The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has warned that safety risks across the UK’s infrastructure have increased, not decreased, in the eight years since the devastating Grenfell Tower fire. In its latest report, Building Safeguards, the ICE calls for urgent action to address critical shortcomings in the design, construction, maintenance, and repurposing of the nation’s built environment.
Why are UK infrastructure safety risks increasing?
Despite heightened awareness following Grenfell, the UK’s infrastructure faces growing safety risks due to several compounding factors:
- Ageing Infrastructure: Much of the UK’s infrastructure is nearing or exceeding its intended lifespan.
- Extreme Weather Events: Climate change is driving more frequent and severe weather, putting additional strain on ageing assets.
- Intensified Asset Use: Infrastructure is under growing pressure from increased demand and urban density.
- Asset Repurposing: To meet net-zero targets and reduce carbon emissions, existing assets are being repurposed rather than replaced, but without adequate safety planning.
- Squeezed Maintenance Budgets: Investment in maintenance is falling short, compounding existing vulnerabilities.
ICE states these challenges demand a “step change” in how the civil engineering and construction sectors approach safety and risk management.
An action plan for safer infrastructure
The Building Safeguards review presents a clear action plan to significantly reduce safety risks and rebuild public trust. This plan focuses on three key pillars: competence, learning from failure, and culture and practice.
1. Competence: raising the bar for safety knowledge
A critical takeaway from the review is the need to ensure that only suitably qualified and experienced professionals undertake safety-critical roles. ICE is calling for:
- Increased emphasis on maintenance skills and the safe extension of asset lifespans.
- Development of practical continuing professional development (CPD) materials to support front-line practitioners.
- Exploration of specialist registers for high-risk areas.
- Mandatory safety risk management CPD for all ICE members to maintain professional registration.
With the UK Government’s 10-Year Infrastructure Strategy highlighting the importance of maintenance, ICE’s recommendations align with national priorities for safer, more resilient infrastructure.
2. Learning from failure: breaking the cycle of complacency
The Grenfell Tower tragedy exposed deep-rooted cultural and operational flaws across the construction industry. To address this:
- ICE urges a culture where lessons from failures and near-misses are openly identified and applied.
- Barriers preventing engineers from using confidential reporting systems like CROSS UK, supported by ICE, must be dismantled.
- Clients and supply chain partners should be encouraged to prioritise transparency and proactive risk management.
3. Culture and practice: driving sector-wide transformation
The review stresses the need for bold leadership to reshape industry culture and restore public confidence:
- Commissioning reviews to learn from high-risk industries with strong safety cultures.
- Producing clear industry guidance documents to define norms for safety-critical areas.
- Encouraging government and major clients to embed these safety norms into procurement processes and delivery models.
Committing to change
ICE has also committed to appointing a dedicated trustee to oversee progress, with annual public reporting to ensure accountability.
Dr Janet Young, Director General of ICE, stated: “Learning never stops, and we believe ICE can help create the change the industry needs to better serve society. I look forward to working with ICE members and colleagues across the sector to implement this review’s recommendations.”
Paul Sheffield, ICE Past President and leader of the safety risk review, added: “There’s no room for complacency; we need to get on with the tasks laid out in the action plan and make changes that will improve safety for all.”
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