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If you’re reading this, you are likely to be in the M&E sector and are aware of the growing legislation within the sector; especially with regard to the new Building Safety Act and how it calls for greater accountability and evidence.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) have developed 3 new framework documents, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS), off the back of the Act and the BSI Flex 8670, each with a different focus:
- PAS 8671:2022 Built environment - Framework for competence of individual Principal Designers – Specification.
- PAS 8673:2022 Built environment - Competence requirements for the management of safety in residential buildings – Specification.
- PAS 8672:2022 Built environment - Framework for competence of individual Principal Contractors – Specification. This is the focal point of today’s article.
It will cover the following:
- What is PAS 8672:2022?
- Why was PAS 8672:2022 released?
- Why is PAS 8672:2022 important?
- How exactly will PAS 8672 impact Tier 1 contractors?
- How will it impact M&E Contractors?
- Conclusion
What is PAS 8672:2022?
The PAS 8672 in particular specifies the competence requirements for 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 focusing on the legal & moral duties to provide safe buildings. (That includes all buildings – not just high-risk residential buildings/HRRBs).
While it is mainly aimed at Principal Contractors to determine their own levels of competence and identify areas where they fall short, professional institutions, licensing bodies, regulators, enforcing authorities, and awarding organisations can also use the PAS to assess the competence of Tier 1s.
It’s also relevant to other individuals in construction such as clients, building owners, and leaseholders who undertake repairs to buildings.
Why was PAS 8672 released?
As mentioned, the proposed framework was developed in response to the Building Safety Act. If you don’t already know, that was initially raised as a Bill amid the wake of the Grenfell tower disaster and the Hackitt report which followed and recommended a series of changes to the building safety regime.
The Act represents a paradigm shift in the way residential buildings are to be designed, built, managed, and regulated, and the PAS 8672 publications are intended to help the industry meet the challenges set by the Act.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) supported the BSI in developing this PAS (and two others, the PAS 8671 and 8673). All of which aim to raise the quality of work, behaviour, and culture of individuals working in the built environment.
Why is PAS 8672 important?
The BSA and subsequent secondary legislation will require the contractor with control over the building to be appointed as the Principal Contractor.
The PAS significantly matters because it means these Principal Contractors will be judged on whether they have the skills, knowledge, experience and appropriate behaviours to fulfil their duties (see below subheading).
How exactly will it impact Tier 1 Contractors?
The PAS 8672 expects Tier 1s to possess a core level of competence that applies to all types of building projects, regardless of complexity. This includes specific competencies that may vary depending on the demands of each project.
Tier 1s are also expected to plan, manage, and monitor building work, while also understanding the requirements of legislation. They must cooperate, communicate, and coordinate with other dutyholders and stakeholders at the same time.
Additionally, they are responsible for leading and developing the competencies of those under their control, providing clear guidance and encouragement and using reliable, nationally recognized sources of industry information and standards in decision-making.
The PAS 8672 also expects Tier 1s to manage project budgets without compromising the safety of people in and around the building, and coordinate the building work to allow time for delivery of a technically compliant and safe building.
Furthermore, they must procure quality-assured materials, products, and building systems that are safe and fit-for-purpose.
Tier 1s must maintain all relevant information about the building, i.e. the Golden thread. This information, derived from the design and construction processes, must be managed and its passage to the client and Accountable Person maintained.
Finally, the PAS 8672 expects Tier 1s to recognize the limits of their own competencies and those under their control.
The PAS 8672's expectations of Tier 1s are intended to ensure that the highest standards of competence and professionalism are met in the construction industry.
How will the PAS 8672 impact M&E contractors?
Just as this PAS will affect Tier 1 contractors, it only makes sense that this will have a knock-on effect on M&E contractors/subcontractors.
Firstly, when it comes to procuring products, M&E contractors must engage early with the Tier 1 contractor as well as the internal stakeholders. They should communicate to them the importance of procuring at an earlier stage as this is the key to ensuring only specified anchors arrive on site, and only systems made up of components that have been tested with the channel, as part of a system, are in fact installed.
Another responsibility for M&E contractors is leading and developing the competencies of those on site, which could simply mean ensuring all operatives/installers and supervisors have undergone a compliant training course and used the evidence of this for the Golden thread of information.
Speaking of that, as the Golden thread is required of Tier 1 contractors, they will need to acquire the necessary information from their subcontractors. This will mean investment from the M&E contractor’s side in IT systems that can accurately record all technical data on each construction product that arrives to site, any evidence of installers’ training e.g. certificates, and any other documentation that may be of use, from the planning stage all the through to project completion.
Conclusion
While this all may seem like information overload, all in all, these frameworks are significant steps towards improving the safety and competence of the built environment sector.
They represent an important response to the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, showing that the industry is taking the health and well-being of occupants (and everyone affected) more seriously.
The BSA isn’t going away, and it applies to 𝘢𝘭𝘭 buildings.
So, what do you say? Are you going to make a head start?
REFERENCES:
https://www.cic.org.uk/news/new-standards-launched-to-improve-competency-in-building-safety
https://www.ciob.org/industry/politics-government/consultation/PAS8672
