Draft Building Safety Bill Published

UKAS has welcomed the publication of the draft Building Safety Bill. The draft Bill sets out proposals for changes to the legal framework for building safety overall, but particularly for higher risk buildings, such as residential buildings of 18 metres or more. The draft Bill is the Government’s response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety carried out following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. In particular, UKAS welcomes the proposals for new powers for the introduction of competence requirements for individuals and organisations working on these buildings and for the regulation of construction materials and products.

UKAS believes that accreditation can play a key role in supporting these new requirements and is working closely with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure that the benefits of accreditation are fully understood and utilised.

Further information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-building-safety-bill.