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Are You Ready for the Building Safety Act? Demonstrating Competence & Meeting New Standards The Building Safety Act mandates that all parties involved in construction projects must demonstrate their competence to the client. This involves evidencing your skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviour to deliver safe and compliant buildings. It’s not just about having the qualifications; it’s about continually updating your competence and adhering to industry best practices. But how exactly can you prove your competence and meet these stringent new standards? For Principal Designers and Contractors: ·        Principal Designers need to evidence compliance with PAS 8671. ·        Principal Contractors must show they meet PAS 8672 standards. ·        All professionals in the built environment must adhere to the general competence provisions of BSI Flex 8670. Further Proofs: ·        Membership in relevant professional bodies or suitable schemes. ·        Continuous Professional Development (CPD) logs. ·        Organisational capability with robust management policies, procedures, systems, and resources to uphold competence. So how can a Client be sure that they are making suitable arrangements for the planning, managing and monitoring of a project? Well in addition to the PAS assessments and BSI Flex on higher-risk buildings you should ask anyone involved in the scheme whether a serious sanction has occurred, in relation to them, within the last five years and whether there is any information available relating to any misconduct for the same party. If a sanction has occurred then additional information relating to the sanction and what actions have been taken since must be obtained.   It is now time for the construction industry to elevate our standards to improve the safety and quality within the built environment.

Building Regulations Compliance - A new culture means a new way of working. “… the new expectation is that designs presented to the regulators will need to be presented as a confident compliant design rather than an offer for the regulator to consider and offer advice as to whether compliance has been reached or whether change is needed … The obvious implication for industry is that any advisory role will need to be provided separately from those providing the regulatory role.” This advisory note from the Construction Industry Council (CIC) makes interesting reading, particularly for those who will become ‘statutory duty holders’ (clients, designers and contractors - pretty much everyone involved in construction then!). Whilst we don’t have all the detail (secondary legislation hasn’t been released yet), we do have a clear direction of travel. It is important to remember that this applies to all - not just high rise - buildings, and that we start thinking about what this means and how we can be ready! #consistentcollaborativecompliance #buildingcontrol #buildingsafetyact #construction #architects #firesafety

I'm just reading an article in the SHP online newsletter about the Principal Designer Building Regulations (PDBR) register being launched to ensure building firms are competent and compliant with new regulations. It goes on to say "The register has been designed as a resource for identifying qualified designers to meet the standards required to uphold the safety, compliance and integrity of construction projects. It has been launched by the Association for Project Safety (APS) to enable practitioners to formally demonstrate their competence in fulfilling the newly established duty-holder role under the Amended Building Regulations England, in line with PAS 8671. Mark Snelling, APS President, said: “The launch of the Principal Designer Building Regulations Register is a pivotal step towards reinforcing the competence and accountability of professionals within our industry. “It not only provides a reliable means for practitioners to validate their skills but also offers clients peace of mind in meeting their statutory duties.” Any practitioners listed on the PDBR Register will have undergone stringent assessment processes, confirming their capability to perform the Principal Designer role as mandated by the updated Building Regulations. The APS hope the new register will help clients confidently demonstrate adherence to their legal obligations and, overall, enhance safety and compliance within the construction sector. They said it is ultimately about contributing to the welfare of the public and the quality of the built environment. The APS PDBR Register is open for applications, to find out how to become listed or to find a qualified Principal Designer, visit the APS website here. You can listen to an SHP webinar on the Building Safety Act with Andrew Saunders from the Building Safety Regulator here. An SHP’S legislation update webinar with Kizzy Augustin also touched on the Building Safety Act. You can listen to it here." This will improve the industry and raise the standards of the role of the Principal Designer; great postive step.

Our article highlights crucial regulations and unveils key provisions of the Building Safety Act 2022 secondary legislation, click to read: https://lnkd.in/ees5hRmA

At Academy Consulting we continue to remain at the forefront of industry standards regarding building safety legislation. It is increasingly important for all participants in the industry to familiarise and align themselves with new regimes in order to ensure compliance. Building Safety Act - Publication of the government consultation response on the Building Control regime for higher risk buildings The public consultation on the new building safety regime for occupied higher-risk buildings (HRBs) ran from 20th July to 12th October 2022. The new regime implements stronger oversight with clearer accountability and stronger duties for those responsible for the safety of higher- risk buildings (HRBs). It will apply throughout the design, construction and occupation and includes stronger enforcement and sanctions to deter and rectify non-compliance. The new regime will come into force on 1st October 2023 and following the consultation there are revisions to the transitional period arrangements. The consultation allows the implementation to take account of industry concerns. The consultation outcome has now been published by the Department of Levelling up, Housing and Communities. [See Link in the comments below] For further information and how we can help to fulfill your obligations under the Act see below or please contact us: consult@academy.eu.com

MAJOR CHANGES TO THE BUILDING SAFETY ACT: WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR Following the #Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Building Safety Act 2022 aimed to revolutionise the way buildings are designed and constructed. While this was a major shift in the regulatory framework, further significant changes were introduced on 1st October 2023. Although the initial transitional period was set to end on 6th April, this was extended until 6th July to avoid the industry grinding to a halt. So, what should we look out for now that built environment professionals have longer to prove their competence? Seen as a more stringent regime for the regulation of all controlled building work, including the statutory registration of all building control inspectors, the amendments will create a category of ‘higher risk buildings’ (HRBs) that will be overseen by the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). In fact, the Act will create a more rigorous and demanding regime for the planning, design, construction and operation of prescribed classes of buildings, with new building control and planning gateways, safety cases, accountable persons, and a statutory golden thread of information, all linked to a formal certification of a building by the BSR. Additionally, the introduction of new regulations covering the competence of those who undertake building work and new statutory roles for designers and contractors on all projects will apply to not just HRBs but all building work, impacting any project that requires building regulations approval – with only limited exceptions. https://lnkd.in/eBm_A-RW

Based on linkedin items recently viewed and comments made it is essential for all those involved in "property and construction" to get on board and adhere to the amended legislation - Building Safety Act: What’s changed from 1 October FROM THE 1 October 2023 a number of new regulations came into force under the Building Safety Act 2022, and they don't only affect high-risk buildings. The Building Regulations etc. (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2023 covers a series of new reforms. However, while these reforms might seem more heavily weighted towards ensuring the safety of higher-risk buildings (HRBs), the new regime introduces fresh terminology, roles, responsibilities and other criteria that are important to understand for all projects that fall under building regulations. Roles and responsibilities of the dutyholder One of the most important changes is the dutyholder regime detailed under part 2a of the Building Regulations. It is designed to regulate and hold to account, those who are responsible for planning and executing the construction of new buildings and, the renovation of existing ones. Under the regulations, the dutyholder is defined as the client (the person who is responsible for commissioning the building work), the principal designer and the principal contractor. Where there is more than one designer or contractor on a project, there must be an agreement and declaration in writing as to which holds the role of 'principal'. The regime comes with competence requirements for all dutyholders. They need the right skills, knowledge, and experience for the design and construction work they're responsible for. Additionally, they must restrict themselves only to work that falls within the scope of their competence. These competency requirements extend to all construction projects where building regulations apply. Under the regime, dutyholders will also need to ensure that there are processes in place to plan, oversee and regularly inspect design and building work to ensure compliance with building regulations. They must also cooperate with each other in coordinating work and providing information to the other duty holders. What's more, dutyholders will be obligated to report to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR), any circumstances that may pose a risk of fatal or severe injuries. These disclosures come with whistle-blower guarantees, which protects those reporting concerns, shielding them from criminal prosecution. Neglecting this obligation could result in criminal charges.

An article I wrote with regards to the Building Safety Act and what changes we are looking to make with regards to content at NBS is now available online to read. It also includes helpful links on the Act and other sources of guidance. https://lnkd.in/emua-gkX

Over the past year, we've observed that the Building Safety Act has a broad impact, affecting nearly all construction projects in various ways. 🏗 A recurring question from clients has been about the new declarations required upon completion of works to obtain building regulation approval. ❔ 💡 It's important to note that these requirements apply to most projects, not just High-Risk Buildings (HRBs). These declarations represent an additional step in the compliance process. Jayne Meakin and I have compiled a concise guide to shed some light on this subject. So, make yourself a cup of tea and take a moment to read through it. ☕ https://lnkd.in/ewgVr3zw Should you need any advice tailored to your specific project, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team! Mark Macaulay, Bruce Hale, Roddy Cormack, Jayne Meakin, Elizabeth Darley, Elspeth Nuttall, Emma Aitken, Alec Cameron, Lucy Rice, Tracey Summerell #Dentons #DentonsConstruction #DentonsProjects #BuildingSafetyAct #BuildingRegulations