Rosie Killip founded Building Networks and teaches building, fire and safety compliance. She talks about what she finds when she asks who is checking the safety systems in a building.
Rosie describes a system the legislation set up as a triangle of council, owner and independently qualified person. She says it has turned into a hexagon of subcontractors where a tick can go on a form for something nobody looked at. We talk about wedged-open fire doors and blocked escape paths, why people break rules they understand perfectly well, being brave enough to give a client the truth and her push for a conference that puts health and safety, fire safety and building compliance people in the same room.
What we cover in this episode
- How building compliance rules moved from prescriptive to judgement-based
- Why people break rules they understand
- The triangle that became a hexagon
- Why she says ticks go on forms for checks nobody did
- Fire doors, escape paths and everyday risks
- Being brave enough to say it
- Bringing health and safety, fire and building people together
Episode chapters
- 0:00 Meet Rosie Killip
- 2:03 Calling it out
- 4:04 A career in building compliance
- 6:05 The Building Act and how rules changed
- 9:09 Why people break rules
- 11:12 Accreditation and councils
- 13:15 What she sees going wrong
- 15:16 Too many parties, nobody checking
- 18:08 Fire safety lessons from rest homes
- 20:09 Blocked exits and everyday risks
- 25:18 Being brave enough to say it
- 30:31 Making each building better
- 32:33 A pan-industry conference
- 34:36 Legacy
Connect with Rosie Killip
Building Networks: buildingnetworks.co.nz
Free tool for this episode
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This episode sits in the Critical risk on the ground collection. Browse every episode or follow the show on Spotify so you don't miss the next one.
About the host
Matt Jones is the founder of Advanced Safety and a HASANZ-registered health and safety consultant. He's a Professional Member of NZISM, holds a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health and founded the New Zealand Health and Safety Professionals community. His book is Raise the Standard: Why Good Organisations Go Blind and How Leaders Restore Visibility.
Guests share their own views and experience. This page is general information, not legal advice. Latest update: 13 November 2026
