation plans are complex.

Further, all risk assessments and control measures must be reviewed throughout the construction phase to make sure they remain suitable and sufficient.

Guilty plea

On 29 October at Staines Magistrates’ Court, C Watkins Plumbing Limited (of Watkins House, Leigh Road, Haine Industrial Park, Ramsgate, Kent) pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

HSE inspector Stephanie Hickford-Smith said: “C Watkins Plumbing Limited failed to follow its own procedures for ‘hot works’. The company did not assess the risks and so had no control measures in place.”

Hickford-Smith added: “The four men working on the roof were lucky to escape. Had the fire started closer to their escape route, or had they not acted as quickly as they did, then the outcome could have been devastatingly different.”

This prosecution was brought forward by HSE senior enforcement lawyers James Towey and Laura Lax in addition to paralegal officer Farhat Basir.

*Further information is available online at www.hse.gov.uk

Scientists from the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science will provide expertise in thermodynamic analysis and simulation, structural design, heat transference modelling and optimised fire safety materials and engineering within a riser shaft. Ambar Kelly, which is based in Welwyn Garden City, produces a range of fire safety products for risers in multi-story buildings.

The ‘chimney effect’ is when hot gases, fire and smoke rise rapidly through vertical shafts in a building, spreading upwards, downwards and horizontally. In high-rise buildings, lift shafts, stairwells, service risers, cladding cavities and ductwork can act like chimneys if they’re not properly sealed, maintained, compartmentalised and fire-stopped. Every multi-storey building contains at least one riser (ie a vertical shaft for essential building services).  

Fire safety engineers and expert witness for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry examined fire routes and the impact of construction material combustibility on smoke and flame spread, identifying combustible materials around columns as a key factor in rapid fire spread.

Proven expertise  

Dr Antonios Kanellopoulos, director of the Centre for Engineering Research at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “This new partnership will leverage the University of Hertfordshire’s proven expertise in structural engineering, construction materials science and thermofluids for commercial problem-solving. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach in order to deliver a product which will provide a step change in terms of managing fire hazards within riser shafts.  

Dr Kanellopoulos added: “Long-term knowledge integration and future collaborative innovation will be at the core of the partnership as this state-of-the-art project evolves.”

In practice, Dr Kanellopoulos and his team use facilities including a high-performance computing cluster for advanced thermodynamic simulations and materials characterisation equipment and can facilitate structural testing procedures at elevated temperatures.

Poorly understood

Alex Bardett, managing director of Ambar Kelly, explained: “Currently, fire safety in riser shafts is poorly understood. The Grenfell Tower tragedy has precipitated the removal of combustible cladding from residential buildings, but riser shafts remain overlooked, despite their role in vertical fire spread.”  

Bardett continued: “This project will significantly advance fire safety in high-rise buildings by addressing critical gaps in current regulations. Ambar Kelly will gain advanced expertise in fire behaviour within riser shafts, particularly so the ‘chimney effect’, in turn positively influencing building safety standards.”  

Further, Bardett observed: “Through this approach, we will seek to focus on advanced fire simulation, materials, testing and manufacturing capabilities. We want to provide the industry with the skills, knowledge and products it needs to ensure that the conditions experienced at Grenfell Tower and elsewhere are never replicated again.”

Knowledge Transfer Partnership

The partnership between the University of Hertfordshire and Ambar Kelly is known as a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). The former has already delivered more than 112 KTPs across diverse sectors (including electronics, digital health, agriculture, manufacturing and management science).  

Professor Tim Vorley OBE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire and lead executive for research and enterprise, commented: “This partnership demonstrates how university research can help to address real-world challenges with significant public benefit. By combining our expertise in engineering, materials science and advanced modelling with Ambar Kelly’s industry knowledge, we have an opportunity to tackle what is a critical, but often overlooked aspect of building safety.”

Vorley concluded: “The ultimate measure of success will be creating safer buildings and helping to prevent the kind of fire and smoke spread that has had such devastating consequences in the past. We’re proud to be working with an innovative Hertfordshire-based business on a project with the potential to deliver meaningful impact both locally and nationally.”

*Further information is available online at www.herts.ac.uk