The Association for Project Safety has bestowed an honorary fellowship to Dame Judith Hackitt in recognition of her outstanding contribution to health and safety in the design and construction sector.
Mark Snelling, president of APS, said: “It is a privilege to recognise Dame Judith Hackitt as an honorary fellow. Her voice continues to shape critical conversations across the sector, and APS is proud to support and amplify her work in driving safer, healthier outcomes for all.”
Speaking on her acceptance, Hackitt said she was “surprised and very honoured” to be asked.
She explained: “I have a high regard for APS. It already has a strong profile and a clear commitment to safety as an integral part of delivering projects. I want to work with organisations in the built environment who get it, because there are still many who don’t. I am ready and willing to support those who want to act as leaders and make a real difference.”
Andrew Leslie, APS CEO, added: “APS is delighted that Dame Judith sees the association as one of those leaders helping to shape competence and culture across the built environment.”
Hackitt’s recognition of APS reinforces the association’s commitment to advancing competence-based assessment and professional development, supporting members in their crucial work to deliver safe and healthy buildings for all.
Reshaping building safety regulation
Hackitt played a pivotal role in reshaping building safety regulation in the UK following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire. Commissioned by the government to lead an independent review of building regulations and fire safety, she produced the landmark Building a Safer Future report in 2018, which exposed a “broken” system marked by ambiguity, weak enforcement, and a culture of cost-cutting over safety.
Hackitt’s recommendations called for a radical overhaul, including a new regulatory framework, clearer accountability across the life cycle of buildings, stronger competence requirements for professionals, and the creation of the “golden thread” of digital building information to ensure transparency from design to occupation.
Her work laid the foundation for the Building Safety Act and continues to guide reforms aimed at ensuring high-rise residential buildings are designed, constructed, and maintained with resident safety as the top priority.
