Spec Finish

Skills Competency in the construction industry workforce is gained through continuous training and experience and the Building Safety Act will make it imperative that proof of training and competency is readily available. Thankfully, it is now possible to store your records digitally, all in one place. THE BUILDING SAFETY ACT AND COMPETENCY 8 www.thefis.org T HE Building Safety Bill received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022, and has now completed all the parliamentary stages in both Houses to become an Act of Parliament – it proposes new competence requirements for everyone working in design and construction and applies to all building work needing either a building notice or the deposit of full plans – not just high-rise residential structures. While the measures included within the doorstopper of an Act (262 pages) are likely to take up to 18 months to introduce according to the Government, the regulations will impose a requirement on principal designers, principal contractors and anyone carrying out any design or building work to be competent for their roles. They also place a duty on those who appoint them to take reasonable steps to ensure that the people they appoint meet this requirement. The Act enshrines the definition of competency in law, measuring and managing the competency of individual workers in a binary way is now imperative for all construction businesses. This is particularly challenging in the finishes and interiors sector, where approximately 75% of the work force are not directly employed and there is consequently a relatively high churn in people. Managing competence Under the regulations, which will be derived from the Act, individuals will need to have the skills, attitude, knowledge and experience (SAKE) necessary for their role, this will be overseen by a new Building Safety Regulator managed by the Health and Safety Executive. It means that everyone engaged to work in construction at every level will need to be able to prove that they are competent to complete the tasks their work involves, from labourer to manging director. The CSCS card is an effective mechanism to monitor qualification status and successful completion of site-ready health, safety and environment knowledge, but it does not yet provide a holistic option to manage competence as CSCS is a registration scheme. This raises an important question about how employers track competence of employees, but also how they manage this in the more fluid employment environment that is prevalent in the finishes and interiors sector. The sector relies heavily on approximately 50% labour only subcontractors, 20% gangs and 5% agency workers. Product, Process and People There are numerous definitions of competence. For the finishes and interiors sector, FIS has identified three pillars that support competence; ‘Product, Process and People’ as related to compliance and competence. FIS defines competence as the ‘ability to do something successfully’. The ‘People’ pillar can be segregated into: • Skills: The practical application of knowledge learnt through on and/or off-the-job training. • Attitude: The mindset or approach required for competence, across the entire occupation (managed through monitoring and effective supervision). • Knowledge: The information, technical knowledge, and know-how the individual needs to successfully carry out their duties. • Experience: The enhanced knowledge or skill acquired through practical experience. George Swann, FIS Skills and Training Lead At a time when the industry is facing intense scrutiny, the new MyProPass platform will enable companies and individuals to provide evidence of competency