Competence Steering Group's 149-page report on construction competency makes 67 recommendations
An interim report which aims to improve the competency of those working in the construction industry in the wake of the Grenfell disaster has been put out for consultation.
The 149-page report, Raising the Bar, has been produced by the Competence Steering Group (CSG) as part of the industry's response to Dame Judith Hackitt's post-Grenfell review of building regulations and safety.
Construction Industry Council chief executive Graham Watts, who is the chair of the CSG, said: "We are particularly concerned to understand whether we have the balance of competence enhancements at a level that will truly raise the bar and lead to behavioural changes, and whether there are unintended consequences that we should understand.
"The combination of enhanced competence standards for those working on higher risk buildings and an independent process for overseeing this new regime will – irrespective of anything else that arises from the Hackitt reforms – mean that the industry is at last taking the life safety of those who will occupy the buildings we create just as seriously as the safety of those who build them."
The report has laid out 67 recommendations, including calling on the government take the "lead and require that any company or individual working on government construction projects must meet the competence frameworks set out within this report".
It also said the government should ensure that those working on site should be registered or certified by a recognised professional body or certification body.
The interim report is now out to consultation, with all responses required by 18 October.
The 'Raising the Bar' report calls for:
- A new oversight body - the Building Safety Competence Committee - which will monitor assessment processes, draw up a central register of dutyholders eligible to work on Higher Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs) and continually drive improvements across the sector. This recommendation dovetails with proposals set out by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in its recent consultation
- Government to mandate individuals working on HRRBs to be registered/certified by a recognised professional/or certified body
- All organisations, including professional bodies, carrying out the assessments and reassessments of an individual’s competence should themselves be subject to a rigorous system of oversight by a body such as UKAS or the Engineering Council
- The building safety regulator to hold and maintain a register of those qualified to perform the key roles with the advice of the Building Safety Competence Committee. And, additionally, to provide sign-posting to registers which should be held by the professional and trade bodies of those qualified and competent to work on HRRBs
- The period of reassessment to be no less than every five years.
- Common principles of continuing professional development (CPD) to be established for each sector, which the Building Safety Competence Committee should use to hold sectors to account.
- Fire safety CPD materials to explain basic fire science to be available to anyone working on HRRBs or managing occupied HRRBs.
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