Pick Everard expands Building Safety Act training to drive compliance confidence among construction partners

With a dedicated Building Safety Act division in place, the consultancy, which works on a vast range of construction projects, has put in place the training initiative to support a collaborative working approach to driving up standards, drawing on the team’s specialist expertise.

It covers how to build compliance into all aspects of the design and construction process including planning, project management, monitoring progress and installation, and coordinating wider compliance strategies. In addition the training covers where responsibility lies and how to evidence this - a key aspect of the Act.

Recognising the role of education in driving up competency and compliance across the industry, Pick Everard has adopted a proactive strategy to support the implementation of the safety legislation.

This has included expanding its specialist team of building safety experts, with 28 employees now within the Building Safety Act team, and rolling out CPD sessions to colleagues and clients across the country.

Initially launched as an internal training programme to enhance knowledge across all divisions and roles to ensure employees have direct access to clear, actionable advice, whatever the scale of the project, the scheme is now being offered to clients.

Mostafa Chowdhury, National Director for Health and Safety at Pick Everard, explained that the demand for guidance around the Building Safety Act had led the consultancy to extend the training offer to clients first-hand to support work-based learning.

He said: “The Building Safety Act is driving major changes across the development of the built environment and we are committed to ensuring our teams have the knowledge and tools they need to deliver best practice at every stage of the projects they are working on.

“We believe the introduction of the legislation is a major opportunity to drive up standards, putting the UK at the forefront of safety and compliance for building design and construction.

“Through knowledge sharing we can give clients the confidence that their buildings meet the highest safety standards.”

To take advantage of training provided by Pick Everard’s Building Safety Act team, new and existing clients are being invited in the first instance to book a ‘discovery call’. This will help to identify risks, priorities and compliance pathways already in place to shape learning activities and training workshop resources.

Expert advice is available to partners across a wide range of project areas including high-rise buildings, large-scale developments, heritage sites and higher-risk buildings.

Vaso Vaina, associate principal designer at Pick Everard and chair of the RIBA Surrey branch, said: “We want to make a real difference in the way we approach building safety.

“By investing in the CPD of our teams and simplifying the processes for our clients, together we can navigate the changes brought in under the Building Safety Act with skill and professionalism.”