Workplace Fire Safety: What Has Changed Since The Hackitt Report?

The Granville Tower fire tragedy, which claimed 72 lives in June 2017, was one of the worst domestic fire incidents in recent British history, triggering a wide-ranging review of building regulations and fire safety failures. The response was a comprehensive review conducted by Dame Judith Hackitt, subsequently published as the Hackitt Report Into Fire Safety in May 2018. The report identified various shortcomings in the regulatory system and recommended several important changes to improve the safety of high-rise residential buildings and other complex structures, including commercial and industrial workplaces.

The Report Highlighted Four Worrying Issues With Fire Safety For Workplaces, Including:

1. Fragmented And Outdated Fire Safety Regulations

The report identified a lack of clarity and accountability in the construction and maintenance of many buildings regarding fire safety.

2. Inconsistent Or Inadequate Enforcement

The enforcement of building regulations was often deemed to be weak or inconsistent.

3. Prioritising Cost Savings Over Safety

In many cases, the report suggested that cost-cutting took precedence over fire safety considerations in construction projects and subsequent facilities management. This was the alleged cause of the use of dangerously combustible materials in Grenfell Tower and other similar high-rise buildings – because they were cheaper than alternative options. Since the Hackitt report into fire safety, any materials used on the external façades of buildings must not be flammable.

4. Inadequate Training And Competence

Finally, the report emphasised the need for better fire safety training, qualifications, and general awareness for professionals involved in designing, constructing, and maintaining residential and commercial buildings.

As a result, a new regulatory framework was established that has overhauled the way that businesses and public organisations approach fire safety. The new system is generally more robust and enforceable, with a more thorough system of oversight and a clearer chain of accountability for fire safety throughout a building’s life cycle. There are several implications of this for health and safety managers:

Duty Holders

The new framework assigns several important duties relating to fire safety to a ‘Responsible Person’ or duty holder. This person or organisation (e.g. a facilities management company) must provide up-to-date building plans and information to the local fire and rescue services, conduct monthly checks, and install the relevant signage and fire safety information. They are also responsible for providing the appropriate training and educational outreach to building occupants and employees.

Fire Safety Risk Assessments

Businesses of all sizes are now required to keep a written record of their full fire safety risk assessments, as well as information about the Responsible Person reviewing the fire risk assessment. Should the Responsible Person change, this information should be shared with the new incumbent in an unbroken chain of accountability.

Gateway System For Compliance

A key recommendation of the Hackitt report is the Gateway System, which ensures that fire safety and compliance are fully considered at three critical stages of the building’s construction. The three-tier process provides several safety checkpoints or ‘gateways’ in which regulatory compliance and fire safety must be demonstrated before the project can progress. The stages are: Gateway One, Planning Stage; Gateway Two, Pre-construction Stage; and Gateway Three, Pre-occupation Stage. Following the project reaching Gateway Three, the building is inspected by a Building Safety Regulator, who will issue a completion certificate to demonstrate compliance. The building cannot be legally occupied without this certificate. The Gateway system is designed to prevent corner-cutting and cost-saving measures that could compromise fire safety, and is now an essential aspect of commercial property development.

Find Out More

To find out more about fire safety in the workplace and the implications of the Grenfell Tower fire safety report, please get in touch with Fire Safe International today to book a fire risk assessment.

Image source: Canva