Elected mayors sign COVID-19 building safety work pledge with government

The pledge notes that, while ongoing work to buildings may feel like an “unwelcome imposition” for some residents at the current time, “with more people staying at home than before, efforts to improve residents’ safety are as important as they have ever been”.

“We will continue to do all we can to support this important work and to support affected residents”

It adds that workers’ safety and well-being must be taken seriously, and points to efforts by some employers to adapt procedures to the current circumstances.

“Employers should ensure their workers on site are able to follow this advice, and they should consider responsible arrangements for ensuring their workers can travel safely, such as through staggering site hours to reduce public transport use during peak periods.

“Recent weeks have seen some employers leading the way in adapting their procedures to ensure this important work continues, such as by allocating decontamination areas on site and by providing additional washing facilities to reduce the number of workers gathering together.

“We hope those leading the remediation work can continue where it is safe to do so and that residents feel able to co-operate with any reasonable conditions that may be required for them to be safe.

“We will continue to do all we can to support this important work and to support affected residents.”

Alongside today’s pledge, the government pointed to guidance from the Construction Leadership Council on further reducing the risk, as well as support available through construction consultancy Faithful and Gould, which has been appointed by the government to advise those planning and carrying out cladding remediation work.

In March, the National Fire Chiefs Council published revised guidance on waking watch interim measures, in the context of coronavirus, reflecting higher rates of occupancy and vulnerability due to people staying at home for an extended period of time.

Commenting on the pledge today, housing secretary Robert Jenrick MP said: “The new building safety regime will put residents’ safety at its heart and follows the announcement of the unprecedented £1bn fund for removing unsafe cladding from high-rise buildings in the Budget.

“However, I have been deeply concerned that vital building safety work has significantly slowed down as a result of the pandemic. I have been clear that work must resume to ensure the safety of residents living in buildings with unsafe cladding or with insufficient fire safety measures, and it is entirely possible for this work to be done safely within health guidelines.

“I brought together mayors and local leaders to find a solution. The agreement that I have reached with them will ensure those working on these vital repair projects can continue to do so safely.”

Peter John of London Councils added: “We cannot allow the unprecedented challenge that we have all faced with COVID-19 as an excuse to forget the challenge of making our buildings fire-safe across London and the UK.

“Councils in London want to see our residents safe in their homes, so remediation work must continue urgently and building owners and contractors must treat this work as an absolute priority.”