24 March 2021
BSI, in its role as the UK National Standards Body, begins phase two of the Built Environment Competence programme.
Marking the end of phase one of the programme, the third and final iteration of the overarching competence framework standard will be published in April.
The standard named BSI Flex 8670 v3.0 Built environment – Overarching framework for competence of individuals – Specification, will provide a set of core competence principles including managing, communicating, and delivering safety. It also covers ethics, processes, building systems, regulations, risk management and fire and life safety.
The development of three new standards that meet the urgent need for competent individuals to ensure the safety of residents has begun. The new standards, outlined in the overarching framework, are titled:
- PAS 8671 Framework for Competence of Principal Designer
- PAS 8672 Framework for Competence of Principal Contractor
- PAS 8673 Framework for Competence of Building Safety Manager
The new key roles will have overarching responsibility for the main activities affecting building and life safety at each stage of a building’s life cycle: design, construction and operation. They require enhanced competencies in addition to any discipline-related competencies, relating to their overarching role to ensure that the design intent of the building is maintained and that workers employed and used in design, construction, refurbishment, maintenance and operation are suitably competent.
Find out more about the Built Environment Competence programme and how you can get involved.
About the Built Environment Competence Programme
The programme aims to tackle the competence shortcomings identified in the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, Building a Safer Future, conducted by Dame Judith Hackitt. It is a part of the package of measures recommended by the Steering Group on Competence for Building a Safer Future (CSG) which were set out in Raising the Bar. The government-funded programme is designed to support the delivery of regulatory policy and the new regulated roles responsible for building safety set out in the forthcoming Building Safety Bill, while also enabling the large-scale industry-led programme to raise competency across the sector.
