A Sector in Transition

UK building fire safety is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Building Safety Act 2022, and a succession of regulatory changes have fundamentally altered the landscape for developers, building owners, managing agents and fire engineers. This article looks at where the sector is heading — the trends, technologies and regulatory developments that will shape building fire safety over the next decade.

The Continuing Implementation of the Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act 2022 is still in the early stages of implementation. Many higher-risk buildings are still working through the registration and building safety case process. The first cohort of Gateway 2 submissions are being assessed. The competence framework reforms recommended by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report are being developed. The next several years will see the full implications of the Act become clear — and the pace of change will accelerate.

Competence Reform and Professional Registration

The Grenfell Inquiry's focus on competence across the construction industry will result in tighter professional registration requirements for those involved in higher-risk buildings. For fire engineers, this is likely to reinforce the existing premium on Chartered Engineer status — but may also create more formal mechanisms for demonstrating and checking competence, potentially including statutory registration similar to that which exists for structural engineers and architects.

Digital and AI Tools in Fire Engineering

Digitisation is transforming fire engineering practice. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is enabling the integration of fire engineering data into the digital building model — with fire compartment information, fire resistance specifications and escape route data embedded in the model rather than produced as separate documents. This reduces errors, improves coordination and facilitates the golden thread requirements of the Building Safety Act.

AI tools are beginning to assist with fire strategy review, compliance checking and fire modelling. Over the coming years, these tools are likely to accelerate the fire engineering process for routine projects — though the judgement of a chartered fire engineer will remain essential for complex and higher-risk buildings.

The Cladding Remediation Programme

The remediation of dangerous cladding from UK residential buildings is a decade-long programme. As of 2025, thousands of buildings are still awaiting remediation. The completion of this programme will require significant ongoing involvement of fire engineers in assessment, design, specification and sign-off of remediation works. Fire safety engineers with PAS 9980 and external wall expertise will continue to be in high demand.

The Growing Role of Fire Engineers in Asset Management

Post-Grenfell, fire safety is increasingly recognised as a core element of property asset management — not just a construction-stage requirement. Building owners, investors and their asset managers are becoming more engaged with fire safety as a risk management issue, seeking fire engineering input on portfolio assessments, acquisition due diligence and ongoing compliance management. This is a growing area of fire safety practice.