Industry bodies launch push to improve client understanding of Building Safety Act

On 5^th May at the Houses of Parliament, the Building Engineering Services Association and a coalition of industry bodies launched new guidance aimed at improving client understanding of the Building Safety Act.  

The new publication, Clients’ Guide to the Building Safety Act, has been produced with backing from the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee and support from organisations including Chartered Institute of Building and Cast Consultancy.

The guidance responds to growing concerns that some clients remain focused primarily on cost and programme pressures, despite the stricter legal duties introduced under the Building Safety Act. It also seeks to address confusion around the legislation, particularly the misconception that it applies only to higher-risk residential buildings.

The document sets out the legal responsibilities of clients, explains how compliance should be managed through a project lifecycle and highlights the consequences of failing to meet statutory obligations.

Speaking at the Westminster launch, BESA chief executive David Frise said the guide had been developed to help contractors and clients navigate widespread misunderstanding around the legislation.

“This Guide is designed for our members and other contractors who, when they bring up the Building Safety Act, hear the phrase: ‘But it doesn’t apply to me,’” he said.

Frise added that the publication represented a wider industry effort to improve standards and outcomes across construction and the built environment.

Jon Vanstone, chair of the Industry Competence Committee, said clients play a central role in determining project quality and safety outcomes through procurement decisions and risk allocation.

“Clients don’t just fund projects, they shape them,” he said. “Projects fail at the start, not at the end. If there is a focus on cost, that’s where problems start.”

The guide also emphasises that liability under the legislation cannot simply be transferred down the supply chain. Lilly Gallafent, owner and COO of Cast Consultancy, said the publication helps simplify complex requirements and reinforces the importance of informed client leadership.

“The legislation is opaque, and this BESA Guide pulls out what is important,” she said. “The key message to clients is that you cannot pass on the liability.”

The launch comes amid growing industry focus on competence, procurement reform and compliance, particularly as developers and contractors continue adapting to Gateway approvals and the wider regulatory changes introduced following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.