Collaborative safety culture: Novus Property Solutions explains Building Safety Act duties
Iain Hoey
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David Barnes, Operations Manager – Compliance at Novus Property Solutions, explains how contractors maintain the golden thread of information on projects involving passive fire protection
Granted Royal Assent on 28 April 2022, the Building Safety Act overhauled existing regulations and created three new bodies to provide effective oversight including the Building Safety Regulator which oversees the safety and performance of all buildings.
By introducing a series of critical gateways covering the design, construction, and occupation phases, the Building Safety Act sets out clearly what role every link in the supply chain plays and where responsibility lies at each stage.
Gateway 1 is the design stage and focuses on obtaining planning permission, demonstrating proposed designs meet all necessary safety requirements and the specification must be fit for purpose.
Gateway 2 involves inspections during the construction phase to verify adherence to approved plans with evidence to show compliance.
The final stage is gateway 3 which ensures the building is fit for occupation.
The aim is to improve accountability, facilitate early risk identification and ensure ongoing compliance.
It’s also important to create a clear trail of information throughout a building’s lifecycle – something which is often referred to as the ‘golden thread of information’.
As a contractor we concentrate on gateways 2 and 3, although we can advise clients on the design and materials specification for gateway 1, the accountability here lies with them so it’s crucial they understand their responsibilities.
The idea is that at any point in the future all the information about works that have been done previously, including products used and their expected lifespan, even who signed it off would be readily available and accessible, removing any guesswork.
But we must all play our part to supply reliable information at every stage if we’re to accurately maintain the golden thread of information and this is where having access to good quality reliable data is crucial.
How to maintain the golden thread through refurbishments
Typically, the projects we tend to work on are refurbishments rather than new build which brings a different set of challenges.
When we’re working with existing products it’s important to understand how they will interact with each other.
A critical stage is to undertake client surveys before works start and pick up any fire risks to identify any defects before works start.
Passive Fire Protection (PFP) measures ensure the building structure is protected so that in the event of a fire, the spread of flames, smoke and toxic gases are contained long enough for safe evacuation and emergency response.
But by their very nature PFP products are typically hidden from sight so regular checks are needed to maintain and ensure they’re up to standard and performing as intended.
Scheduled maintenance dates, particularly for fire doors, should be integrated within the golden thread.
We have robust procedures in place and use the Onetrace software app which allows us to easily track everything from start to finish – including uploading installation photos.
Working with third party accredited industry bodies and associations such as BM Trada and the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and FIRAS offers clients peace of mind that appropriate procedures are in place to ensure works completed are complaint and fit for purpose.
As a BM Trada registered contractor, we are subject to regular spot checks and audits conducted at random to make sure we’re maintaining the golden thread and doing our due diligence across the board or risk losing our BM Trada registered status.
We use BM Trada products, or ones from our trusted supply chain, to ensure all materials we work with will provide the required level of fire protection, looking at all individual components as a system within the building.
The essence of the golden thread of information is to ensure full transparency at all stages including factoring in future planned and reactive maintenance programmes.
This is really important with PFP as products could be compromised which would negatively impact their effectiveness so anyone undertaking future works must be aware of what PFP measures are in place and how to work around them effectively.
As part of the Building Safety Act, any changes need to be notified with the Building Safety Regulator.
A collaborative approach to training and knowledge-sharing
One of our responsibilities as a main contractor is that we must show evidence of competency.
This means that keeping up to speed with training and being aware of changes to products or materials being specified is crucial.
It’s also vital as a contractor that we bring our clients and supply chain partners on the journey with us to ensure we all feed into the golden thread of information to make it as data-rich as possible.
It will only work if there is buy-in from all parties.
For a project to be PFP certified carries with it caveats for clients to uphold – there are certain things they need to do and that’s something we’re working closely with clients to make sure they fully understand their responsibilities to maintain the certification.
We’ve been working with some of our social housing and local authority clients to offer training.
We’re also guiding clients on the nuances of the Building Safety Act, and we’re able to offer a Building Safety Act training course outlining clearly where different responsibilities lie.
It’s about joining the dots with the client, designers, product manufacturers and installers so that nothing falls between two areas.
As an industry we must collaborate, share information to uphold the golden thread and make sure our buildings are built and maintained to the highest standards.
The responsibility for building safety ultimately lies on all our shoulders.