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Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) is first for independent health and safety news.
July 22, 2024

BUILDING SAFETY ACT

Qualification aims to prove Principal Contractor competence

A new certification scheme from the CIOB gives Principal Contractors the opportunity to prove competence.

Following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower in June 2017 and other major building fire incidents, a new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) was established in England to oversee the safe design, construction and occupation of higher-risk buildings (HRBs).

While the establishment of the BSR in England is intended to oversee a new, more stringent regime for HRBs, it also aims to drive improvements in building safety and performance in all buildings. As part of the regulatory transformation there is a requirement for two safety-critical roles, namely the Principal Designer and Principal Contractor, both with building safety responsibilities.

Overarching understanding

A Principal Contractor has control of a building during the construction phase and under the Building Safety Act is required to have an overarching understanding of all aspects of building safety.

construction workerPrincipal Contractors must plan, merge and monitor design work during the building phase while also working with the client, designers and other contractors to keep in line with building regulations. They are also responsible for ensuring everyone working on the project communicates and coordinates with the same parties.

Their responsibilities also include liaising with the Principal Designer and sharing relevant information, as well as assisting the client in providing information to others.

They are expected to demonstrate they have the appropriate competence to:

  • Interrogate design and construction activity.
  • Challenge the quality of work and bad practices.
  • Identify major hazards and minimize the risk to safety during building use.

Proving competence

Proving competence has long been a challenge in the construction industry, so in April 2024 the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) launched a new certification scheme – Principal Contractor Competency Certification Scheme (PCCCS) – designed to evaluate the skills, knowledge and experience of Principal Contractors to ensure they meet the required standards for certification under the Building Safety Act 2022 and prove they are competent.

CIOB’s PCCCS is suitable for individuals performing or appointed to the role of the Principal Contractor and applicants must either be current members of CIOB or a member of a recognised chartered body. They have the choice of two categories, with the first for those working on projects involving only non-higher-risk buildings (HRBs), and the second covering all project types including higher-risk buildings.

For both categories, participants are required to provide evidence of their existing qualifications and typically have three or more years’ current experience. All members of the scheme are required to be re-certified, and peer reviewed after five years. The re-certification process may allow progression to or from one category to another.

Members of the scheme who are certified for non-HRBs can apply for an upgrade to HRB certified through the re-certification process, however they must have held membership at their current grade for at least 12 months before applying for an upgrade.

‘Improve standards and competence’

Since the launch in April, more than 200 people have recorded interest in taking part.

Stuart Palmer works for construction outfit Tilbury Douglas, and recently completed the PCCS scheme. He told SHP that the assessment required an honest reflection of his own skill-set. “The assessment process was challenging and pushes you to think back over your experience, work out your strengths, areas for improvement and most importantly question and evidence your own competence.”

The Project Manager explained why the scheme is so important to the construction sector. “By demonstrating the competence of those on-site and understanding the limitations of this, we can both make buildings safer for their future occupants and continue to improve standards and competence in the construction industry,” he said.

The CIOB says they hope to bring in a Principal Designer pathway by the end of the year, complimenting the PCCCS.

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