A Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) fellow is calling on built environment professionals to go beyond competence and “think about their moral duty from the outset of any project” when it comes to fire safety.
Gavin Skelly FCIOB is the CEO of Fire Aware, a membership body he founded in 2019 to tackle the underlying cultural issues in the industry that contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire.
Skelly told CM last year that “the race to the bottom is alive and well”, in reference to Dame Judith Hackitt’s damning verdict in her final report on the building regulations in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
“It will continue as long as people’s behaviour allows it to, because regulations alone don’t necessarily stop that,” he added.
Skelly is now urging the industry to go “above and beyond legislation, minimum standards and test regimes” to ensure professionals work responsibly and hold best practice standards for public safety.
“We understand the need for competence,” he said. “But when dealing with an industry that the public relies on to keep them safe, there has to be more. There has to be a commitment to safety. As with a number of other sectors and professions, the fire sector has a wide array of duty holders, but they all share one common requirement, which is to understand they are there primarily to keep the public safe.
‘Taking a stand’
Skelly added: “We are appealing to the fire safety industry and those with responsibility for making decisions to think about their moral duty from the outset of any project. We know from the feedback we receive from our members that the industry is keen to make this work. We believe in going above and beyond legislation and minimum standards and test regimes.”
Fire Aware members display the organisation’s badge or logo on their websites or signage to demonstrate that a building has been constructed and managed by businesses that are aware of their moral obligations to keep people safe.
If concerns are raised about a company displaying the Fire Aware badge, it can lose its membership.
Skelly added: “Any environment the public uses will hold a duty of care for their fire safety. Fire Aware looks to recognise and identify those who do this with the interests of their end users as a priority.
“Members of the Fire Aware community are taking a stand. They have told us they care and want to commit to best practice. Working together, members can contribute to the wider cause of safety in the interests of those people inhabiting the buildings and spaces we create.”
