The construction industry is facing the biggest health and safety-prompted reforms since the Ronan Point disaster in 1968, when a gas explosion caused the partial collapse of a block of flats. This led to a change in building regulations in 1971, aimed at strengthening the structures of tall buildings to make them more resilient.

Fifty years on, another tragedy has focused a new generation on the safety of high-rise buildings. Last year’s Grenfell Tower fire triggered Dame Judith Hackitt’s review of building regulations and fire safety. Just as with Ronan Point, her report, released last month, calls for fundamental changes in the way in which we build “higher risk residential buildings” – those over 10 storeys high. In the foreword, Hackitt expresses her “conviction that there is a need for a radical rethink of the whole system and how it works”.

The report focuses on high-rise residential properties “because the likelihood of fire is greater in purpose-built blocks of flats of 10 storeys or more than in those with fewer storeys”.But it suggests the proposed new system could later be rolled out “to include a wider set of residential buildings”. 

“I think there will be a general rise in what you might describe as assurance roles”

Simon Rawlinson, Arcadis

 

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