Thread by @SteveMcfirerisk

Quick scan of #buildingsafetybill announcement

Stand by my earlier statement to @itvlondon on #Hackitt review

“It’s a bastardised wish list which may prove cost prohibative to implement”

Will be interesting to see the detail on Monday but THREAD with headline comments.

https://twitter.com/team_greenhalgh/status/1284437418343571456

Many in the sector have known about the fire safety & building standards issues & have raised formally via professional bodies, academic & practice based outputs + petitions to @GOVUK or regional

Fig 1 major fire loss incidents

So why’s it taken @govuk decades to respond!

Immediate steps were too little too late despite warnings of #Garnockcourt #lakanal + many other fires around the globe.

Reviews occurred in @ScotGovBldgStds of primary legislation in 2003

Concept of fire and building safety life cycle isn’t a new one see paper circa 2007/8

@govuk has been slow to act!

Many are frustrated by closed shop #hackitt review working groups + pilot studies inlcuding those in local government responsible for housing.

Limited consultantion during charterhouse rules workgroups or more recent workshop lacks transparency

Is @govuk by default admitting past legislation & guidance failed to ensure resident safety?

Why limit to residential high rise & not broader applications eg hospitals, offices etc

Why introduce “accountable person” when fire safety order establishes “responsible person”

Why weren’t residents enabled to have access to safety information via Construction Design & Management Regs Health and safety flies + Reg 38 fire safety info or lease agreements & home buyers packs? Another gap?

Are housing providers ready, willing or able to release such

A national regulator for building safety, again is @govuk conceeding fundamental failures in public policy, legislative powers & enforcement by building control, fire service, HSE + environmental health?

Why within HSE & not a new agency (see Scottish building standards agency)

Note HSE is one of the few enforcement agencies geared up for cost recovery against safety failings - cynical might cry back door privatisation.

What limit to highrise when sector rife with hazards & issues.

Regulator has already trialed a residents group so may be selective!

What costs will leaseholders pay

What costs will owners & operators need to pay

Or the tax payer?

Who will foot the costs & at what cost - @govuk make it clear new safety costs will be landing but not how they will ensure affordable.

New powers to legislate cost recovery?

Accelarating work with lenders & insurers when @govuk failed to heed warnings of independent experts following the 2014 #australian #lacrosse fire shocks & stressors until EWS1 bites!

Key point
Is @govuk scraping legacy “deemed to statisfy standards + concepts of managed risks”

The #newbuildnightmares are well documents but what is it taking until now to protect consumers, give rights to complain or set up the new homes ombudsman whin won’t come online until 2021

No mention of failed building warranty schemes or challenges holding developers to account

Again is @govuk by default conceeding until now it failed property sector consumers, building standard control was insufficient or defective & consumer rights were not protected.

No mention how recent or legacy cases will be treated or time frame for any of the new regime

Appears @govuk is conceeding it failed residents and what of its accountability for “any mistakes”

With fire order 2005 + CDM regs 1994/2007/2015 why have so many opportunities been missed hold those duty holders or responsible persons to account?

How will this be enforced?

We’ve not seen set up of new refulator, #hackitt early adopters output etc

cynical might think the bill is opportunity for @govuk to sweep mistakes of the past to one side & start again with another social policy experiment (risk based self assessment appears to have failed)

What from will these new and improved regulator and safety standard take + what of legacy issues?

What higher risk buildings? the wider range or just high rise over 18m

Improving compentancy = fears a cottage industry & expense with little or not return but increasing liability

New sets of rules + more stringent rules at that

Not Regs; guidance, or standards but rules?

What type of rules prescriptive, functional, performance, or risk based or some new language (nauanced even)

Bless appears @govuk is catching up to building life cycle & golden thread

see mine circa 2007/08 - it’s not rocket science but @GOVUK been slow on the uptake or understanding of their own existing regulatory frameworks!

Another excuse to dissguard the old & bring in the new?

Just to elaborate a review was complete in the 1970 to alight entry to the European Union

It lead to building, fire + health and safety being Asplit into three distinct streams

Building Act
Fire Precaurions Act
Health & safety Act
+
Housing Act is still poorly integrated

Hence much tinkering but fire safety was reviewed under the fire safety order 2005 + further established governments concept of fire risk based self assessment & enforcement vs fire certificates by cider service.

However poor overlaps with building, safety & environ health.

Under new rules - housing providers will need to register with Building safety regulator + apply for an Building Assurance Certificate (full circle to fire precaution act fire safety certs)
+
Modern twist requiring accountable person to produce & maintain a risk based safety case

Note under the hackitt early adopters trials its cost between £30,000-50,000 per tower blocks safety case which lasts 5yrs + certification + admin + appointment of new building safety managers.

Hence extra costs to operators and consumers & a new profession not yet established!

We have potentially a new type of building inspector - responsible for signing off on safety,
+
who must follow new rules &register

Spector of back door privitisation?

+ will anyone be willing or capable to take on the role or be able to obtain PI insurance in current climes?

New powers to @govuk to regulate construction materials & products

Necessary yes but what of the mechanics as @BRE_group + @BBAguru are now privatised?

Again this will cost money to set up - public money + material & product manufactures money & slide down to the consumer!

Now we have sickly sweet @GOVUK PR spin crisis response

Many in the sector have complained over deficencies in existing regimes & evidence such for decades only to be ignored + Lakanal corner findings etc

Only now #gov determined to lead the way after 3yrs post #grenfell chaos

Bold statement @govuk has not stood still but a sector reeling from #grenfell & 2150 impacted highrise is flooded with consultations, calls for evidence, announcement & other outputs

But little in the wat of sufficient, timely & tangible guidance or funding!

@govuk cites ban combustible material “on” external walls but it took two attempts 2019 + 2020 + still allows backdoors to combustiables “within” the external walls via BS8414

Guidance isn’t clearer is more confused - EWS1 + lenders & insurers risk adversion reflects this

Why limit mandatory fire suppression to new buildings over 11m

When people die in fires just as easily in buildings of all heights!

Why limit to new builds & not implement incentives for retrofitting in existing buildings

Fire sectors only been lobbying for decades but ignored

@GOVUK didnt identify all buildings with unsafe ACM it took #grenfell + lost souls.

More highrise with ACM are being identified by 2019-2020 delta returns & only 1/3 LAs responsed according to sector sources

We had to fight to get non-acm teated & results are incomplete!

@GOVUK has avoided repeating class O or BS EN 13501 fire tests hence avoiding the potential root cause enshrined in app doc B - dig 40 which permitted such combustibles or ambiguous definitions or criteria

It took @govuk until summer 2019 to test non-acm and until December 2019 to ammend approved doc B

But we didn’t see non-acm reports or additional necessary ammendements to ADB until may 2020!

Note many residents are not hit with second wave costs as a result!

Notes to Ed indentified issues with HPL in July 2017 but toll extensive lobbying for @MHCLG to acknowledge + test

Tried to get EPS tested but again @MHCLG refused stating “we know it’s combustible”

#Barking #bolton #Worcester forced @GOVUK to concede but tests were limited

£1.6bil for cladding will not cover a 15-£30bil bill for costs to residents & housing providers

+ legacy issues or deemed to statify standards upgraded or that of new regimes

+ other fire safety issues & market response by lender & insurers & UK property sector may collapse

Then almost is a footnote is acknowledgement of @grenfellinquiry & existing legislation which precludes another parallel bill & backfilling regulatory voids precluding enforcement

When hundreds of thousands remain in unsafe buildings and many facing bankruptcy.

Verdict: without seeing the detail why has @mhclg need to introduce such a range of provions vs regional gov more conservative approaches

Is this back door privatisation or attepmts to wipe the slate clean

Who will foot the costs

How do we ensure safety until implemented