The Engineering Council has published a set of competence tables for the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment contextualised for Higher-Risk Buildings (UK-SPEC HRB).
Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, Dame Judith Hackitt was commissioned by the government to undertake an independent review of UK building regulations and fire safety. The resultant report informed the Building Safety Act 2022, which ensures that anyone undertaking design or building work on higher-risk buildings could demonstrate a high level of competence and expertise. This, in turn, guarantees compliance with building regulations and, ultimately, public safety, security and trust.
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In response, the Engineering Council has developed the UK-SPEC HRB competences ahead of the full standard, which is due to be published in mid-2024, and discipline annexes before the end of 2023. These detail how competence and commitment requirements apply to HRB registration.
As part of a collaborative initiative on the part of licensees, these competence tables provide a shared framework for a range of engineering disciplines in order to deliver safe buildings throughout the building life cycle. From the beginning, the council’s working group recognised the need for competent maintenance and management of occupied buildings, as well as for design and construction that would ensure that they were for the public.
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‘Being able to develop the competence tables for the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment contextualised for Higher-Risk Buildings from a concept directly driven by the response to the tragic events at Grenfell Tower in June 2017 is incredibly important,’ said Peter Wilkinson, chair of the Contextualised Registration Steering Group (CRSG). ‘As chair of the Engineering Council’s CRSG, I thank all the volunteers and staff members involved for their hard work and dedication over the last few years. However, the hard work continues as we encourage our professional engineering colleagues from across the built environment to demonstrate their competence and commitment to the public by registering.’
‘The publication of the competence tables for UK-SPEC HRB is a major milestone and the result of some significant effort among the professional engineering community,’ said Paul Bailey, CEO of the Engineering Council. ‘These tables will enable our talented engineers and technicians to further their own development and demonstrate their commitment to practising professionally and ethically to deliver safe buildings in the public interest. Registration is an essential step in a professional’s career in engineering; it makes sure they are assessed to, and uphold, the highest standards in order to work on safety-critical infrastructure projects across the country.’
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The competences can be found here.