Building Safety Bill

Written evidence submitted by NAPIT (BSB32)

Executive Summary:

NAPIT welcomes the publication of the Building Safety Bill specifically its focus on industry competence. However, NAPIT is calling for greater clarification concerning Clause 84 and calls for mandatory electrical safety checks in all dwelling in higher-risk buildings (HRB), at least once every 5 years, regardless of dwelling tenure.

Who are NAPIT?

NAPIT is a leading Government approved and United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited membership scheme operator in the building services and fabric sector. There are currently more than 15,000 NAPIT registered installers in the electrical, heating, plumbing, ventilation, microgeneration and building fabric trades across the UK domestic, commercial, and industrial markets.

NAPIT are focused on raising standards and safety within the building services sector and support our members to work competently, compliantly, and safely.

Clause 84: A lack of instructions for the Accountable Person

The bill lacks clear instructions as to how the Accountable Person should manage and monitor the safety of electrical installations within HRBs. Clause 84 (Management of Building Safety Risks) suggests that an Accountable Person for an occupied higher-risk building must take all reasonable steps to;

a) Prevent a building safety risk materializing as regards the part of the building for which they are responsible

b) Reduce the severity of any incident resulting from such a risk materializing.

It is noted within the bill that these risks include preventing the spread of fire, structural failure, and other matters but there is not a specific reference to electrical safety. This is despite approximately 19,300 Accidental domestic fires of electrical origin between 2010 and 2021 [1] .

NAPIT is calling for great clarity concerning whether the actions above extend to an Accountable Person being responsible for monitoring and managing the safety of electrical installations in communal areas and individual dwellings.

The Accountable Person’s role should be extended to include:

1) Informing and educating residents of HRB’s on monitoring and maintaining the safety of their electrical installation and appliances

2) Responsibility for ensuring electrical safety checks are undertaken in all dwellings with a HRB at least once every 5 years

A call for mandatory electrical safety checks

Point 188 from the Housing, Community and Local Government Select Committee’s pre-legislative scrutiny proposed the inclusion of supplementary provisions within the Bill for mandatory electrical safety checks within the Building Safety Bill. This recommendation was not adopted, and whilst the Government’s response to this recommendation noted the steps that had been introduced and those that were being considered for the private rented and social rented sector, no mention or acknowledgment was given to the risk posed to residents of electrical installations in owner-occupied dwellings. This results in differing levels of safety dependent upon tenure. NAPIT are calling for clarity of this issue through the Building Safety Bill and calls for parity of electrical safety for all residents to be a priority.

September 2021