Building safety: new body to certify BSM role; expertise sought in devolved nations; your BSM webinar questions answered

News

  • Building safety

25 March 2021

Building

Building Safety Alliance
Following its final report and proposals, WG8 - part of the Industry Response Group tasked with developing the competence framework for the new Building Safety Manager (BSM) role - has launched an initiative to establish a Building Safety Alliance.

This body will provide a single, centralised ‘assessment and certification’ process and an industry-led, not-for-profit, independent central national register of BSMs. An initial meeting of interested parties has been held with more than 50 organisations represented.

Building safety in the devolved nations
IWFM’s work on building safety has been driven by the expert members of our Life Safety Working Group (LSWG). Whilst much of their focus has been on consultations and reports covering building safety in England, regulatory approaches differ to varying degrees in the devolved nations, as illustrated by the ongoing Welsh Government building safety white paper (IWFM is working on our response to this consultation).

We would therefore like to hear from members in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who are interested in sharing their experience and expertise in fire, life and building safety with the LSWG to better inform the wider profession in those nations.

Building Safety Manager webinar: your questions answered
Last month we held a highly popular webinar (to watch click here) looking at what the new statutory BSM role is, what its competences are, what the expected requirements and certifications will be to demonstrate those competences, and how the role differs from existing ones in the world of building management.

The webinar generated a large volume of questions and queries on these and other related issues from viewers. Members of our LSGW and other building safety experts have been working to provide responses to these questions, which you can now find here.

If you would like to respond to any of the items above - particularly if you are interested in supporting our work on building safety in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - please email: [email protected]