The benefits of ISO certification are evident for any organisation that implements ISO standards correctly. Having a clear stamp of approval to demonstrate that they have met the minimum levels of conformity can benefit them greatly. This is particularly the case when it comes to matters of life and death.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the application of both health and safety and fire safety in the workplace also plays a key part and both are vital in helping to reduce the number of accidents that can cause death and significant injury.
This has never been more evident than in the case of the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017. Failures of fire safety, particularly regarding the cladding on the sides of the building, led to 72 deaths.
Seven years after the event, the long-awaited report into the disaster has now been published and the deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has stated that the law and regulations must be “toughened up”. This stance will have major implications for the construction sector.
In the first instance, seven companies may now undergo scrutiny for their role in the tragedy and failing to comply with existing laws. Ms Rayner name-checked product suppliers like Arconic, Kingspan and Celotex amongst others.
She told the House of Commons: “The report found that they acted with systemic dishonesty,” adding that they had not co-operated with the inquiry and that “the government will be using new powers under the Procurement Act 2023 to investigate them further.”
A total of 58 recommendations emerged from the report and the government has fully adopted 49 of them. Of the other nine, Ms Rayner said that they are being accepted “in principle,” but that some details need to be considered and consulted on.
These include the proposed single regulator for the construction industry. Ms Rayner said the government supports this, but not the idea that the regulator should have responsibility for testing or certifying products or certifying legal compliance.
What firms may expect is that ISO standards will be more important than ever and might even be updated in the light of the report, enabling companies to demonstrate a clear commitment to fire safety principles, but also placing on them an obligation to adjust to the new regulations.
The exact nature of the new regulations will be outlined after a public consultation concludes in May 2025.
While the government may not have agreed to have the regulator test products, it has committed to a tougher testing regime, with “tougher oversight of those responsible for testing and certifying, manufacturing and using construction products with serious consequences for those who break the rules.”
The government has launched a green paper on “a series of ambitious and far-reaching reforms aimed at enhancing safety, ensuring accountability, and fostering innovation and growth and therefore confidence across the construction sector.“
In time, it could be that the UK construction sector will need to adapt to prevent disasters such as Grenfell Tower in the future, but that will only happen because both the regulations and the commitment to upholding them will be in place.
Going forward, companies may find it essential to have ISO certification to demonstrate their credentials and commitments to safety in the construction industry.
