As the lessons of the Greenfell tragedy continue to be learnt, Jonathan O’Neill OBE, Managing Director of the Fire Protection Association (FPA), outlines how it is incumbent upon building owners, or anyone responsible for building safety or maintenance, to always check they are using a competent, independently-certified professional to carry out work.
The devastating circumstances surrounding the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017 brought the issue of competency to the fore, with the subsequent Hackitt review revealing major gaps in terms of the skills, experience and knowledge of those involved with the building’s construction.
The Grenfell fire was the result of years of fire safety neglect and had been preceded by similarly tragic events, not only in multi-storey residential buildings such as Grenfell but in all other types of high-risk buildings. Following the tragedy, we have seen numerous ‘near misses’ where fires have broken out in premises such as hotels, care homes and hotels. This begs the question – has progress really been made when it comes to fire safety in the UK?
Competency post Grenfell
Following Dame Judith Hackitt’s review, industry bodies and those working within the construction sector were put under a huge amount of pressure to ensure workers had a good understanding of fire, including how sound construction and the use of appropriate materials and systems can impact building and life safety. While the review found that accountability was often passed down the supply chain, it identified the need for specific “dutyholders” within the industry and for their roles and responsibilities to be clearly defined.
As a result, the Competence Steering Group (CSG) – a cross industry body backed by the government, Industry Safety Steering Group (ISSG), Dame Judith Hackitt and representing over 150 organisations – released its report, ‘Setting the Bar: a new competence regime for building a safer future’, in October. The report aimed to provide those working on higher risk buildings with a blueprint for improving competency and driving change within the industry. It also outlines the competence requirements of the new Building Safety Manager role, which – under the draft Building Safety Bill – is to be appointed by the “accountable person” to look after the day-to-day management of fire safety. The Building Safety Manager is also responsible for establishing a clear point of contact for all fire safety related issues.
Whilst the publication of the final report from the CSG is most welcome, it should not be forgotten that, in August, a report on culture change in the construction sector by the ISSG found that competency is still a major challenge, with a “lack of widespread, proactive” leadership on building safety. The group were “surprised by the lack of emergence of a visible and effective leadership group to develop a unified view and commitment across all sections of the construction industry in relation to driving improved quality and safety”. It is hoped that the CSG report will be widely adopted and be able to quickly reverse that view.
The proposed competency framework set out in the Setting the Bar report is made up of the following key elements:
- a new competence committee sitting within the Building Safety Regulator;
- a national suite of competence standards – including new sector-specific frameworks developed by 12 working groups;
- arrangements for independent assessment and reassessment against the competence standards;
- a mechanism to ensure that those assessing and certifying people against the standards have appropriate levels of oversight.
What does competency mean?
While events such as Grenfell have shone a light on the levels of competency within the industry, there is currently still no consistent definition of what competency means, which makes holding people accountable much more difficult.
Both Dame Judith Hackitt and the subsequent Setting the Bar report have suggested that the idea of competence must be relevant to the individual workplace and situation, however this does not take away from the fact that individuals must have the sufficient training and experience or knowledge that allow them to act within best practice, should a fire occur.
At the FPA we believe that to be truly competent, an individual or product must be assessed by an accredited third party.
The competency pillars to live by
The actions of virtually everyone involved in the construction sector can impact on the vulnerability of a building to fire and that is why we believe it is vital that the entire sector ensures they are taking the appropriate action to minimise the risk of fire in the building. Below we outline the FPA’s six key competency pillars.
1.Specialist work being third party approved – this means being on a register which is independently verified via a UKAS accredited scheme.
2. Trustworthy – the responsibility of anyone involved in the fire safety of a building is high. They must be trusted to do the right thing by the organisation or building, the people within it and the law.
3. Self-aware – knowing the limits of a person’s own competency means knowing when to turn a job down because they don’t yet have the relevant experience or skillset.
4. Good knowledge and application – it’s very important that you ensure your knowledge has come from reputable sources, whether this is from training, online research or other competent persons in the trade. Always ensure your knowledge is from a valid source – you must then be able to apply this knowledge appropriately to the situation and the building.
5. Demonstrable experience – when undertaking work in high-risk environments such hospitals or other care settings, it is important that all involved can demonstrate experience in such areas.
6. Committed to, and actively engaged in, continued professional development (CPD) – the road to competency is a long one. Legislation, buildings, businesses and their use are changing constantly. Sourcing ways to stay up to date on current issues, trends and legal requirements is an essential part of competency.
It’s critical that those working within construction remember that they play a huge role in the future safety of a building. As such, construction teams should be taking the necessary steps to ensure they are working within fire safety best practice and seeking the appropriate, external support in order for them to do so.
For more information on third party accreditation and the resources available to those working within the construction industry please visit www.thefpa.co.uk/know-your-building.