Matt Mahony explains the work CIC is doing to prevent tragedies like Grenfell from happening again.
The construction industry seems to be moving closer to an improved vision of accountability and building safety.
February saw the government’s decision that the Grenfell Tower will be taken down due to structural concerns.
But resolution in many other areas remains far away. Any charges from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry are unlikely to be announced until late 2026 and cladding remediation work is likely to run into the next decade.
The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is still finding its feet and the government’s response to the inquiry’s recommendations could yet cause significant upheaval to the way our buildings and institutions are managed.
These possibilities should not obscure the hard work that parts of the industry have been carrying out since the fire in June 2017.
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has been at the forefront of initiatives to enhance building safety within the sector, undertaking a series of actions aimed at preventing such failures in the future and supporting the industry in embracing the new changes to legislation and competence.
In June 2017. CIC immediately established an After-Grenfell Panel, chaired by Turlogh O’Brien CBE, which was dedicated to addressing the immediate concerns and evaluating the systemic issues within building safety protocols.
Building on this, in September 2020, CIC introduced a Building Safety Committee, led by former CIC chair Professor John Nolan CBE. This committee, chaired now by David McCullogh, comprises leading industry experts from our member organisations, who convene regularly to assess and provide guidance on safety issues.
Restoring public confidence
CIC was invited by the government, along with the Construction Products Association and BuildUK, to form the Industry Response Group (IRG), which coordinated the industry’s response to implementing recommendations from the Independent Expert Advisory Panel and the government, supporting the industry in meeting new challenges.
Following the publication of the Hackitt report, the IRG formed the Competence Steering Group, which CIC’s chief executive, Graham Watts OBE, chaired for five years. This group produced several valuable reports and focused on raising the bar on competence across all sectors involved in building safety, ensuring that professionals are adequately trained and equipped.
CIC has also been engaged with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in the development of an independent BSR. Consultations with key officials have been pivotal in shaping the regulator’s role.
CIC’s work is all tied together by its membership – the organisations at the sharp end of the building safety agenda, such as CIOB, RICS, IStructE and RIBA. CIOB, for example, is well represented as part of the Building Safety Committee and at all stages there is cross-member consultation with its director of policy, external affairs and research, Eddie Tuttle.
Through these initiatives, CIC has made a substantial impact on the industry’s approach to safety and continues to champion the systemic changes needed to safeguard against future tragedies and restore the public image of our industry.
Matt Mahony is the policy and public affairs manager at CIC.
