The Industry Safety Steering Group (ISSG) has released a state-of-the-industry assessment, finding that the industry is not keeping up with the government in terms of safety
Construction safety culture is changing far too slowly, say the ISSG, with many treating it as a ‘compliance exercise’ instead of a cultural change.
Seven years on from Grenfell disaster, the government is driving for a cultural shift to prevent anything of that scale from happening again.
The industry may not be getting the message
While the government and safety regulators have mostly accepted all of the recommendations made by the final report following the Grenfell inquiry, large sections of the industry seem to be reluctant to follow. The ISGG report points to the high number of Gateway 2 and Gateway 3 applications being rejected for not meeting regulations.
Furthermore, the ISGG implies that many organisations are continuing on ‘business as usual,’ and not engaging with the Building Safety Act or treating it as optional. Procurement models, for example, are still driven by seeking the lowest-cost selection, often leading to reduced quality assurance and cuts to compliance activities.
The ISSG, therefore, is calling for stronger crackdowns by the government to help ensure compliance, including stronger accountability, a form if distinguishing ‘good’ companies from ‘bad’, and increase in sanctions against non-compliant organisations, and halting reliance on voluntary engagement.
Outside of the government, they also say that banks, investors, insurers, developers, and clients should all refuse to engage with or support a project unless competence and safety are demonstrated in order to provide a financial encouragement.
“There needs to be a clear goal”
The forward look of the report reads: “ISSG continues to pay close attention to incidents around the world related to building safety. While Grenfell was a devastating and defining tragedy, it was not an isolated event. Other serious incidents continue to occur, serving as sobering reminders of the risks inherent in the built environment, particularly during refurbishment and remediation works on occupied buildings. The tragedy in Hong Kong in November 2025, much like the Dagenham fire in August 2024, underscore the dangers that can arise when such work is undertaken without adequate controls and oversight.”
It continues: “We strongly believe that there needs to be a clear goal of creating an integrated digital architecture which operates across buildings, professions, and products to support culture change in the construction industry.
“We envision a future defined by a more skilled and productive workforce, creating sustained economic growth. To achieve this, the industry must speed up the positive changes already emerging in some areas and extend them to areas that still require attention. Maintaining this momentum is essential. Progress will attract new talent and that talent will, in turn, become invested in shaping the industry’s future.
“We are firmly of the view that a clear articulation of the future state, which we are all aiming for, would be helpful in shifting the debate. It would enable the many players to see the opportunities rather than working towards change motivated largely by regulatory compliance.”
Read the ISSG report in full here.
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