A new central register and a certification scheme have been launched for building safety managers following the final report and proposals for Working Group 8 – part of the industry response group tasked with developing a new framework of competence for the new Building Safety Manager role (part of the Building Safety Bill).
The Building Safety Alliance, an independent industry-led ‘not for profit’ organisation, has been formed by representatives of both the public and private sectors. It aims to implement certification of people wishing to deliver the role of building safety manager (BSM) and produce a publicly accessible register of those certified by the scheme.
In due course, it will also work with others to evaluate how organisations that wish to deliver the function of the BSM can be assessed as having the organisational capability to do so. It will also look at how to assist contractors and suppliers involved in higher-risk buildings in delivering a competent workforce that understands how to ensure that residential buildings are safe.
The role of the Building Safety Manager, which the accountable person will have to ensure is in place, will be to comply with a number of tasks including:
The Building Safety Bill, published on 5 July 2021 and which recently received its second reading in UK Parliament, confirmed the new statutory role of the BSM, a concept first developed by Dame Judith Hackitt in her review following the Grenfell fire.
Anthony Taylor, interim chair of the Building Safety Alliance
Anthony Taylor, interim chair of the Building Safety Alliance and recently named as one of IFSEC Global’s Top Influencers in Fire Safety, said: “When we were initially asked to develop the competence requirements for the new statutory role of BSM, we recognised that for the framework to work, we also needed to set up wider structures that would support the development of and drive for a recognised and uniform standard of competence.
“One of our key recommendations was the need for a register that would allow residents and accountable persons to check if the BSM for their building, meets the minimum competence requirements. Government is looking at industry to deliver this, so we stepped forward with our wide consortium from across both the private and public sectors.”
Bob Smytherman, Chairman of the Federation of Private Residents Associations (representing 1000s of long -leaseholders across England & Wales), said: “Our leaseholder members will find themselves with new duties and responsibilities under the Building Safety Bill to ensure our buildings are as safe as possible. Our members will be looking to the building safety manager as the stakeholder responsible for the day-to day building safety management of our buildings.
“We have a crucial role to play in the Building Safety Alliance, to make sure building safety managers are not only competent but also understand the resident perspective when appointed to make our buildings safe. After all, these buildings are our homes and we pay the service charges.”
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Interesting idea, but surely UKAS accredited 17024 and 17065 certification from an independent CB would offer better assurance as that is inline with Government policy? In addition they may be competent but what about ongoing surveillance of their performance? The requirements for occupied buildings are significant and represent an enhanced management system; firms and individuals may be competent and on a register but without surveillance the register lacks assurance and doesn’t sit within the parameters of the overarching competence framework. A 17021 UKAS accredited certification scheme would be a good way to assure stakeholders especially residents.