Article written by Dave Binns, Director at Michael Dyson Associates Ltd.
Building safety and cladding remediation have become major priorities across the UK property and construction sector, particularly for Registered Providers. Following Grenfell, serious concerns emerged around how residential buildings were designed, constructed and maintained. Investigations revealed widespread fire protection defects including unsafe cladding, missing fire barriers and poor installation practices that placed residents at risk.
The impact on residents has been significant. Many leaseholders have faced uncertainty, rising insurance costs, difficulties selling their homes and concerns about their safety. Building remediation is therefore about far more than compliance, it is about restoring confidence that homes are safe. But if the people carrying out the works lack the understanding of the regulatory framework they are operating in, how confident can anyone be?
How We Got Here
Since Grenfell, the government has introduced legislation and funding schemes to accelerate remediation works and improve accountability. The Building Safety Act 2022 places stricter responsibilities on developers, building owners and construction professionals. Funding programmes such as the Building Safety Fund and Cladding Safety Scheme support essential life-safety improvements, including replacing unsafe cladding, installing cavity barriers, fire stopping works, scaffolding and professional fees. In some cases, developers are also expected to fund remediation directly.
The Case for Upskilling
We still find many clients underestimate the complexity of navigating the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), particularly Gateway 2 requirements but, of greater concern, we regularly encounter subcontractor operatives with a limited understanding of how High-Rise Residential Building (HRB) classifications may affect their work.
Site operatives are often the first to identify encounter problems as part of their day-to-day role, so a basic understanding of BSR requirements and permitted works should form part of the teams’ competency assessments before projects begin.
What Good Looks Like
The difference that proper upskilling makes is best illustrated by example. On one project, contractors carrying out bathroom replacements uncovered an unrecorded ventilated shaft running through the building, hidden behind plywood panels. The operative raised the issue immediately with the site manager. Works were paused while the Building Regulations Principle Contractor, lead designer, Building Regulations Principal Designer and client assessed the risk. The outcome was an emergency BSR application and additional fire-stopping works to address the newly identified hazard. Because the operative had been appropriately upskilled, the issue was identified and dealt with correctly rather than concealed. Without that training, the same shaft could have been boarded back up, the hazard left unrecorded and the risk passed on to residents.
Ensuring Long-term Safety
Every building presents different challenges, and hidden defects are often discovered during investigations. This makes selecting experienced consultants and contractors critical. Thorough inspections, testing, record keeping and strong project management are essential to ensure buildings are made safe for the long term. Poor workmanship or inexperienced teams can lead to delays, increased costs and ongoing safety concerns.
A well-designed remediation scheme will only deliver if the operatives carrying out the works have the knowledge to recognise problems and act correctly. Workforce competency at every level is what determines whether residents can genuinely feel safe in their homes.
Dave Binns is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Building (MCIOB) and a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIHCM) with over 24 years of service at Michael Dyson Associates Ltd. He has extensive skills in surveying, project management, business development, contract administration, regulatory compliance, and contractor procurement.