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Dec 3, 2024 | 
mondaq.com | Michelle Essen |Claire Best |Charlotte Hall |Emily Cox
Disability and neurodiversity representation is crucial in
shaping inclusive practices in both the UK and the US. Recent
statistics tell us that around
(approximately 24% of the population). In the US, about 70m adults have a disability (roughly 28.7% of
the adult population).
At WBD, we recognise the importance of supporting our diverse
workforce through the establishment of our disability networks and
all the hard work they do.
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Dec 3, 2024 | 
constructionmanagement.co.uk | Simon Lewis |Michelle Essen
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Nov 12, 2024 | 
projectsafetyjournal.com | Michelle Essen
A new remediation order ruling has caused confusion about higher-risk building definitions. Simon Lewis and Michelle Essen explain. This is the story of how a garden transformed a building into a higher-risk building. The wide-reaching Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) is underpinned by many supplemental regulations, with swathes of government guidance produced alongside. This guidance aims to help those seeking to understand their BSA obligations.
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Oct 23, 2024 | 
constructionmanagement.co.uk | Simon Lewis |Michelle Essen
A new remediation order ruling has caused confusion about higher-risk building definitions. Simon Lewis and Michelle Essen explain. This is the story of how a garden transformed a building into a higher-risk building. The wide-reaching Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) is underpinned by many supplemental regulations, with swathes of government guidance produced alongside. This guidance aims to help those seeking to understand their BSA obligations.
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Aug 27, 2024 | 
projectsafetyjournal.com | Michelle Essen
A new requirement under the Building Safety Act for higher-risk buildings is for mandatory occurrence reporting. Michelle Essen and Kate Hanson, from international law firm Womble Bond Dickinson, explain what it involves. Earlier this year a new mandatory occurrence reporting system was introduced in England through secondary legislation, under the overarching umbrella of the Building Safety Act 2022.
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Apr 3, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Simon Lewis |Michelle Essen
Competence is now a core pillar of the building safety regime, following the recent overhaul of the legal framework around building regulations. A new role of building regulation Principal Designer has been created (not to be confused with the already existing CDM Principal Designer).
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Mar 19, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Michelle Essen |Emily Cox
One in four UK construction workers are neurodivergent, according to a report by the National Federation of Builders (NFB). In fact, the NFB says it has "discovered that neurodiversity is not only common amongst construction workers, but being neurodiverse is actually encouraging people to pursue a career in construction". This has opened up constructive conversations in the sector around employing and supporting a neurodiverse workforce. What is neurodiversity?
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Sep 11, 2023 | 
lexology.com | Simon Lewis |Michelle Essen
Local authorities have increasingly been affected by the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) since April 2022, when the BSA came into force. While the industry has examined and discussed at length how the BSA will impact contractors and developers, local authorities themselves are in a unique position.
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Aug 21, 2023 | 
constructionmanagement.co.uk | Simon Lewis |Michelle Essen
With so much going on around building safety, it can be difficult to keep track on the proposed requirements around second staircases in high rises. Here, Simon Lewis and Michelle Essen summarise where things currently stand. In December 2022, the government announced that it was “considering rules to mandate second staircases in new residential buildings over 30m” – which is about 10 storeys high – through a consultation.
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Aug 15, 2023 | 
lexology.com | Simon Lewis |Michelle Essen
While everyone in the construction industry is going to be impacted by the changes being brought about by the Building Safety Act 2022 (Act), there is no doubt that architects will be one of those right at the coalface. So in what ways will the Act impact architects? Here are three key areas for architects to be aware of:New duties in complianceThe dutyholder regime is not yet in force, but is coming soon.
