Building safety: new central register and certification scheme for building safety managers launched

News

The Building Safety Alliance, an independent, industry-led, not for profit organisation, has been launched today (Tuesday, 27 July). Its initial purpose is to implement both the certification of competent individuals wishing to deliver the role of building safety manager (BSM), and a publicly accessible register of those certified by the scheme.

The Alliance, of which IWFM is a founding and leading member, will play an essential role in helping to improve the competence of those responsible for managing buildings so that they can deliver safe homes for people. The Building Safety Bill, published earlier this month and currently anticipated to come into force in May 2023, confirmed the new statutory role of the BSM for higher-risk buildings, a concept first developed by Dame Judith Hackitt in her Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety. 

As the new Building Safety Regulator is not planning to have an open register of competent BSMs (although it will have the ultimate decision on the suitability of individuals), the Alliance is seeking to ensure that residents can check if their BSM has been certified as meeting the national competence standard for the job, and is included on the register; and that Accountable Persons for buildings (another statutory role created by the Building Safety Bill) can find the right, competent people to carry out the role.

Welcoming the launch of the Alliance, Linda Hausmanis, IWFM CEO, said: ‘The Building Safety Alliance is a welcome response to the Government’s expectation that building safety managers will be certified. A register of certified building safety managers will provide confidence that those responsible for safe homes and sleeping accommodation can deliver to a national competence standard and are recognised as such.

‘IWFM is proud to support Dame Judith Hackitt’s vision for culture change and driving competence, especially relating to this important new statutory role.’

The Alliance is comprised of organisations from across the private and public sectors which are responsible for managing the occupation phase and want to drive culture change and ensure that buildings are as safe as possible. It is led by expert representatives from facilities management, social housing, commercial and residential management, fire safety, and - crucially - includes the residents’ voice. The Alliance believes that establishing the register and certification scheme will help to deliver a uniform standard of competence that residents should expect so that they can feel safer in their homes and further tragedy can be prevented.

Many of its members worked together as Working Group (WG8), part of the Competence Steering Group, on developing the competence framework for BSMs. WG8’s recommendations are now being translated into an MHCLG sponsored Publicly Available Specification (PAS 8673) which will be the standard that the Alliance will certify candidate BSMs against, before allowing them onto the register. The PAS is being developed in parallel to building safety legislation to make sure certified BSMs will be delivered by the time the legislation becomes enforced.

For further information and updates on the Building Safety Alliance please register your interest here.