A new study by NBS has revealed that nearly half of construction industry professionals are unsure about new building safety laws
Findings from NBS’ new ‘Product Information Report’, set to be published April this year, have found that nearly half of construction industry professionals are unsure about new building safety roles.
The new Product Information Report focuses on the use of construction data and its role within specification plans.
The report found that 43% of professionals were unsure or had no idea about the processes relating to the new legislation, and the same number were unclear on the responsibilities of duty holders regarding the three planning gateways.
One-third of specifiers were unclear on the type of projects that would fall under the Building Safety Act
When it came to duty holder responsibilities for the gateways, less than a fifth (18%) felt entirely confident about the details.
On the other hand, the results of the survey did offer a positive picture when it came to third-party safety credentials, with 89% considering the use of verified certifications as ‘essential’ to safety-critical products.
However, one in ten respondents (9%) considered them ‘useful’ but not ‘essential’, showing there’s still room for improvement.
The report showed widespread reports of specification breaking
There were widespread reports of ‘specification breaking’ – the practice of substituting products and deviating from original specifications. Over one-third of survey participants reported that this had become a regular occurrence, whilst nearly half had seen it happen on occasion.
NBS found that the main reason for this was due to cost-cutting measures (68%), with cheaper alternatives taking precedence. This was followed by original products no longer being available to work within project deadlines (47%) caused by ongoing supply chain issues and the rising costs of energy and building materials. Client requests were also responsible (42%).
Awareness is ‘patchy’ concerning building safety laws
Russell Haworth, CEO of NBS and Byggfakta Group UK, commented: “The results of the study have flagged a perceived lack of knowledge around building safety laws. It’s clear that there’s confusion from within the industry – awareness on specifics is patchy. The sector now needs to invest in training and further CPDs to ensure that architects and specifiers are up to speed, across all areas of the legislation.”
