I make no apology for addressing the topic of safety again. In February, we talked to victims of 2016’s Didcot disaster about their agonising wait for answers to the question – ‘what went wrong?’ Our feature discovers this case is far from unique. Data shows that the Health and Safety Executive takes more than a year to investigate around 20 per cent of fatal cases.
Something is wrong with the current system, which is serving neither the bereaved nor the survivors of accidents. But it is also failing individual companies – whose reputations can hang under a cloud until matters are cleared up. It’s impossible to solve a problem without knowing what it is. How can firms respond to incidents effectively in such an information vacuum?
Of course, investigations can be complex, but we find that safety probes in other sectors – particularly rail, sea and air transport – report quickly, without having to wait for the outcome of criminal investigations that can sometimes take years. Urgent action is needed to bring the construction industry in line with this best practice.
The highest-profile case where parties have waited too long for answers is the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Early in May, it was announced that the final report into the disaster will not be released this year, as originally planned. However, this is one area where, perhaps, the government cannot be accused of complacency. Last year’s Building Safety Act is possibly the biggest piece of legislation to hit the sector since World War II and its impact is already beginning to bite.
Our feature takes a look at where we stand with the act and the ‘known unknowns’ that still surround it. At the time of publication, construction firms were still awaiting regulations and guidance to fill a number of knowledge gaps. But we find that, as is so often the case, firms are taking a pragmatic approach and getting on with the job of responding to the ‘known knowns’ contained in the act.
It might not be surprising to learn that lawyers are slightly less sanguine, identifying a number of potential areas of uncertainty. Most pieces of legislation go through a period of testing in the courts, and such case law is, of course, vital for justice. But the sector needs to ensure that, in the coming years, legal disputes do not get in the way of doing the work necessary to make our high-risk buildings safe.
