Building safety duties overwhelm SMEs as BESA calls for clearer enforcement

BESA survey flags pressures from building safety regime

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has reported that many small construction firms feel overwhelmed by the Building Safety Act, based on new research presented at London Build Expo in London on 26 November 2025.

The association said its second annual survey of the sector showed that, although 88% of industry professionals are aware of the legislation, most small and micro-businesses view it as “overwhelming and daunting” and feel “left behind”.

BESA added that these businesses make up 99% of the construction sector and related professions, which it described as the “lifeblood” of the industry.

There was also evidence that many clients are still operating on a “business as usual” basis, with cost and speed often taking precedence over safety.

The survey findings were discussed during a panel session at the London Build Expo, which focused on enforcement, communication and training needs linked to the new regime.

Rachel Davidson, director of specialist knowledge at BESA, said: “This is critical because those companies are the lifeblood of the industry.

“There are also a lot of people who still think the legislation only applies to HRBs (higher risk buildings).”

Davidson said: “A lot of this comes back to leadership and culture.

“78% of companies tell us that this is important to them but fewer than half report having taken enough action.”

Calls for clearer enforcement and targeted building safety guidance

Davidson noted that building engineering contractors increasingly want consistent enforcement of the Building Safety Act.

She stated that many contractors believe some clients will continue to treat compliance as optional unless there are visible consequences for non-compliance.

BESA is expanding its guidance to show firms “what good looks like” within their particular part of the sector, Davidson explained.

The association is advising companies that they do not need to master every detail of the Act, but instead concentrate on the clauses that relate directly to their role and responsibilities.

Davidson said this approach is intended to help smaller firms identify where they have direct duties and where they need to coordinate with other dutyholders.

BESA has set up a Building Safety Hub to host this material, including a new guide aimed at Principal Contractors.

Communication challenges across a 2.6 million-strong workforce

Fellow panellist Hannah Carpenter, from the Building Safety Wiki, highlighted the scale of the communication task given that the sector employs around 2.6 million people.

She said that messages about the Building Regulations and building safety standards need to move beyond compliance alone and address behaviour and pride in work.

Hannah Carpenter, from the Building Safety Wiki, said: “We need to be innovative about how we communicate and appeal to personal values because that is going to be more effective than continually talking about regulation.

“But getting 2.6 million people to pull in the same direction is a huge challenge.

“We need to ask people why we are doing this [which is] to keep people safe and make sure the Grenfell tragedy cannot happen again.

“That means talking about ‘purpose’…people should want to make a difference.

“This can’t just be about ticking boxes.”

Carpenter argued that more use should be made of non-traditional communication channels, including partnerships with organisations such as HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

She said these bodies already have strong links to individuals and small construction businesses, which could help reach audiences that traditional industry channels do not.

The panel also heard that the industry’s average reading age is around 11, according to Hertfordshire Building Control Chief Executive Officer Gary Cass.

Cass said this creates additional barriers to spreading information about regulatory duties and good practice through text-heavy material.

Regulator progress and pressure on Building Control resources

Cass noted that there are signs of progress at the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) on planning approvals for higher risk buildings.

He said the new leadership team at the BSR has cut the average processing time at Gateway Two to 17 weeks, down from as high as 38 weeks earlier in 2025.

Cass added that the regulator has been “very honest” about its earlier backlogs and is now moving in what he described as a more positive direction.

However, he said the longer-term success of the new regime will depend on closer collaboration between industry and the regulator.

Gary Cass, Chief Executive Officer at Hertfordshire Building Control, said: “However, the industry needs more education about the Building Regulations.

“People need to be looking at compliance and focus on what is required in the regulations not guidance.

“Building Control Officers are regulators first and foremost but the industry used to rely on them to guide them through the process…and now it needs to be educated [about how the new process works].”

Cass said enforcement can be applied in a constructive way and does not always have to lead directly to legal action.

He also warned of a decline in the number of Building Control Officers (BCOs), which he said is creating a resource issue and reducing access to experienced inspectors.

How building safety pressures affect technical disciplines

The panel discussion concluded that more sector-specific training is needed so that different parts of the supply chain understand their duties under the Building Safety Act.

Speakers said that many of the firms that feel most overwhelmed are also those that deliver core technical services such as building engineering, installation and maintenance.

They added that these companies often sit at critical points in projects where design decisions, product choices and installation quality interact with regulatory requirements.

BESA said its Building Safety Hub is intended to give these businesses practical guidance, examples of good practice and role-based breakdowns of responsibilities.

Why building safety compliance burdens matter for practitioners

The survey findings and panel comments are directly relevant to building services engineers, fire engineering consultants and system installers who are working under the Building Safety Act.

These groups operate in a sector where small and micro-businesses account for 99% of organisations, and many report that the legislation feels “overwhelming and daunting”.

For building engineering contractors and Principal Contractors, the focus on clear enforcement, role-specific duties and practical examples of “what good looks like” may shape how they organise projects and allocate responsibilities.

Building Control Officers, and those who work with them, face pressure from reduced staff numbers and the need to move from an advisory role to one centred on regulation and education.

Facility managers and clients commissioning work will encounter an environment where cost and speed are more likely to be challenged by contractors who are conscious of compliance obligations and enforcement risks.