Understanding the Building Safety Act in the Construction Industry

Barbour ABI have recently conducted an industry-wide survey on behalf of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Results show that awareness of the Building Safety Act and its implications are growing across the building services sector.

Awareness of the Building Safety Act

88% of respondents showed some awareness of the Act with almost a third claiming to be “fully aware”. There were higher levels of awareness among BESA members than the industry as a whole, but detailed understanding of roles and responsibilities is mixed and vary by building and project type.

Challenges

Compliance and legal understanding of the legislation, which came into force in 2022, are proving to be the biggest challenges for organisations who told researchers they needed more training and a closer working relationship with the Regulator to embed the changes required to improve building safety.

Impact on businesses

Most contractors believe the Act has only had a minimal impact on their businesses so far, according to the report. 65% of respondents said it had been neither a positive nor a negative factor to date, with 27% saying it had been positive. 9% complained of negative consequences.

Also, just 9% reported making “significant changes” to help them comply with the legislation.

BESA Building Safety Act Industry Report

Download the BESA Building Safety Act (BSA) Industry Report here to  understand current awareness levels, readiness, and perceptions within the building engineering sector regarding the BSA’s new requirements.

The report enables readers to gain a clear understanding of how industry peers are responding to new safety responsibilities and the actions being planned to ensure compliance.