Overview

In facilities and property management, there are various requirements for ensuring the effective management of safety, be that building safety, health and safety, or fire safety. 

Join IWFM and our partners Ark Workplace Risk as we discuss why safety management systems (SMS) are so important in occupied buildings and what they look like. After a short presentation outlining key principles, the panel will discuss practical insights on how to successfully implement and manage safety on an on-going basis.

While safety management systems form the backbone of how building, health and safety and fire safety is managed, the plethora of system frameworks available can be confusing. From HSG65 to ISO45001, BS9997 and ILO-OSH, they each offer varying requirements for the different areas of safety management. FMs, however, are critical to the effective implementation of such systems in occupied buildings.

When it comes to the Building Safety Act 2022, the SMS will form a pivotal role in the development of the Safety Case Report and demonstrating to the Building Safety Regulator and residents that the accountable person is taking the management of building safety seriously and has everything in place.

In this session, we will consider key elements of effective safety management, including:

• what is a safety management system?
• the role of technology in safety management
• the FM’s role in supporting accountable and responsible persons in building safety management
• safety management systems and the Building Safety Act 2022
• making safety management systems workable and avoiding the pitfalls.

Speakers

David Hills FRICS, FIIRSM, MIFireE, MSFPE, RSP

Senior Director , Regulatory, Technical & Technology Solutions, Ark Workplace Risk

David has over 23 years of experience at Ark, starting in local authority building control and overseeing major construction sites like the Channel Tunnel Terminal Site. As Senior Director of Regulatory, Technical and Technology Solutions, he leads our Research and Development team. David is highly respected in the property sector, assisting numerous clients with risk management in the built environment. He chaired a Government Sponsored/RICS committee that influenced the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and has advised various organisations on building safety. Additionally, David is a Company Director of Ark Sustainability Ltd and serves on the Homes England panel for FRAEWs. 

Sofie Hooper

Head of Policy and Research, IWFM

Sofie Hooper leads on the IWFM’s wider policy and public affairs work, helping to raise the voice of the Institute, its members and the wider workplace and facilities management sector. She engages with stakeholders to ensure best practice is taken on board and concerns affecting workplace and facilities professionals are mitigated.

Covering a wide range of activities and areas, sustainability, workplace and building safety form the core agenda. Sofie has been leading on IWFM’s Building Safety Manager work programme, feeding into the legislative process towards the Building Safety Bill.  She provided the Secretariat for the Competence Steering Group’s Working Group 8, which developed the Building Safety Managers competence framework. 

In addition to being the co-author of the Group’s report, Safer people, safer homes: Building Safety Management, she is a regular contributor to Facilitate. Building on WG8’s recommendations, Sofie is a part of the Interim Executive of the Building Safety Alliance, a cross sector collaboration which is working to improve holistic building safety competence across the occupation phase. She is also a part of the Steering Committee for the DLUCH sponsored PAS 8673, which is setting the competence specification for Building Safety Managers.