EWS IN BRIEF Frameworks adopt safety code The procurement bodies Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and Scape have adopted the Building a Safer Future (BSF) initiative as part of their framework contracts, in a bid to improve standards throughout supply chains. They plan to make BSF Champion and Registered Signatory status requirements in their frameworks. The BSF Charter was developed to change the culture and behaviours around building safety at all stages, from design through to management and maintenance. CCS is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office and the UKs largest public procurement organisation, while Scape is one of the UKs largest public sector procurement authorities. Government accused of Grenfell Tower cover up Michael Mansfield QC says governments let industry exploit building regulations The government may have deliberately concealed the dangers posed by the type of combustible materials responsible for the Grenfell Tower tragedy, according to lawyers representing the victims and survivors of the fire. Michael Mansfield QC told the public inquiry that successive governments may have allowed private companies to exploit building regulations in one of the greatest scandals of our time. He accused officials of colluding with the construction industry and failing to act over warnings from previous fires, including Lakanal House in south London, where six people died in 2009. The inquiry heard that the governments approach to encouraging greater use of insulation materials was driven by a desire to reduce carbon emissions and an unbridled passion for deregulation. Meanwhile, survivors of the disaster have urged the Metropolitan Police to start legal proceedings against those it believes are responsible for the fire before the end of the public inquiry. Grenfell United said prosecutors should start work immediately on deciding whether charges could be brought against companies and individuals. The police confirmed they were investigating up to 36 companies involved in the refurbishment of the tower block and had carried out several interviews under caution for gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter, fraud, and health and safety offences. However, it said it would only send files to the Crown Prosecution Service after the end of the inquiry. EC speeds up building refurbishments The European Commission has set a target for EU member states to renovate poorly performing buildings by 2033, as part of its revisions of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). It also intends to ban public subsidies for new fossil-fuel boilers from 2027 and has laid out a legal framework for countries that introduce their own national restrictions. Gathering data including on imports of fossil fuel is an important part of the new rules, with more stringent measures due to be introduced in 2025. Labour rates hit all-time high The rates paid to site workers reached their highest ever level in November. Construction payroll firm Hudson Contract reported that average weekly earnings across the country were up by 1.8% to 944 the highest pay levels on record. This was 4.7% higher than the same period in 2020, but weekly earnings in the capital rose by 6.1%, to 962. High-rise building designers urged to act now on safety ahead of new law Designers of high-rise buildings should already be preparing for changes that will come into force next year, when the new Building Safety Bill becomes law, according to the chief inspector of buildings, Peter Baker. The bill, which is currently under review in parliament, will include a more stringent approach to the design and construction of high-rise buildings, and clarify the safety responsibilities that fall on designers. It will also toughen up regulations to ensure everyone carrying out design or building work is competent and capable of complying with building regulations. Designers have a strong influence on safety and standards, particularly during the very early planning and design stages of a building project, said Baker. Their decisions not only affect the safety of those carrying out the building work, but also those maintaining, using or living in a building after it is built. I encourage designers to act now and prepare for the more stringent regulatory regime. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will continue to work with the building design industry and related businesses to support them to deliver safe and high-performing buildings, and ensure that residents of high-rise buildings are safe and feel safe in their homes, now and in the future. 6 January 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Jan 22 pp06 News.indd 6 23/12/2021 11:49