The process for specifying, supplying, installing and maintaining construction products including architectural ironmongery is being reviewed as part of Dame Judith Hackitt’s ‘Building a Safer Future’ work. After the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the official Hackitt Review, an industry response group was set up in July 2017 to take responsibility for bringing in the recommendations of that review.
Its work is now being continued by the Steering Group on Competences for Building a Safer Future, and by 12 sub-groups looking at specialist areas of construction practice and consisting of people from installers, fire, housing, construction and professional organisations from within the industry.
Douglas Masterson, technical manager of the Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI), is part of Working Group 12; its focus is construction products; namely, recommendations on the final frameworks for product specification.
Douglas Masterson, pictured, said: “Amongst the many products we will be reviewing as a Group, we will be promoting best practice methods of specifying architectural ironmongery to ensure that going forward, everyone in the construction supply chain understands the important role door hardware plays in keeping building users safe.”
Led by the Construction Product Association (CPA), Working Group 12 is made up of trade associations, manufacturers, and representatives from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
For background on the Hackitt Review, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/independent-review-of-building-regulations-and-fire-safety-hackitt-review.
