The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has launched a consultation on new fire safety guidance in the wake of last year’s Grenfell Tower tragedy.
The proposed ‘plan of work’ for fire safety addresses the call in Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety for greater transparency, accountability and collaboration, the institute said.
Earlier this year, RIBA signed a joint memorandum of understanding with the Chartered Institute of Building and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors to address build quality.
Within RIBA’s proposed plan of work, a ‘best practice process map’ has been designed to make clear the roles, responsibilities and deliverables for fire safety at each stage of a building’s lifecycle, placing Hackitt’s recommendations within a recognised industry framework.
It has also been designed to apply to a wider range of building types and scales. The plan proposes that fire safety considerations will be embedded from the start by involving Building Control, the Fire and Rescue Authority, building managers and tenants more closely from an early stage.
Project team accountability will also be strengthened through new statutory duties based on the CDM 2015 model. RIBA said plans for rigorous review and sign off procedures, and independent inspection, would help to safeguard fire safe specification and detailing.
RIBA director of practice Lucy Carmichael said: “The Plan of Work for Fire Safety is a vital resource for design and construction teams and building owners, providing much needed clarity on fire safety roles and responsibilities at every stage of the process. We cannot wait for longer term regulatory change to come into force, the construction industry needs immediate guidance. I encourage all RIBA members and other industry professionals to provide detailed feedback on this draft document, which we hope will be an important step to further strengthen consideration of fire safety in all aspects of building design, procurement, construction and maintenance.”
The draft document is open for consultation until 11 October 2018.
