The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) has appointed Gill Kernick as independent chair of its statutory residents’ panel.
The panel, which was established under the Building Safety Act 2022, helps ensure that the voices and experiences of residents inform BSR’s work to improve the safety of higher-risk buildings (HRBs) and support the building safety regime.
Independent chair is a voluntary role and Kernick will serve in a personal capacity. Kernick has worked with organisations in high-hazard industries for several decades and was also a resident of Grenfell Tower between 2011 and 2014.
She is currently employed by Arup as director of strategy and culture realisation, where her work includes leading a global programme working on safety culture.
Charlie Pugsley, BSR acting chief executive officer, said: “Residents are central to the building safety regime and their experiences are essential to helping us build a regulatory system that is effective, proportionate and concentrates on the people it exists to protect. I am delighted to welcome Gill as independent chair of the residents’ panel and look forward to working with her and the panel as they help shape and improve our work.”
Kernick added: “Residents bring a unique understanding of building safety through their everyday lived experience. By bringing this knowledge and insight together with technical expertise, we can help create safer homes. The residents’ panel provides an important opportunity to ensure that residents’ voices and expertise can meaningfully inform, challenge and refine the building safety regime.”
