At present, Covid-19 presents a huge challenge to the UK property industry but, despite the lockdown, we cannot ignore our sector’s other biggest issue – building safety. Post-Grenfell, safety in the residential block sector is being completely overhauled and many of the recommendations coming from the Hackitt Review hinge on data collection and management.
With this in mind, today the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) publishes Who shares Wins: the impact of technology on building safety, a white paper highlighting the key issues raised by the impact of technology on building safety.
The new publication details the importance of data-sharing and advances in building technology in the residential block sector, with a particular focus on fire safety and setting out next steps for the property management profession.
Post-Grenfell, safety in the residential block sector is being completely overhauled and many of the recommendations coming from the Hackitt Review hinge on data collection and management. For the first part of its 2020 Tech Insight programme, the IRPM brought together a group of leading industry experts to discuss the impact of technology on building safety and examine the barriers to implementation. The white paper captures this conversation, highlighting the technological challenges for the sector that impact the delivery of building safety.
Key points are that:
- Information and data sharing at planning and construction stage are central to the safety of residential buildings
- Poor access to building information among property managers results in a lack of knowledge around the safety of the building structure and the materials used in construction
- Getting the right level and quality of information will be the challenge for the future.
To address these challenges, the paper pinpoints the need for three fundamental steps:
- Improved data sharing
- New legislation
- Collaborative working between government and key industry stakeholders.
Launching the White Paper today, Andrew Bulmer, CEO of IRPM said: “These discussions and white papers are pivotal for change, change that is very much needed in the industry, to bring together all key stakeholders to initiate legislative change, that will benefit all parties involved, including residents.”
Please click here to download the full white paper.
