AXA welcomes building safety standards legislation promised in Queen’s speech

The promised laws to implement new building safety standards, as outlined in the Queen’s Speech yesterday, have been welcomed by Douglas Barnett, director of mid-market and customer risk management at AXA Insurance.

Learning lessons from the Grenfell Tower fire, the aim is to put in place new and modernised regulatory regimes for building safety and construction products, ensuring residents have a stronger voice in the system. The legislation will set out a new safety framework for high-rise residential buildings, taking forward the recommendations from Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review into the disaster.

"AXA welcomes the government's focus on building safety standards in the Queen's Speech as it could bring significant and needed safety improvements,” said Barnett. “For too long there has been inconsistency in this area and we hope that this legislation will be made a priority so people can feel safe in their homes. As the government works on the details of this new law, we hope ministers will consider the proposals we’ve submitted in the recent consultation on building safety regulations.

“Fire risk assessors should hold appropriate third-party certification. Future safety regulations should apply to residential buildings of 18 metres or more (and not just from 30 metres), as well as any building housing vulnerable people. Communication with residents should be free of jargon. And implementation of safety measures should be enforced across the entire life span of buildings.”

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