Digital Regulation for Construction Products

Manufacturers must embrace digitisation to ensure safer construction industry

Manufacturers of construction products will need to start sharing their data digitally to support a safer and sustainable construction industry, a new guide released by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) explains.

Regulation is coming post-Grenfell and digital transparency will be key for manufacturers within the industry.  The IET’s Digitisation for construction product manufacturers guide sets out a simple process to implement internal digitisation.  It has been produced to help decision makers in manufacturing identify why supplying structured data is important; how to avoid poor investment decisions; how to set priorities and implement information management; and safe ways to share this information about products across the supply chain.

In an endorsement to the guide and in support of the digitisation of the sector, Dame Judith Hackitt, government adviser on the new Building Safety Regulator, said: “It will be a really positive contribution in helping people to understand what digitalisation means for construction products.”

Rick Hartwig, IET Built Environment Lead, said: “As we embrace a digital future, it’s putting pressure on the manufacturing industry to act. Manufacturers produce a significant part of the information required for a safer construction industry, but currently, this information isn’t structured or shared in a consistent way.

“If the UK construction industry is to meet the challenges of a digital future and respond to the requirements of a new building safety regulatory system, it needs manufacturers to structure and share their data safely and sustainably.

“This new plain language guide will help the industry embrace digitisation.  It is only through this digital transparency that industry and society can differentiate between compliant and non-compliant manufacturers. Making structured information available to the supply chain is an essential step in this process.”

The benefits given in the report go beyond compliance to include commercial advantages such as increased revenue and margins, brand improvement and a smoother sales pipeline that comes from structured product data.

There are also recommendations given to the UK Government, with Rick adding: “With a strong record of digitisation and the commitment to a digital economy, the UK Government is in an ideal position to take the lead in encouraging manufacturers to digitise.”

The guide has already been welcomed by industry. James Talman, CEO of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors commented: “We welcome this guide as it will help companies to navigate through the minefield of information and systems out there on product data. Ultimately this will help get data to work efficiently and effectively for both suppliers and specifiers. We also support the central role the guide places on Trade Associations in leading an open digital culture.”

As well as the guide, the IET has set up a blog and LinkedIn group which invites members of the manufacturing and construction industry to join and share views about the guide and topics related to it.

Digitisation for construction product manufacturers: a plain language guide as well as an eight page summary and a two-page digest can be downloaded from the IET’s website.

Editors Note:

Is this a true route to preventing the horror of another Grenfell or just a digital and time consuming version of red tape, what do our readers think?

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IS RETROFITTING HOMES A PIPE DREAM?

Retrofitting homes in London is a pipe dream without proper support

 

The Mayor of London has an ambitious target to make London a zero carbon city by 2030. One of the ways to meet this goal is to decarbonise all of London’s 3.5 million homes by upgrading and retrofitting – improving existing homes for high energy efficiency.

 

The London Assembly Housing Committee has been investigating the operational, financial and physical challenges of retrofitting in London. The Committee has also investigated the energy efficiency initiatives already established by the Mayor.

 

Today, the Committee has written letters to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Secretary of State, The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, with its recommendations on retrofitting homes in London.

 

Some of the recommendations are:

 

The Government should ensure London should get a fair share of all retrofit funding or sufficient powers to raise finance itself, and that the Mayor should lobby for this.

The Government should raise the landlord cost cap to £10,000 to increase the extent of works private sector landlords are undertaking to meet mandatory minimum energy efficiency standards.

The Government should ensure that cladding remediation does not negatively impact on retrofitting work and could potentially enable both areas of work to be carried out at the same time.

The Mayor should bring together private sector landlords and tenants to look at barriers to retrofit and the ways in which government or local government action could overcome them.

Chair of the London Assembly Housing Committee, Sian Berry AM, said:

“We have a responsibility to do everything we can to make Londoners’ homes zero carbon and we can’t ignore our 3.5 million existing homes; these account for a third of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions alone. A full upgrade to zero carbon standards is an enormous task that will require political and financial support if the Mayor is to meet his 2030 carbon target.

“The Government must commit either to fully funding London’s ambition for zero carbon homes or giving us the powers to raise our own finance. In turn, the Mayor must work with private sector landlords and tenants to find and overcome any barriers to retrofitting.

“The world is in a race against time to fight climate change, and action on existing homes can no longer be put off or tackled without proper commitment from our leaders. London’s future generations need action from us right now to save them from the perils of the climate crisis.”

 

 

LONDON ASSEMBLY: Holding the Mayor to account and investigating issues that matter to Londoners

www.london.gov.uk

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Highland Project Stalls due to increasings costs and staff shortages

Labour shortages, price hikes and supply issues threaten to derail the Highland Council’s ambitious new home building programme.

Members will be briefed on the delays at the council’s housing and property committee tomorrow.

A joint report on the capital programme and housebuilding programme details a multi-million pound slippage caused by the ongoing challenges facing the construction industry.

Fighting through the backlog

The council had a budget of £60.2m in the last financial year for housing revenue account capital. According to the latest figures, only £48.8m has been spent.

Meanwhile, the mainstream account for 2021-22 continues to suffer following the backlog of work created in the first lockdown period.

This saw all capital work suspended until the lifting of restrictions on April 26 2021.

Council officers say that labour and material shortages across the construction industry in the Highlands and nationally is holding up the programme.

No tender returns

Their claims are backed up by new data from the Office of National Statistics.

Their research shows that product and material costs have increased by 10% across the board, while the price of timber and sterling boards have shot up by 25% and 100% respectively.

The industry is also experiencing longer lead-in times for roofing materials, cement, insulation and sealant, with experts saying there will be no improvement until early next year at best.

As a result, some council tenders have received no bids, and others have come in higher than budget.

As the capital programme stalled, the council prioritised new heating systems and housing adaptations across its estate.

Is a bounce-back on the cards?

Despite the challenging backdrop, the council is sticking to its ambitious new build targets.

It has completed 120 new units this financial year and expects to meet the full spend against budget.

Committee chairman Ben Thompson is feeling optimistic. Speaking ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Mr Thompson said he expects a strong bounce back.

“In the current financial year, we are expecting around 830 new house completions, between the council and its housing partners,” he said.

“The year after that, we would hope to build another 500. So over this year and next a total of 1,330 new homes should become available.”

Approved last November, the council’s strategic housing investment plan aims for 500

units per year, of which 70% will be rented and 30% for affordable purchase.

Mr Thompson says the council will continue to aim for that rate, despite Covid and Brexit continuing to have an impact on labour and materials.

“Those two factors have led to some important material costs increasing rapidly, particularly cement and timber,” said Mr Thompson. “That is feeding through to the willingness of contractors to quote for projects, which in turn impacts on delivery of projects going forward.

“That said, the council remains committed to delivering its housing targets, to meet the need for new housing in Highland communities.”

 

Source: The Press & Journal

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GREEN LIGHT FOR CONTROVERSIAL GRETNA DEVELOPMENT

A HUGE housing development on the former Gretna golf course has been approved despite strong opposition from the community.

Alba Developments have been given the green light to build 200 homes on the 11-hectare site, with the first brick set to be laid in early 2022.

As part of the legal agreement with Dumfries and Galloway Council, the developers will also contribute £570,000 towards an upgrade of the over-stretched Gretna Primary, along with £250,000 towards upgrading water connections.

The application came before the planning committee on Tuesday where it was heard that Gretna and Rigg Community Council opposed the plans.

A 78-signature petition and 23 letters of objection were also submitted to the council in opposition to the proposals on the site, which hasn’t been used for golf for more than 15 years.

Most of the concerns relate to water and sewage, access roads potentially being unsuitable for the amount of traffic that will be using them, positioning of the access roads and worries about the overcrowding of Gretna Primary School.

Objector Charles Dodd highlighted worries around flooding, sewage, and the scale of the development.

He said: “I ask the committee to take these serious concerns into account as the additional water run-off during prolonged periods of rain from roofs, drives, roads, and sewage from 200 homes could devastate existing properties to the east unless correctly assessed.

“Who is responsible if flooding occurs in the future when information is readily available now?”

Objector Janet Dodd added: “I fail to see why we need a development of this size when it has been well-publicised that all local facilities and services are already overwhelmed, and the community council is against it.”

Beverley Ann Robinson urged planning councillors to throw out the housing plans, saying: “This is a plan for major construction in Gretna. I believe it is the largest it has seen since the First World War.

“It must be presented to the whole of the community and all of the community must be allowed to have their say.”

Paul Scott, a planning consultant representing Alba Developments, said: “The application is seeking detailed approval to allow 200 houses to be built on a site that has been allocated for this purpose for at least seven years.

“It will allow the council to meet its housing land requirement. It will facilitate the delivery of 40 affordable houses on the site to be operated by Cunningham Housing Association.

“It will deliver a mix of housing that will meet the needs of families in the whole community.”

In up to eight construction phases, the development will include 40 homes for social rent and a mix of two-storey and bungalow semi-detached and terraced properties.

Councillors unanimously agreed to approve the application.

Shane Tickelpenny, managing director of Alba Developments, said: “We’ve already had inquiries from members of the public asking when these houses might be available, which shows how many people want to move to the thriving and growing community in Gretna.

“It is a wonderful place and I am looking forward to our development adding to that by allowing new families to move to the area.”

“The upgrades we will be making to local infrastructure and the contribution we are making to supporting Gretna Primary School are all part of our plans to help the area continue to thrive in the future and we can’t wait to get started.”

Source: DnG24

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MORE CLICK & COLLECT POINTS FOR IRONMONGERYDIRECT AND ELECTRICALDIRECT CUSTOMERS

Leading specialist trade suppliers, IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect have expanded their Click & Collect service, offering tradespeople more flexibility and convenience. 270 new pick-up points have been added to an expanding network of over 6,000 UK shops, with more planned for the coming months.

 

This added benefit for customers forms part of IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect’s ‘trusted to deliver’ promise to provide tradespeople with the products they want, when they want them. The new Click & Collect pick-up points join a growing suite of flexible delivery options for tradespeople looking to schedule orders around project lead times and demand.

The two companies recently launched a same day delivery service for those ordering deliveries to selected Essex postcodes including Southend-on-Sea, Chelmsford, Romford Ilford and East London.

In addition, IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect customers are now able to secure next day deliveries on orders placed online up until 9pm.

 

Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect said: “As part of our ‘trusted to deliver’ brand promise, we have expanded our delivery offering, so we can get products to our customers quickly and reliably to a timeframe that works for them. We now offer same day, free next day and click and collect deliveries, as well as extended late night ordering for next day delivery by 9pm.

“By offering a variety of different delivery options, we aim to provide greater flexibility for our customers, allowing them to work as smoothly as possible, especially when meeting tight project schedules.”

 

IronmongeryDirect has been supplying architectural ironmongery to tradespeople for over 50 years and has the UK’s widest range with over 18,000 products in stock. ElectricalDirect has over 12,000 electrical products available, including everything from sockets and wiring to smart home products and smoke alarms.

 

For more information or to view the products available, visit www.ironmongerydirect.co.uk and www.electricaldirect.co.uk.

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High lumber prices in the US exterts global impact

The record high lumber prices in the US shifted global lumber trade flows in the first half of 2021

  • US lumber prices reached unprecedented highs in the 2Q/21. For example, the costs for 2×4 framing pine lumber inthe US South averaged almost $800/m3 in May, up from $210/m3 as recent as February 2020 and nearly four times as much as the 20-year average price for southern yellow pine. The costs for sawlogs, typically accounting for 60-70% of the production costs when manufacturing lumber, have seen only relatively small adjustments throughout the first half of 2021 in the key lumber-producing regions of North America, according to the Wood Resource Quarterly. The favorable lumber price/sawlog cost ratio has resulted in record-high profits for lumber companiesacross the continent.
  • Canadian lumber prices have spiked similarly to US prices, with record highs in May followed by sharp declines during June through August. Canada and the US reduced lumber exports overseas in the first half of 2021 due to the strong US lumber market. The most significant decline came in North American shipments headed to China, which fell from over 1.9 million m3 in the 1H/20 to only 820,000 m3 in the 1H/21.

 

  • Two of the four largest lumber exporters in Europe, Sweden, and Germany increased their shipments substantially during the first six months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.  The significant rise in exports from Sweden and Germany was in sales to the US. Both countries have benefited from not only larger export volumes but also substantially higher lumber prices. In May 2021, average export prices for Sweden and Germany were up 83% and 93% from May 2020, respectively. The most significant changes in trade by the major European lumberexporters in 2021 have been increases in intra-continental sales and a decline in shipments to China, the US, and the MENA region.

 

  • Softwood lumber imports to China fell by 24% y-o-y in the first half of 2021. Although importation rose in the 2Q,the 1H/21 import volume has been the lowest first half in six years. It is interesting to note that China’s consumption of foreign softwood lumber as a percentage of the total usage of both lumber and logs was at its lowest level in over ten years, reports the WRQ. China’s supply from all countries except Ukraine has declined from 2020, with the most significant reductions having been in imports from the US and Sweden. In contrast, importation to China from Chile and Russia has been relatively less impacted.

 

  • The costs for lumber in China have sky-rocketed this year, reaching their highest levels on record. Canadian lumber prices have gone up the most as they have been heavily impacted by the alternative market in the US. From late 2020 to July 2021, Chinese import prices for lumber from British Columbia were up about 60% during this period.
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LaNd banking myth’s debunked by study

Housing developers’ land banking myth debunked by study

 

The myth that housing developers are hoarding land after gaining planning consent in order to benefit from a rising market has been debunked in new research by leading planning consultancy Lichfields.

Lichfields was commissioned by the Land Promoters and Developers Federation (LPDF) and the Home Builders Federation (HBF) to undertake research into how the pipeline of sites for housing development compares with what might be needed to meet the government’s ambitions for 300,000 net additional homes per annum across England.

The report – Tracking Progress, the second stage of Lichfields’ research – provides a ‘deep dive’ review of monitoring data to establish what happened to the planning permissions granted in a single base year across five case study local planning authorities (LPAs) over a five-year period.

Central Bedfordshire, London Borough of Wandsworth, Cheshire East, Colchester, and Stratford-on-Avon LPAs were chosen to provide a geographical spread and mix of types of authority area.

The report states: “None of our analysis suggests (at least outside of London) any systemic failure in converting planning permissions to development by the industry.

“The planning and development process is complicated and with risk, the mismatch between planning permissions granted and housing output on a yearly basis is readily explained by the simple matter of the time it takes to progress development through the regulatory stages, the risks associated with small site delivery (and by smaller builders), the overall phasing of build-out on larger sites, and the role of the planning system (via new planning permissions) in facilitating changes to planned development schemes to reflect practical requirements.”

Paul Brocklehurst, chairman of the LPDF, said: “This research highlights the gross over-simplification in the analysis by the Local Government Association frequently quoted in the national press and by many politicians regarding the ‘stock’ of unimplemented consents. Building on Lichfields initial Taking Stock report this latest analysis further highlights the desperate need for there to be an increase in planning consents in the short term if we are to achieve the Government’s target of building 300,000 new homes per annum.

“The Government’s Planning White Paper process has exacerbated the impact of the pandemic on the operation of the planning system causing many LPAs to pause, delay and abandon their Local Plan process. This, combined with the pressures on LPA planning resources, has led to signs that planning consents for new sites suitable for all housebuilders to build on may be declining. Urgent action is needed to ensure that the housebuilding industry, on top of the labour and supply chain challenges that they face, is not confronted in the near term with an inability to restock its land.

 

“We fully appreciate that the new Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will want to carefully review the responses to last year’s Planning White Paper proposals before making critical policy decisions. However, we would call on Government to clarify the changes they propose to make to the current planning system quickly, so that local authorities can return to producing their Local Plans, land can be allocated for much needed housing and the development industry can continue to deliver on the Government’s 300,000 per year new homes target. Provided both LPAs and the private sector can respond positively, we are convinced that confidence in the planning system can be restored.

“With that in mind, we would call upon the new Secretary of State, Michael Gove, to consider taking action to improve the effectiveness of the existing system along the lines of the ‘quick-fix’ solutions contained within the LPDF’s Agenda for Action released earlier this summer, all of which can be delivered without recourse to primary legislation. We should all be striving to address the housing emergency that exists in this country to provide the opportunity for all generations to have a place that they can call home. Perhaps then we can say we really are leveling up.”

Tracking Progress adds: “The past 10 years has seen periodic commentary about how the number of planning permissions for housing has exceeded the number of homes built.

“Often drawing upon an annual research piece by the Local Government Association (LGA), the most recent being in May 2021 which purported to show 1.1m homes with unimplemented permission, the commentary has been associated with the allegation that developers ‘hoard’ land with the intention of benefitting from a rising market, generating a ‘backlog’ of permissions waiting to be built.

“This argument leads to the hypothesis that sufficient permissions exist for all the homes that are needed nationally, but that these are simply not being built out and that ‘planning is not the problem’.

“We explored the national and sub-national picture in the first phase of this research entitled Taking Stock. This highlighted logical fallacies involved in the LGA’s method of comparing national permissions and net additions data over the same period, most notably because it double counts schemes that are subject to multiple planning permissions. These fatally undermine the credibility of the 1.1m figure, the robustness of which is not enhanced by its repetition.

“Taking Stock also highlighted that planning permissions are not matched to areas of greatest housing need; many parts of the country – where affordability pressures are greatest – have the biggest gap between homes with planning permissions and the number needed.”

Andrew Whitaker, planning director at the HBF said: “This myth that house builders land bank has been dismissed by a growing number of independent reviews. As this latest research demonstrates, aggregating numbers of outstanding planning permissions misses the ‘story’ behind each and every site that comes forward for development.

“Planning system issues remain the biggest barrier to the industry delivering desperately needed homes and the Government’s housing ambitions. Instead of hiding behind the misleading figures produced by the LGA every year, local planning authorities need to abide by the responsibilities placed on them by the planning system. If we are to meet housing targets, Local Authorities must ensure that they prepare up to date local plans, allocate a choice of sites in terms of size and location and grant all types of applications for development, including revisions and amendments, quickly and efficiently.”

The report adds: “When local residents and councillors refer to permissions that have not yet delivered, they are, in many cases, simply observing a lag period for delivery on outline schemes that is entirely to be expected. Even with that, most such schemes deliver early, with the majority of outline permissions in the research either completed or delivering – and a third of the homes on those outline planning permissions completed – within five years.”

Adopting a very broad-brush approach, and informed by the case studies (as opposed to a profiling of all permissions in the country), we conclude that when looking at the number of units granted any type of permission (both full and outline) in a given year, after five years one might expect roughly:

 

  • 3% to 5% of homes granted permission will lapse or stall;
  • 10% to 15% of homes granted permission will be superseded at a later date by a fresh permission (and not necessarily harming the pace of delivery);
  • 35% to 50% of homes granted permission will have been delivered;
  • 35% to 50% of homes granted permission will remain extant but on sites delivering on a phased basis beyond five years.

 

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JOINING FORCES TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY

The Supply Chain Sustainability School (SCSS) is leading the way for the UK’s built environment to drastically reduce onsite emissions to air that are harmful to human health and the planet, such that they will reach net zero by 2040 and contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals 3, 11 and 13.

The Plant Commitment Charter was developed by the Supply Chain Sustainability School’s Plant Group to encapsulate and communicate this approach. Each organisation signatory pledges to work toward five commitments, including: minimum standards in procurement, engagement, awareness raising & education, measurement & reporting, and innovation. The result: they contribute to a cleaner working environment.

Kier and Cheetham Hill Construction are the latest signatories to the Plant Commitment Charter. They join nineteen other organisations publicly dedicated to actively reducing their emissions from the plant and equipment they buy, hire and use.

Jade Hunt, Group Environment Manager, Kier, said “Kier have been active for a long time in reducing the impacts of its business, across all sustainability issues. Signing the School’s Plant Commitment Charter is an outward confirmation of our determined intent, and we want our suppliers and subcontractors to match our ambition.”

Howard Chamberlain, Managing Director and Owner, Cheetham Hill Construction, said: “CHC has signed the School’s Plant Commitment Charter as a clear statement that we take the impacts of our business seriously, taking action to reduce them where possible, as far as possible.”

Signatories to the Charter come from across the value chain and commit to improving air quality and reducing greenhouse emissions and any negative impact caused from their construction plant and equipment (CPE). Direct action on reducing tailpipe emissions can only lead to better local air quality for workers and neighbours, resulting in less impact on the global climate.

 Chris Matthew, Strategic Manager, Flannery Plant Hire, said: “Flannery signed the Charter in June 2020, the first to do so, because we saw value in making a public declaration of our strategy to reduce emissions across our fleet and the service we provide to our clients. We are glad to see others joining the same declaration.”

 

Lara Young, Group Climate Change Director, Costain, said: “Costain were one of the first signatories of the Plant Commitment Charter in August 2020. As an early adopter of low emission plant and having introduced several Groupwide low emission plant standards since 2017, joining the Charter was an evident next step in our journey to net zero. Tackling one of our greatest whole life cycle emissions sources and providing a clear signal to our clients, supply chain partners and Plant OEMs to know of the importance we place on taking tangible action, reducing emissions from plant and machinery. I am delighted that more organisations are following suit.”

 

Signing the Plant Commitment Charter is free and voluntary. Visit the Supply Chain Sustainability School to find out more.

 

 

 

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ENERGY CRISIS COMMENT

Mike Foster, CEO of the Energy and Utilities Alliance, says: “The current energy crisis around gas supply and demand was entirely avoidable but that doesn’t help solve the problem now. In the short term, the tools available to help are limited and expensive but may be necessary to keep fuel poverty levels in check; to keep the lights on whilst still keeping an eye on our emissions.

 

“In the longer term much more can be done and should be. This crisis should act as a wake-up call to get on with improving the energy efficiency of buildings; of ramping up of zero carbon power generation, that’s nuclear, wind as well as gas with CCS; but most of all seizing the opportunity to massively invest in hydrogen production, so we are no longer dependent of geology for our energy.

 

“Above all, this crisis should put pay to the notion that we should electrify all domestic heating in the UK. We simply cannot load high seasonal heating demand onto a system that cannot cope. It would be reckless and irresponsible to do so.”

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Fire Door Safety Week – Make Time to Save Lives

 

1.7 million renters in fear of putting tenancy at risk by raising fire safety concerns

 

  • Fire Door Safety Week research reveals more than one in ten renters fear that raising fire safety concerns will affect their tenancy
  • There is cause to complain: a third of all renters have experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open and a quarter noticed a broken fire alarm in the last 12 months alone
  • With renters also concerned about whether reporting issues will even lead to them being fixed, the Fire Door Safety Week campaign is calling for fire safety to be urgently prioritised and for landlords and individuals to Make Time to Save Lives

 

Millions of people privately renting or in social housing fear a revenge eviction if they raise fire safety concerns with landlords, despite issues such as inadequate fire doors and broken fire alarms being prevalent, new research to mark Fire Door Safety Week (20 – 26 September 2021) has found.

Shockingly, 13% of those privately renting in the UK– equating to 1.7 million people1 – fear that raising fire safety issues with their landlords will put their tenancy at risk. Furthermore, 12% of social housing tenants – equating to 468,000 people2 – have the same concerns.

The research also found that more than 1 in 10 (12%) renters wouldn’t report a fire-related issue because they thought their landlord was unlikely to fix the issue, based on previous experience. This correlated with the fact that the same proportion of renters, 12%, had not had their most recent fire safety-related issue resolved within three months of reporting it.

Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodworking Federation which organises Fire Door Safety Week, said: “Renters need to feel as though their voices are being heard and that any problems they raise will be fixed, otherwise it discourages the reporting of issues and the whole system breaks down, putting lives at serious risk. The fact that people feel anxious about reporting issues is a major cause for concern.

“The theme of this year’s Fire Door Safety Week campaign is Make Time to Save Lives, and we see this as a vital message. It’s crucial that both landlords and tenants take time to identify, report and resolve fire safety issues to ensure that lives are not needlessly lost to fires.”

 

What are the fire safety issues facing renters?

 

The seriousness of underreporting is underlined by the fact that fire safety issues are prevalent in all forms of rented accommodation.

A third (33%) of all renters have experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open in the last 12 months, a quarter (25%) have been living with a broken or missing fire extinguisher, and just under a quarter (23%) were aware of a smoke alarm that wasn’t working. More than one in 10 renters (14%) have had concerns over their building’s cladding in the past year and the same proportion have noticed a fire exit in their property being blocked.

Exploring these issues in more detail, research found that people living in privately rented housing are more likely to be living with fire safety-related issues in their homes than social housing tenants. Twice as many private renters had experienced a smoke alarm not working in the last 12 months and three times as many had experienced fire doors being damaged or propped open in the same period, compared to those living in social housing.

Commenting on these findings, Helen Hewitt said: “Fire safety measures such as fire doors play a vital role in containing the spread of smoke and fire, allowing building occupants to safely exit a building in the event of a fire while emergency services respond. It’s shocking that despite the government’s focus on improving fire safety across the UK, those in rental properties continue to be put at risk through inadequate fire safety measures including damaged fire doors.

“In England alone there were 176 fire-related fatalities in dwelling fires and more than 6,500 non-fatal casualties in 2020. Private and social housing landlords have a duty of care to ensure that their tenants live in safe properties, and we urge then to act without delay so that those people are protected.”

Gavin Tomlinson, Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Protection Committee said: “Fire doors that are damaged, poorly fitted or wedged open are not fire doors, they are just doors – they will not save lives or protect property.

“We encourage tenants to report any fire safety concerns to their landlord and if these are not resolved contact your local authority or seek advice from your fire and rescue service. It’s important that the minority of landlords who do not comply with the law should not be allowed to ignore fire safety and put the lives of tenants at risk.”

 

Making time for fire safety

 

The research also highlighted that among both renters and homeowners, fire safety is a lower priority when it comes to fixing or reporting broader household problems. Overall only 5% of people would report a fire door being damaged, compared to 32% who would report or fix their front door not locking properly, 17% who would report appliances not working and 11% who would report a porch light not working.

Helen Hewitt concluded: “It only takes one fire for the importance of fire doors to become very apparent, very quickly. Together we can all play a part in ensuring they remain fit for purpose and ready to help save lives, and we urge people not to wait to check their fire doors.”

For more information on Fire Door Safety Week, CLICK HERE:

 

1 13.1% of 13 million in privately rented homes is 1.7 million.

2 12% of 3.9 million in socially rented homes is 468,000.

3 England – 153,278 fires, 221 fire casualties / Scotland – 24,471 fires, 27 fire casualties / Wales – 10,585 fires, 10 fire casualties

 

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