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Briefing: BSI publishes competence requirements for newly regulated roles

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published three new standards, setting out competence requirements for safety management within the built environment. These include competence frameworks for the newly regulated roles of Principal Designer and Principal Contractor. This briefing looks at the frameworks.

Raising competency across the built environment
The review of building safety and regulations that followed the Grenfell Tower fire highlighted a fragmented approach to – and a lack of consistency in – the processes and standards for assuring the competence of those working on buildings as a major flaw in the regulatory system.
To meet that challenge, the Competence Steering Group (CSG) published ‘Raising the Bar’ (later updated as ‘Setting the Bar’), which included creating a suite of national standards and supporting documents in its 67 recommendations.

About the Built Environment Competence programme
BSI, supported by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, is leading an industry-driven standards programme to raise the standards of competence across the built environment and improve the safety of residents and the workforce.

The three competence frameworks are:

  1. PAS 8671:2022 – Framework for competence of individual Principal Designers
  2. PAS 8672:2022 – Framework for competence of individual Principal Contractors
  3. PAS 8673:2022 – Competence requirements for the management of safety in residential buildings


1. PAS 8671:2022 Built environment – Framework for competence of individual Principal Designers
PAS 8671 addresses competence thresholds that individuals are expected to meet when managing the dutyholder functions of the Principal Designer role. It also specifies the minimum competence thresholds needed by Principal Designers and the additional requirements for working on higher-risk buildings (HRBs).

It details the Principal Designer dutyholder’s areas of competence as:

  • Appropriate behaviour;
  • Knowledge of legislative and regulatory framework for compliance;
  • Management of design work compliance; and
  • Awareness of technical framework for compliance.


Why is it needed?
The specification informs the creation of relevant sector, discipline, or role-specific competence frameworks in a way that matches their needs. It can also be used to benchmark core competences of Principal Designers.

Who is it for?
The PAS is intended for use by:

  • Anyone interested in understanding the competence thresholds for managing the dutyholder functions of the Principal Designer dutyholder role. This includes people in the UK’s legislatures with devolved powers and in countries outside of the UK.
  • Persons assessing Principal Designer competence, including awarding bodies, professional institutions, education and training providers, and certification bodies.


It’ll be useful to:

  • Built environment design organisations;
  • Individual Principal Designers; and
  • Individuals connected to the delivery and governance of the built environment, including clients and other dutyholders, the Building Safety Regulator and other enforcing authorities, relevant accreditation bodies, relevant government departments, and insurers.

 

2. PAS 8672:2022 Built environment – Framework for competence of individual Principal Contractors
PAS 8672 specifies competence requirements for the role of Principal Contractor with regard to:

  • Roles and responsibilities;
  • Skills, knowledge and experience;
  • Behaviours and ethics;
  • Additional competences for higher-risk buildings (HRBs); and
  • Limits of competence.


It also describes specific competences common to all Principal Contractors and those which are additional for those undertaking the dutyholder role of Principal Contractor on HRBs.

Why is it needed?
PAS 8672 can be used as a benchmark against which to assess the competence of individual Principal Contractors. It can also help Principal Contractors determine their own competence limitations and identify areas of development.

It’s expected that the competence requirements in the PAS can help inform the design or review of education and training syllabuses.

Who is it for?
The PAS is intended for use by:

  • Professional institutions;
  • Regulators;
  • Enforcing authorities;
  • Licensing bodies;
  • Awarding organisations; and
  • Principal Contractors.


It will also be useful to clients, building owners and leaseholders undertaking repairs, maintenance and improvements (RMI) to buildings.

3. PAS 8673:2022 Built environment – Competence requirements for the management of safety in residential buildings
PAS 8673 specifies competence requirements for managing safety in residential buildings and other developments incorporating residential accommodation. It also gives guidance on detailed competencies and the assessment of competence.

It specifies areas of competence as:

  • Building structures and building systems, including building services;
  • Interaction of systems and components;
  • Operational practices necessary to maintain buildings safe for occupants;
  • Risk management;
  • Managing the golden thread of information, including other digital information;
  • Managing change, including the consequences of human behaviour;
  • Leadership, communication and planning skills; and
  • Personal commitment to ethical behaviour and professional standards.


Why is it needed?
The specification can be used as a benchmark against which to assess the competence of:

  • Those performing the necessary activities related to the management of building safety in residential buildings.
  • Those whose services are being contracted to carry out or support the carrying out of the management of building safety.


It can also be used to guide and assess how well dutyholders and those delegating functions to others have carried out due diligence to verify the competence of those they employ or contract.

Who is it for?
Principal users will be individuals and organisations responsible for the management of building safety in the occupational phase of the life cycle of residential buildings.

The PAS is also intended to be used by:

  • Organisations that will assess the competence and commitment of those who manage building safety, including professional bodies, trade bodies and those facilitating voluntary self-regulation;
  • National accreditation authorities;
  • Government agencies;
  • Employers; and
  • Insurers.

 

All of the competence frameworks can be downloaded here.