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Competences & registration

Learn about competency requirements & registration process for designers working on Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs).

Background

A key recommendation of the Hackitt Report on regulatory reform and building safety (Buildings a Safer Future, Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, Dame Judith Hackitt DBEFREng, May 2018), following the Grenfell Tower tragedy was lifting, making consistent and accrediting competence in the building sector.

Following the passing of The Building Safety Act, SI 2023 No.911 defines Dutyholders for all building regulation work and requires them to be competent.

Industry has working to develop competency frameworks for Dutyholders.

General building regulation work

Legislation includes competence requirements on anyone carrying out design or building work. 

The regulations set out the duties on individuals and organisations,  to ensure that they have capability to carry out work in a way that is compliant with building regulations.

Those carrying out work are expected to meet the standards set by their sector, ie, relevant training and qualifications recognised by accredited institutions, membership of an established trade or professional body, or relevant experience of the type of work they will undertake.

The regulations also set out the competence requirements that dutyholders will need to have to undertake work.

Higher Risk Buildngs

Industry and government have been working to improve the competence of those working on Higher-Risk Buildings. This work includes the development of sector-specific competence frameworks for key disciplines across procurement, design, construction, inspection, maintenance and management of buildings. 

The Institutions previous CEO, Martin Powell, set out in the September 2022 TSE the new competency framework for structural engineers working on HRBs. These competences broadly fall into technical competences and behavioural competences.

2022 IStructE Competency Framework
2022 IStructE Competency Framework
2022 IStructE Competency Framework

Technical competences

Engineers involved in designing HRBs will now be expected to hold skills related to structure and fire safety. This knowledge relates to both primary and secondary structural elements. The approach is similar to that taken in seismic design. Competences for those designing HRB’s include:

Design & construction

  • Components and systems: understanding of the performance of structural components and how they act together as a system

  • Construction quality and workmanship assurance: ability to identify and undertake principal checks

Fire & structural integrity

  • Ability to identify the basic characteristics and behaviour of a structural material or form of construction under major accident fire and structural safety hazards

  • Ability to assess the impact of major accident fire and structural safety hazards on the performance of the structure, recognising that mitigation beyond that set out in codes of practice may be required.

  • Ability to select an appropriate design solution that addresses the identified major accident fire and structural safety hazards consistent with ALARP principles

  • Understanding of the expected behaviour of the structure if a structural or fire-related action were to be larger than anticipated, or the strength or stiffness were to be lower than anticipated or were to undergo a larger-than-expected change following an event

  • Effect of structural engineering on fire safety & vice versa: understanding of the ways in which the structural design may affect the fire safety of the building, and how the fire engineering design might impact on the structural safety of the building

  • Ability to design a structure which will behave predictably under major accident fire and structural safety hazards and, should the design be intended to remain stable after the event, to not then be at risk of sudden and/or catastrophic collapse.

Secondary items:

  • Ability to understand the potential for secondary structural items, non-structural items and cladding to affect the fire and structural safety of the structural design

  • Ability to produce a design and procurement arrangement for such items which is appropriate to the significance these items

New technologies

  • Ability to propose a rational basis for developing design in new technologies, innovations, and materials or construction methods outside areas of experience, which might include, independent reviews, laboratory testing, structural analysis and load testing.

Material and product standards: ability to research, fully understand and assess the appropriateness of the specification and selection of appropriate British and international material and product standards relating to the design of the building structure and appreciate those standards, materials and products that have an interface with the design, construction, and operational requirements for the structural and fire safety of the building design.

Behavioural competences
Government recognise that ensuring that people possess appropriate behavioural competence is critical to achieving and maintaining building safety outcomes.
A strong safety culture  is needed to re-balance any unsafe custom and practice arising from commercial pressures.
Company leaders will be expected to provide a strong lead on safety issues in demonstrating:
  • A strong safety culture
  • ethical principles, standards and conduct
  • leadership, teamwork and communication
  • individual and organizational competence
  • personal responsibility and accountability and
  • duty of care to others including building occupants
Dutyholders will need to demonstrate that they meet these standards and competence frameworks.
 
Demonstrating competence: registration

The Institution of Structural Engineers and Institution of Civil Engineers have developed a joint registration process to enable members of both institutions to demonstrate their competence against a new structural engineering HRB standard developed by the Engineering Council, who will hold a register of those of those deemed to have met the requirements.

Members who wish to be included on the Engineering Council HRB register in the structural engineering discipline will need to be interviewed and demonstrate that they satisfy the competence requirements. The process will be similar to the Institution’s Professional Review.

Please click the button below for further information and to apply for HRB registration.
Apply for HRB registration

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