Do clients think they are part of the construction industry?

Rachel Davidson | 20th April 2026 | Comment

The new safety regime raises questions over clients' conduct (Photo by Chris Radburn - Pool/Getty Images)

A new guide outlining their roles and responsibilities under the Building Safety Act has prompted some questions about how seriously clients are taking the new safety regime, says Rachel Davidson.

The Client’s Guide to the Building Safety Act published by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) was produced in response to BESA research, published late last year, that revealed many clients still procure projects primarily on cost and speed of delivery despite dire warnings about how this contributes to quality and safety problems. While clients ultimately bear most of the legal risk if their building contributes to death, injury or wider health and wellbeing issues, many seem to think they can pass that risk on to others through the procurement process. BESA’s Client’s Guide to the Building Safety Act points out the many weaknesses in this approach and seeks to explain how a client can comply with the legislation; not just to protect themselves from liability but also to enjoy a higher quality project and all the benefits that a better building brings to them and their own clients – the building’s users. This new guidance, produced in collaboration with eight other i...

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