HSE is continuing to make inquiries into the fire at Spectrum House in Dagenham on Monday 26 August.
We are providing support to the emergency services and are working closely with colleagues in the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to progress our respective investigations and determine the areas that HSE will focus on within its remit under the Building Safety Act, 2022 and the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974.
Inspectors from HSE’s Investigations and Building Safety Divisions are attending site today, Thursday 29 August.
The building involved in the fire was a working site undergoing remediation and therefore a joint investigation team within HSE will work closely with the LFB, the Police and other parties including the local authority.
Areas to be considered for investigation include:
- how the cladding remediation works were organised and undertaken, and whether this was a factor in the fire
- whether the Principal Accountable Person for the building had discharged their duties under Part 4 of the Building Safety Act in relation to spread of fire.
Separately we are also engaging with the LFB to determine the circumstances of the fire that occurred at New Providence Wharf in Blackwell East London.
Developers, clients and others who require building control approval for higher-risk building work in England need to apply to BSR.
This work can no longer be overseen by local authority or private sector building control.
We wrote to industry earlier this month regarding recent delays to approving building control applications and the requirement for submissions to clearly and comprehensively demonstrate compliance with building regulations.
We’ve published some useful resources on our Making Buildings Safer website to help applicants navigate and facilitate the approval process. This includes a detailed FAQ.
We’re working closely with industry to keep the FAQ up-to-date and to ensure feedback and concerns around the application process are addressed.
Read more and access the resources
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Registration data indicates a growing number of inspectors are joining the registered profession, reflecting the industry’s commitment to upholding high standards.
Following the end of the extension period on 6 July for registered building inspectors in England to complete their competency assessment, we published a press release on the future landscape for the profession.
Read the press release
Separately, some changes have been published to The code of conduct for Registered Building Inspectors (RBIs) and professional conduct rules for Registered Building Control Approvers (RBCAs). These include amendments to the annexes on reporting obligations. Read the updated:
The Building Safety Act, 2022 introduced new roles and changes to the legal responsibilities for people working across the built environment.
Our Making Buildings Safer website provides information on the different roles and useful links to the relevant legislation/guidance.
View roles and responsibilities
Amendments to the Building Safety Act introduced through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 have come into force.
The amendments which came into force on 24 July make changes to the following:
- recovery of remediation costs and the safe management of a building during insolvency proceedings
- the provision for residents who are part of a Resident Management company to apply for a remediation contribution order relating to the cost of litigation
Read more about the changes
HSE’s second building safety conference in May saw over 1,500 delegates mark a major milestone in the ongoing journey towards safer buildings.
All of the sessions were recorded and are now available to watch back online.
Access the conference recording on-demand
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