Blog 2 - A conversation with Dame Judith Hackitt

The event was hosted by SFPE UK and Imperial College on the 5th of March 2024.

It was for student engineers, fire engineers, and building inspectors interested in the developments in the industry. This blog is my notes for the event for those who couldn’t be there. This is my interpretation, you can sound off your views and opinions in the comments section.

The event was to discuss the updates to the BSR (Building Safety Regulator) which come into effect on the 1st of April 2024.

This means that individual building control professionals, working for both the private sector and local authorities, will need to pass an independent competence assessment to operate. And they will be required to register on the Building Safety Regulator’s register of building inspectors. (Register at gov website as a Building Inspector) and (CABE - Chartered Association of Building Engineers guidance including competence assessment scheme)

My commentary are in Italics

Presentation Key Points:

1. May review showed that the system is not fit for purpose

2. System places responsibility on the Responsible Person, contractors, design team to ensure that the design adopted is safe.

3. The aim is to have a system that incentivises doing the right thing.

4. Competent engineers need to be approved by relevant bodies.

5. The ‘Swiss Cheese’ model of system failures is used as a guiding principle.

6. Professional competence is fundamental but we also need to understand the whole system.

7. Existing buildings stock will have to fix known problems. Its is appreciated that it cannot be retrospectively changed to meet current requirements. But ‘Not Knowing’ cannot be used as an excuse.

8. The changes affects ALL buildings.

9. But smaller / simpler buildings will have less onerous requirements.

10. New challenges are expected to crop up in the future which will affect the BSR. Such as RAAC, EVs in underground carparks, electric scooters, etc.

11. Time to Rethink and Reset and act Responsibly

    ~ENDS

Question time with Panel

Q1: How will the changes affect the fire engineer?

It will be simpler i.e. Design ➡️ Approve ➡️ Build. It will be harder for last minute changes.

Q2: How will the changes affect the Building Inspectors / Building Control / Approved Inspectors?

Class system for buildings will be relevant for Building Inspectors i.e. they will have to show qualifications to approve these systems.

Q3: How can competency of fire engineers be ensured?

This wasn’t clearly answered.

I think fire engineer competency can be achieved by becoming

• Chartered Fire Engineer,

• ensure CPD throughout,

• the IFE should be more public facing and ready to engage with new engineers keen to join the profession,

• an IFE checklist to show competencies for each class of building,

• Insurance companies should not be allowed to place cladding exclusion clauses or similar when insuring fire engineering companies,

• Fire Engineers should read BS 9414: 2019 and PAS 9980: 2022 (Fire risk appraisal of external wall construction and cladding of existing blocks of flats – Code of practice),

• IFE members should contact info@ife.org.uk (email address with email template) to register for External Wall Systems Assessment Training Programme? (link to RICS programme).

Q4: What are the challenges for fire engineers doing performance based design?

For fire engineers, expect earlier engagement.

Dame Hackitt and Ms Schultz suggests that Performance Based design has a place in the future. But stronger evidence is required to prove arguments. It is noted that stronger evidence = higher costs + more time + uncertainty.

Mr Pagan says that the industry is likely towards being very prescriptive and code based. The system now expects that the design is fully formed before regulator engagement. Whereas PD 7974 suggests that a QDR (Qualitative Design Review) and early engagement with the regulator is undertaken before the design is finalised. I think that because of these gray areas and uncertainty, there will be a slower uptake in performance based designs being agreed with Building Inspectors, regulators, etc. Also the financial impact during the design phase and for insurance purposes is another unknown. Whereas, clients, project managers and design teams need clarity and certainty especially in the current financial environment and recession in the UK. Also with the current financial environment, the industry should not fall into the trap of cutting corners. I think innovative design is still possible (and this is what fire engineers have always done), but this is only possible by early engagement with the regulators. I think that there is not point in a client spending thousands of ££££, delaying the project to carry out tests, fire engineers spending their time to write lengthy justification reports only to be told ‘computer says no’ or ‘this deviates from prescriptive guidance’. I would also like to remind people, that the Shard wouldn’t be built if it wasn’t for early engagement with the regulators and London Fire Brigade (LFB).

Q5: Is there a country that has the best practice for performance based system?

Most of the panel couldn’t answer this question directly.

Mr Ashe said that no country had it right and each country had its own set of flaws.

This is such an important point and shows that no system in the world is perfect and that no system is deliberately trying to cause harm to life or deliver bad design. I think what is important, is regular and clear communication with all stakeholders especially at early stages. Also clearer guidelines and definitive testing undertaken by public bodies to unanimously verify the performance based approach e.g. baseline testing for modern facade buildups, timber structure buildings, mains fed sprinklers with smaller tanks. (Note: BS 9414: 2019 - Fire performance of external cladding systems – The application of results from BS 8414-1 and BS 8414-2 tests. This standard does give testing guidance on external wall build ups to some extent. PAS 9980 is also useful for external walls.)

TLDR: There is a competency requirement for Building Inspectors based on the Class of the building. Expect a similar requirement for fire engineers in the future. Early engagement with Building Control will be a struggle under the new system. Because it is a new system, it will not be smooth sailing, expect hiccups.