The Building Safety Act was introduced to address safety concerns in high-rise buildings following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017. It sets new standards for the design, construction, and management of higher-risk buildings, placing greater responsibility on contractors to uphold and champion these requirements. Here, we’ll delve into why the Building Safety Act is more than just a health and safety matter and the importance of behavioural competencies.
What does competency mean under the Building Safety Act?
The Act introduces competence requirements for everyone involved in designing and building work. These requirements apply not just to higher-risk buildings but to all types of buildings. Section 35 of the Act highlights the need for both individuals and organizations to demonstrate their competence.
For Individuals:
Competence is defined by four key elements:
Skills: The technical abilities required for a role.
Knowledge: Understanding regulations, standards, and best practices.
Experience: Practical application of skills in real-world scenarios.
Behaviours: A safety-first mindset and professional accountability.
For Organizations:
Competence goes beyond individuals to the capability of the organization itself.
This includes:
Management Systems: Policies and procedures to support compliance with building regulations.
Processes: Frameworks to ensure work is carried out to the required standard.
Staff Development: Systems to track trainings, certifications and continuous development.
How are contractors accountable for competency?
The Act assigns definitive responsibilities to all duty holders involved in a project. Contractors are responsible that every individual working for them is competent with the construction products, techniques and behaves safely on site. This individual and organizational competency needs to proved digitally as part of the Golden Thread for each project. This again applies to all buildings, not just high-risk buildings.
What you need to know about the Gateway Approach
The Gateway process establishes 3 checkpoints at critical stages of a project to ensure safety and compliance for High-Risk Buildings. Important to note is that the Gateways don't apply to buildings that are not high-risk. High-risk residential buildings (HRRB) are buildings over 18m in height or have seven or more storeys and two or more residential units (typically high-rise apartment blocks, student accommodation, hospitals and care homes).
Final Gateway 3 is where Building Safety Regulator assesses whether the work has been carried out in accordance with the building regulations which includes providing evidence of competency of contractors involved with the project.
What you need to know about the Golden-Thread
Contractors must be able to demonstrate individual competence (all workers on site) and organisational capability (processes in place for tracking competencies). This means that you need to collect clear digital evidence of compliance and competence throughout the building process and demonstrate the evidence in Gateway 3.
What contractors need to know about training and BSA
The Act emphasizes continuous professional development to maintain and enhance competence over time which means that acquiring 1 certificate is not enough. Construction environments are dynamic, with ever-evolving tools, materials, and methods. Continuous professional development helps workers stay updated and aligned with industry best practices, reducing risks and improving quality.
Training must incorporate knowledge on construction materials including understanding construction product performance, proper handling and installation standards in line with manufacturer guidelines.
Being compliant also means audit-readiness.
How Werk helps you demonstrate compliance?
Werk ensures your workforce stays updated with evolving tools, materials, and methods through continuous, targeted training.
We integrate compliance requirements into training, focusing on construction product performance, installation standards, and audit-readiness. Our platform tracks and documents training progress, providing clear evidence of competence to meet regulatory standards.
