The research comes as the government shifts enforcement of the Building Safety Act away from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE), handing responsibility to a new fast-track unit within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Led by two former senior fire chiefs, the unit aims to address planning delays and a shortage of qualified assessors.

A recent Freedom of Information request by cost consultant Cast revealed that just 10.8% of Gateway 2 applications had been approved, highlighting the urgency of improving industry readiness.

BESA’s research, conducted in partnership with construction analysts Barbour ABI, will:

• Segment understanding by role and business type
• Measure real-world changes in behaviour and business practices
• Identify barriers to compliance and competence
• Inform future guidance and policy interventions.

Rachel Davidson, BESA’s Director of Specialist Knowledge, said: “Levels of awareness and understanding of the Act have improved in the past 12 months, but it is far from a consistent picture. We want to find out what is preventing organisations from adopting the requirements of the legislation.”

Whether you’re involved in system design, installation, or maintenance, the survey aims to capture how building safety legislation is influencing day-to-day decisions. Engineers with a clear grasp of individual competence and organisational capability are reportedly more likely to have taken steps toward compliance.

Jon Vanstone, Chair of the Industry Competence Committee (ICC), added: “Pressure is building to get more projects through planning gateways… but the industry must still meet rigorous safety standards as workloads increase.”

To accelerate progress, the government has pledged to recruit 100 new specialists to help unblock planning delays and support its goal of delivering 1.5 million new homes during this parliament.

Building Safety Minister Alex Norris commented: “We’re enhancing operations, reducing delays, and unlocking the homes this country desperately needs – while keeping safety front and centre.”

Engineers and contractors of all sizes are encouraged to participate in the research.