BSI Flex 8670. Core Criteria for Building Safety Competence Frameworks

BSI Flex 8670. 'Built environment. Core criteria for building safety in competence frameworks. Code of practice' was first published on April 30 2021 (BSI Flex 8670 v3.0 2021-04), this was a freely available standard following the Grenfell tragedy. BSI Flex 8670 v3.0 2021-04 was withdrawn on 30 May 2024 and replaced by BS 8670-1:2024 which is a chargeable digital document, available at a reduced rate to BSi members.

BSI website states "BSI Flex 8670 has been created in response to findings from the Hackitt review. This review highlighted a fragmented approach to – and a lack of consistency in – the processes and standards for assuring the competence of those working on buildings as a major flaw in the current regulatory system. Accordingly, BSI Flex 8670 will provide a set of core principles of competence, including leading and managing safety, communicating safety, delivering safety, risk management, regulations and processes, building systems, ethics, and fire/life safety. BSI Flex is a new dynamic and iterative standardization approach. Accordingly, this standard is the result of work undertaken virtually by a team of industry stakeholders to agree on content to release to the marketplace quickly. This method permits a rapid response to industry changes and can result in the publication of several versions a year. However, the BSI Flex development process has now come to its conclusion and BSI Flex 8670 will begin transitioning into BS 8670 in 2022. BSI will make BSI Flex 8670 available until BS 8670 is published unless we receive authoritative advice to withdraw it. We ask that the industry keep using BSI Flex 8670 until it is either superseded or withdrawn. Offered as a free-to-use resource, BSI Flex 8670 is intended to inform the development of future competence frameworks (or be used to map against existing frameworks) in the built environment sector."

It is the core criteria that helped for part of a set of standards, developed by three steering groups, made up of built environment professionals and under the government-funded Built Environment Competence programme and as such is freely available for download. Since January 2024, the group has been part of the Industry Competence Steering Group led by the Building Safety Regulator’s Industry Competence Committee. It isd working Group 9 that has developed the framework for the competence of site supervisors, aligning with industry standards including PAS 8672:2022 Competence of Principal Contractors, PAS 8671:2022 Competence of Principal Designers and the BSI Flex 8670 Core Criteria for Building Safety in Competence Frameworks.

Chair of Working Group 9 since January 2024 (taking over from Peter Dawber) Kris Zakrzewski MCIOB, a project manager with Colorminium/Envoy Projects said "I am immensely proud to be part of this group, and to lead this team of experienced and knowledgeable professionals from leading industry organisations..."

"The importance of competence in construction cannot be overstated, particularly in navigating and ensuring compliance with building regulations and the safety of buildings throughout their life cycle. A crucial aspect of this lies in the competence of site supervisors, the individuals directly supporting the principal contractor, and this is what the framework covers. The framework designates their roles and responsibilities, emphasising their position in ensuring compliance with regulations and safety standards." ('Site supervisors competence framework will redefine safety', https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/site-supervisors-competence-framework-will-redefine-safety/)

The document provides a set of core principles of competence, including leading and managing safety, communicating safety, delivering safety, risk management, regulations and processes, building systems, ethics, and fire/life safety.

The term BSI Flex is a new term used in standardisation approach, indicating a more flexible rapid response approach to make it available quickly for the marketplace, this also means it may have a number of versions as it responds quickly o any changes across the industry. The BSI Flex 8670 began transitioning into BS 8670 in 2022 and will be replaced by the Standard once complete, hence it continues to be available but under review.

The related standards available under the Built Environment Competence programme include;

PAS 8671:2022, full title: Built environment. Framework for competence of individual Principal Designers. Specification. It specifies competence thresholds that individuals are expected to meet when delivering or managing the duty holder functions of the principal designer, and additional competencies for working on higher-risk buildings (HRBs). Areas of competence include appropriate behaviour; legislative and regulatory framework for compliance; management o design work compliance; and technical framework for compliance.
PAS 8672:2022. Built environment. Framework for competence of individual Principal Contractors. This standard specifies competence requirements for the duty holder role of principal contractor. It also describes specific competences common to all principal contractors and those which are additional for those undertaking the role on higher-risk buildings (HRBs). It covers roles and responsibilities; skills, knowledge and experience; behaviours and ethics; additional competences for higher-risk buildings; and limits of competence.
PAS 8673:2022. Built environment – Competence requirements for the management of safety in residential buildings. Specifies competence requirements for managing safety in residential buildings and other developments incorporating residential accommodation. It also gives guidance on detailed competences and the assessment of competence.

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British Standard (BS) publications are technical specifications or practices that can be used as guidance for the production of a product, carrying out a process or providing a service.