BUILDING A SAFER FUTURE CHAMPIONS -
BENCHMARKING & VERIFICATION
ABOUT

You must first be a ‘Registered Signatory’ to the Charter in order to progress onto Building a Safer Future Champion status.

CHANGING CULTURE - REDUCING RISK

Our Vision: an industry commited to putting people's safety first.

In the built environment sector, the Grenfell Tower Disaster has put building safety at the top of everyone’s agenda. From a moral, social and economic perspective it’s now imperative that we embed enduring values, attitudes and ethical behaviours at the heart of all we do.

Dame Judith Hackitt’s inquiry clearly identified failure of leadership and culture as key underlying causes of the disaster and it’s our duty to right these wrongs. It’s why the ‘Building a Safer Future Charter’ was originally developed by a group of early adopters including contractors, housing associations and local authorities with a vision of having an industry committed to putting people’s safety first.

The Charter has been designed to drive the systemic culture change required to ensure buildings are safe for those living and working in them, the Charter has been constructed around five Commitments to building safety, underpinned by robust benchmarking and verification. For it to succeed, we need every single individual and organisation within the built environment sector to share our vision and work with us to build a safer future.

The BSF Charter has been highlighted by Dame Judith Hackitt and the Industry Safety Steering Group (ISSG) as leading the change required for industry.

Are you with us?

FIVE COMMITMENTS, NO EXCUSES.

The ‘Building a Safer Future Charter’ is an independent, not-for-profit organisation whose sole purpose is to challenge the status quo, raise standards and improve building safety culture and leadership by adhering to five key Charter Commitments. If you share our vision, you can follow our five Commitments and join us in putting safety first, above all else.

THE FIVE CHARTER COMMITMENTS

The Charter has been designed to drive the systemic culture change required to ensure buildings are safe for those living and working in them.

Companies who share our vision by firstly, signing up as a Charter Registered Signatory, and in doing so, proactively supporting the five Charter Commitments can then participate in a robust benchmarking and verification process can become a ‘Building a Safer Future Champion’.

Collaborate to spearhead culture change and be the voice of building safety across our sector.

Be transparent in the interests of safety, sharing key information with residents, clients, contractors and statutory bodies in a useful and accessible manner in the design, construction and occupation phases of the process.

Make safety a key factor of choice in who we work with, ensuring that building safety is placed at the centre of selection decisions without compromising quality or value for money.

Ensure that the voices and safety of residents, visitors and employees are central in our decision-making process.

Set out and communicate clear responsibilities within our organisation and with our partners, ensuring everyone with a stake in the building during design, construction and occupation understands their role and has the time and resources they need to achieve and maintain building safety.

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY BUILDING A SAFER FUTURE CHAMPION COMPANY STATUS

Never forgetting the Grenfell Tower Disaster, we have reviewed how other sectors – such as oil, gas, chemicals and rail – have acted in the wake of major disasters, where, like Grenfell, a failure of leadership and culture were identified as key underlying causes of those disasters. We have studied how they responded and have adapted their tried and tested approaches to be relevant to the safety critical UK built environment sector.

Through robust self-assessment, benchmarking and independent verification, we can help companies identify potential issues and, in turn, develop continuous improvement plans to advance their overall approach and performance on leadership and culture in relation to building safety.

Why is benchmarking and verification important?

This cannot be a ‘tick-box’ exercise. In order to rebuild public trust, we must demonstrate that our sector is genuinely committed to learning the lessons of Grenfell. The ‘Building a Safer Future Champion’ framework directly relates to our five key Commitments and the recommendations made by Dame Judith Hackitt’s initial inquiry, with independent benchmarking to verify organisations are following through on their commitment.

First, we need to act, then we need industry to prove that it has raised the bar and upped its game.

MAPPING OUR BENCHMARKING FRAMEWORK TO THE FIVE CHARTER COMMITMENTS

CHARTER COMMITMENT	WHAT COULD THAT MEAN?	LEADERSHIP	CULTURE	SUPPLY CHAIN	CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT SAFETY	MANAGING CHANGE	STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT	COMPETENCE	AUDIT & REVIEW
Collaborate to spearhead culture change and be the voice of building safety across our sector	Transparent & accountable culture in which concerns across value chain are raised
	Continuously improve through challenge and sharing best practice
	Take the lead to continually improve building safety in the future
Transparent sharing of key information with residents, clients, contractors and statutory bodies	Create Building Safety Records for residents about key building safety information
	Use digital technologies to record & retain key building information
	Use social media to keep residents informed
Make safety a key factor of choice in who we work with, ensuring that building safety is placed at the centre of selection decisions without compromising quality or value for money	Supply chain partners are committed to improving building safety
	Clear competences for all organisations and people working on in-scope buildings
	‘Digital by default’ for supply chain partners to create a digital record for new buildings
Ensuring that the voices and safety of residents, visitors and employees are central in our decision making process	Establishing a single accountable person for each building who residents can contact
	Meaningful consultation with residents before any material changes to buildings
	Having an open and no blame reporting and feedback process to drive improvements
Create and communicate clear safety related responsibilities within our own and other organisations	A board level commitment to putting building safety first
	Clear roles and responsibilities within teams and supply chain and quality assurance
	Investing in training and continuing professional development

Collaborate to spearhead culture change and be the voice of building safety across our sector	Transparent & accountable culture in which concerns across value chain are raised	Continuously improve through challenge and sharing best practice	Take the lead to continually improve building safety in the future
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
SUPPLY CHAIN
CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT SAFETY
MANAGING CHANGE
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
COMPETENCE
AUDIT & REVIEW

Transparent & accountable culture in which concerns across value chain are raised	Create Building Safety Records for residents about key building safety information	Use digital technologies to record & retain key building information	Use social media to keep residents informed
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
SUPPLY CHAIN
CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT SAFETY
MANAGING CHANGE
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
COMPETENCE
AUDIT & REVIEW

Make safety a key factor of choice in who we work with, ensuring that building safety is placed at the centre of selection decisions without compromising quality or value for money	Supply chain partners are committed to improving building safety	Clear competences for all organisations and people working on in-scope building	‘Digital by default’ for supply chain partners to create a digital record for new buildings
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
SUPPLY CHAIN
CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT SAFETY
MANAGING CHANGE
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
COMPETENCE
AUDIT & REVIEW

Ensuring that the voices and safety of residents, visitors and employees are central in our decision making process	Establishing a single accountable person for each building who residents can contact	Meaningful consultation with residents before any material changes to buildings	Having an open and no blame reporting and feedback process to drive improvements
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
SUPPLY CHAIN
CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT SAFETY
MANAGING CHANGE
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
COMPETENCE
AUDIT & REVIEW

Create and communicate clear safety related responsibilities within our own and other organisations	EA board level commitment to putting building safety firs	Clear roles and responsibilities within teams and supply chain and quality assurance	Investing in training and continuing professional development
LEADERSHIP
CULTURE
SUPPLY CHAIN
CONSTRUCTION PRODUCT SAFETY
MANAGING CHANGE
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
COMPETENCE
AUDIT & REVIEW

WHO IS THE CHARTER FOR AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Essentially, everyone in the sector is encouraged and welcome to get involved. All UK-based and registered organisations and companies working in, supporting or involved with the UK built environment sector should support the Charter and companies can proactively participate and demonstrate their commitment by undertaking the ‘Building a Safer Future Champion’ company framework process.

Participation helps to focus efforts to reduce risk profile

Participation results in actionable insight for companies and organisations

Participation provides a focused, evidence based mechanism for real, sustained culture change

Participation confirms the commitment and credibility of an organisation to the Charter and to building safety

Participation demonstrates that those organisations and companies are proactively pushing for change and not simply waiting for regulation

BUILDING A SAFER FUTURE CHAMPIONS - BENCHMARKING & VERIFICATION ABOUT