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BESA Launches Football-Themed Building Safety Campaign

BESA Launches Football-Themed Building Safety Campaign
26 July 2024
 

The Building Engineering Services Association has launched a football-themed awareness campaign to address knowledge gaps in the Building Safety Act.

The BESA ‘Play it Safe’ interactive guide uses the different roles associated with a football club, including players, backroom staff, and club management, highlighting specific competence requirements and types of evidence for each member of the supply chain.

 

Image

Picture: a promotional graphic promoting the new guide, featuring four people presented as figures from a football table. It says: "Play it safe. The Building Safety Act has changed the rules. Don’t get caught offside!" Image Credit: BESA

 

The Building Safety Act 2022 took effect on October 1, 2023 introducing dutyholder requirements to allow those responsible for building safety defects to be held to account. However,  a survey from the specification platform NBS revealed significant knowledge gaps about duty holder responsibilities for higher-risk buildings (HRBs).

Half of respondents were either unsure or had no idea of their responsibilities with just 12 per cent saying they were "very clear" about what was expected of them. 44 per cent of respondents said they were unsure or had "no idea" what steps to take to comply with the new building safety regime. NBS researchers said this was particularly concerning because two in three respondents already had experience working on HRBs.

“This demonstrates just why our ‘Play it Safe’ Guide is so timely,” said BESA’s Director of Specialist Knowledge Rachel Davidson. “As well as being a practical and relatable tool, we hope it will also provide some welcome reassurance to our members and the wider industry in the face of growing concern about the implications of the legislation.

“It has been clear for some time that many building services firms were aware that the legislation existed but were unsure whether it was relevant to them – or what their responsibilities might be. This is partly because of the complexities of the Act and some confusing messages about what buildings were affected.

“The campaign is designed to cut through the mass of information out there to guide firms and individuals to what is directly relevant to them, including what they need to do to prove their competence, ensure compliance, and reassure their clients that they can help them comply too.

“Ultimately, this is about doing the right thing: Keeping people safe and well in buildings and driving the much-needed culture change that will transform the sector and help rebuild the industry’s reputation and trust.”

The guide will be exclusive to BESA members before it is launched to the whole industry at the Association’s Annual Conference on 17 October at the Brewery in London.

Picture: a photograph of a person playing football. Image Credit: Unsplash

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 26 July 2024

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