BESA launches industry survey to assess building safety culture change

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has launched its third annual industry survey examining the impact of the Building Safety Act, with a renewed focus on how organisations are implementing the legislation in practice.

Supported by construction data specialist Barbour ABI and the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee (ICC), the research aims to assess how the sector’s approach to competence, governance and compliance is evolving four years after the legislation came into force.

The survey is designed to gather feedback from MEP professionals and wider supply chain organisations on how the Building Safety Act is affecting project delivery, management systems and workforce development. The findings will be used to help build a clearer picture of industry readiness and identify areas where additional support may be required.

This year's questionnaire moves beyond awareness and understanding of the legislation to focus on operational delivery, examining how businesses are responding to new requirements on live projects and within day-to-day operations.

Topics covered include the management of long-term project records, compliance challenges arising from programme and cost pressures, and the role of contractors in challenging decisions that could compromise safety outcomes.

BESA said the findings would help inform future guidance and support programmes while providing valuable insight to regulators and policymakers on the practical challenges facing the building services sector.

Rachel Davidson, BESA's director of specialist knowledge, said the survey had become an increasingly important measure of the industry's progress since its launch three years ago.

She said: "This year we are looking closely at operational maturity and how the legislation is affecting real-life projects, including what impact it is having on business growth and where competence gaps lie."

Davidson added that the association was keen to understand how organisations were managing competence, leadership and compliance "in practice", rather than simply through documented procedures and policies.

The survey is open to construction professionals across the UK, including those operating in devolved nations where the legislation does not fully apply, with BESA seeking to understand wider sector readiness and the implications for projects operating across different jurisdictions.

The results will contribute to a growing body of evidence on how the industry is adapting to the most significant building safety reforms introduced in a generation, as regulators and industry bodies continue efforts to drive long-term cultural change across the built environment.

Click here to take the survey https://survey.barbour-abi.com/jfe/form/SV_bw32lqIUt0rjSXI