Client understanding of building safety duties and responsibilities remains inconsistent, according to a survey of contractors carried out by industry group, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).
In the body’s third annual survey of the industry’s response to the Building Safety Act, 26% of respondents said clients were much more or slightly more willing to compromise on safety compliance when under pressure.
In addition, almost three-quarters of respondents (74%) said they had not seen any significant change in client behaviour since the Act came into force.
Safety awareness remains ‘inconsistent’
BESA said the results suggest “that awareness and understanding of responsibilities under the BSA remain inconsistent among some clients”, with one respondent saying: “Some clients still appear to be uneducated on the requirements of the Act, the additional duties and responsibilities they have.”
The report said there remained tension between commercial pressures and regulatory compliance, despite the act coming into force four years ago.
BESA’s survey did find that awareness of the Act and duties required among contractors was widespread, with nearly two-thirds of firms (64% of respondents) saying they were confident they could demonstrate their dutyholder requirements “very well”.
Difference between qualification and on site
One in three survey respondents said one of the biggest challenges was demonstrating competence in practice, stressing the real difference between holding a qualification and actually being able to do the work: 40% said competence issues were identified “frequently or occasionally”.
Historic compliance is a “ticking timebomb”, according to some respondents, with only 30% saying they felt confident they could provide evidence of competence and compliance in projects carried out more than 10 years ago.
BESA’s director of specialist knowledge, Rachel Davidson, said: “Four years after the Act came into force, more firms are building the knowledge and behaviours needed for a safer built environment. This represents real progress and we are now moving from raising awareness to helping firms meet the assurance challenge, ie demonstrating their competence and compliance in practice.
“However, there is a level of frustration about information overload, commercial pressures and clients who are ‘not on the same page’. And there are still firms that are not engaging with the process at any level, but their ranks are shrinking.”
More than 250 companies participated in the survey.
