Building ─ the new Safety Regulator

Peter Baker, head of England's new Building Safety Regulator, talks about his role in delivering a new regime for high-risk buildings, and how he plans to increase the competence of all professionals working on buildings and ensure effective oversight of the entire building safety environment

'From my experience in regulating major hazards, it requires a different mindset, in terms of risk management and control. While the construction industry generally will be in a reasonably good place, when it comes to understanding those concepts, and getting ready for those, landlords and building owners who have not been subject to this level of intrusive regulation in the past will be starting from quite a low base of understanding and knowledge,'

Peter Baker, head of England's new Building Safety Regulator

Operating across England and piggybacking on the HSE’s own office estate, Peter explains that the BSR is likely to have a 'headquarters' presence in London. 'Staff will be located where there's the business need, and when around about 50% to 60% of high rise residential buildings in scope are in London, that gives you a sense that we'll have a footprint in the southeast, either in or around London.' But he adds the BSR will also have a physical presence in other major cities with a concentration of HRRBs, such as Manchester and Birmingham.

Peter will also become, in effect, the first head of the building control profession, charged with raising standards in a specialism whose profile, status and legal powers have never quite matched its importance in ensuring construction safety and quality. Meanwhile, clients or projects that breached building regulations were rarely sanctioned or prosecuted.

setting the risk, understanding the vulnerabilities, and having proportionate management systems

IOSH article