At Summit Environmental every month is Building Safety Month, as our work is all about ensuring buildings meet the required safety standards. However, May is the official International Code Council (ICC) Building Safety Month, which we, of course, want to spread awareness about.
Why is building safety so important?
Approximately 90,000 people globally die from asbestos-related deaths each year.
There were 272 fire-related fatalities in the year ending March 2022 in the UK.
In the EU/EEA, there were 704 fatalities as a result of legionella in 2021.
Building Safety Month
The ICC is a global council which creates building codes, known as I-Codes, to ensure buildings across the world are safe, resilient and sustainable. In the UK, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) sets standards for construction and building safety, being set up after the Grenfell tragedy and the passing of the Building Safety Act of 2022.
The BSR’s principles align with those of the ICC, and it aims to:
· Inspire and drive cultural change in the built environment industry
· Ensure people feel safe in their homes
· Reinstate confidence in building standards and safety.
The Building Safety Act 2022 introduced new legal duties and roles for the organisations and people responsible for managing building safety risks. Corporate responsibility for building safety is an increasing priority as the BSR must see a demonstration that the safety of the building is being properly managed.
As the theme of this Building Safety Month is “Mission possible”, the campaign aims to help businesses and individuals understand what is needed for buildings to be safe and sustainable, and to make sure homes, workplaces, schools and public buildings meet safety standards. Part of the initiative is “Preparing for a building safety plan”, which is a call to action for block management companies, landlords and anyone responsible for building safety.
How we ensure building safety
At Summit Environmental, we do it right because it matters – building safety and risk assessments need to be rigorous, as the shocking statistics above show.
We offer surveys, testing, consultancy, training and remediation in:
· Asbestos
· Fire
· Legionella
· EPC’s
· Material sampling
· IHM’s & SRP’s
· Deleterious materials
Building safety doesn’t end after May, it’s a continuous process of education and staying rigorous – principles that we’re proud to have at the core of Summit Environmental
