Prioritising Safety at Vision Arch

Vision Arch operates in one of the UK’s most dangerous industries. That means we believe that safety must be embedded in every decision we make, at every level of the business.

After the tragic events at Grenfell Tower in 2017, the construction industry was profoundly impacted. The Building Safety Act marked a turning point for the industry, making sure there was an emphasis on accountability. At Vision Arch it was natural for us as a forward-thinking company with a track record of responsible leadership, accountability, and transparency to fully understand and implement this very significant piece of legislation.

That’s why we were excited to attend the Building Safety Act training course at HCS Safety led by Senior Consultant, Drew Underwood. The training really helped us to strengthen our understanding of the Building Safety Act and be able to implement the principles of the Act across all of our processes.

Some of the key elements of our approach are here:

Everyone, from our staff to our subcontractors, gets checked to make sure they have the right skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours (SKEB) for their job. That also means our senior leadership team went through BSA training ensuring they are fully competent and informed. We keep track of everyone's training and make sure they get refreshers.

The "Golden Thread" of information: we keep all design, construction, and safety information accurate and up to date throughout a project. It's all stored digitally and handed over at the end so it's there for future safety management.

For projects that fall under the new "Gateway" system, we make sure we get all the necessary approvals before moving on to the next stage (planning, pre-construction, and completion). We also get all our safety documents ready before these Gateway submissions.

If we're working on High-Risk Buildings (HRBs), we meticulously follow the Building Safety Regulator's rules, making sure we put together safety case files to show how we deal with fire and structural safety risks.

We keep residents in the loop: for the right buildings, we help with resident engagement so people know about safety features and how risks are managed. And we actually record and act on any feedback or worries they have. For HRB projects, we support resident engagement by holding briefings, issuing safety information packs, and recording feedback for continuous improvement.

Keeping good records: we keep full documentation of all design choices, products used, and safety-critical systems for inspections. It's all transparent, traceable, and auditable, just like the BSA wants.

The course really gave us a comprehensive understanding of how the Act is affecting responsibilities across the whole lifecycle of a building, and as a responsible contractor, Vision Arch has now embedded these principles into every level of our work; from governance and project management, to operational processes.

Our commitment is clearer than ever that all projects are delivered in full compliance with the requirements of the BSA from early design to handover and occupation, and that means appointing competent duty holders, preserving accurate safety information, and being able to demonstrate accountability at all levels of the organisation.

To further demonstrate our compliance, Vision Arch has also updated its third-party accreditations (including CHAS, Constructionline, and Achilles) to reflect the additional questions and evidence requirements relating to the Building Safety Act. This ensures our systems are independently verified and remain fully aligned with evolving regulatory standards.

Our approach is clear: we align our practices with the Building Safety Regulators expectations by building on the foundations of leadership commitment, competence management, robust record-keeping, and transparent engagement with clients and stakeholders. This is more than a legal obligation, but part of the fabric of our identity as a company, and we feel proud to answer the call-to-action that the Act represents, maintaining our role as industry leaders.