Where are the competency standards for manufacturers?

As we approach the 8th Anniversary commemoration of the Grenfell tragedy on the 14th of June 2025

1 Principal Designer, Principal Contractor and safety management competency frameworks
2 Industry reactions
3 Product manufacturer competency standard proposal ?
4 Construction product competence. Code of Practice standard
5 Grenfell Inquiry web of blame

[edit] Principal Designer, Principal Contractor and safety management competency frameworks

On the 30 April 2021 BSi published the freely available BSI Flex 8670. 'Built environment. Core criteria for building safety in competence frameworks. Code of practice' (BSI Flex 8670 v3.0 2021-04), this was a freely available standard which, as we understand also helped to inform a set of standards that included:

PAS 8671:2022 ' Built environment. Framework for competence of individual Principal Designers. Specification. Which specifies competence thresholds that individuals are expected to meet when delivering or managing the duty hold 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 of design work compliance and technical framework for compliance.
PAS 8672:2022. Built environment. Framework for competence of individual Principal Contractors. Which specifies competence requirements for the duty holder role of principal contractor, describing specific competences common to all principal contractors and those additional for those undertaking the role on HRBs. It covers roles, responsibilities, skills, knowledge, experience, behaviours, ethics and additional competences for HRBs.
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.

On 26 October 2023, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) opened applications to the RIBA principal designer register an industry first, allowing architects to demonstrate their competence for this crucial new safety role. In April 2024 the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) launched the Principal Contractor Competency Certification Scheme (PCCCS) according to a framework, application process and register. The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) also published the CIAT Principal Designer Competency Framework, in April which was then followed by the CIAT Principal Designer register launched in May 2024 to record qualified technicians with the appropriate competencies to act as a Principal Designer. In June 2024 the Association for Project Safety (APS) launched the APS principal designer building regulations register.

On 30 May 2024, BSI Flex 8670 v3.0 2021-04 was withdrawn and replaced by BS 8670-1:2024, this document is a chargeable digital document, available at a reduced rate to BSi members, although PAS 8671:2022, PAS 8672:2022 and PAS 8673:2022 continue to be freely available, with registration and have not been withdrawn as of June 2025.

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 standardisation 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."

[edit] Industry reactions

CIAT, CIOB , ARB competency frameworks ...

[edit] Product manufacturer competency standard proposal ?

On 11 January 2022 a BSi proposal 'Built environment. Core criteria for construction product competence. Code of Practice' was opened, which ended one month later. The BSi website as on 6 June, 2025 said:

"This British Standard gives recommendations for core criteria and competence thresholds for individuals using or otherwise working with construction products. It also gives recommendations for applying these criteria to sector-specific competence frameworks in a uniform approach. This British Standard is designed to be applicable to all construction products in the built environment. It is not limited to construction products contributing to structure, fire systems or other performance attributes.

This British Standard is designed to work alongside BS 8670 to provide additional core requirements for the competence of persons using or otherwise working with construction products in the built environment. Where applicable, both should be used together to map against competence frameworks. It is intended that further development will be required from the different industries of the built environment to make the core criteria specific and appropriate to individuals’ functions, accountabilities and responsibilities.

The standard is applicable to competence frameworks for individuals performing functions across the entire built environment with all construction products, including but not limited to those:

• Developing, marketing or selling construction products
• Providing technical support for construction products
• Specifying construction products or designing with construction products
• Procuring construction products
• Handling or installing construction products
• Supervising, managing, inspecting or verifying other functions or projects involving construction products
• Exchanging information about construction products
• Owning, maintaining or decommissioning construction products

It is not limited to those working on HRBs.

This British Standard is intended for use by those with responsibility for the development, maintenance or application of industry-specific or organisation’s competence frameworks for roles, functions, activities or tasks undertaken by individuals where these are critical to and directly influence decisions about construction products in built environment projects. This includes competence frameworks for technical and non-technical roles, and for individuals either working under their own authority or under the supervision of other competent individuals.

The standard might also be relevant to regulated, dutyholding or statutory roles such as (but not limited to):

Principal Designers;
Principal Contractors;
Designers;
Contractors;
Building control professionals; and
Accountable persons for buildings in occupation.

Persons with accountability for building safety, or acting as clients for building work, might also find the recommendations of the standard of use. This standard is not intended to replace existing professional, technical or vocational training or competence frameworks, which continue to reflect the full range of competences required for particular disciplines, roles, functions, activities or tasks. This standard does not cover organisational and team competence, third-party assessment schemes or the process of product testing.

Purpose

This British Standard is being proposed following publication of the CSG WG 12 white paper on construction product competence. The purpose of the standard is to help ensure that individuals using or otherwise working with construction products are competent to do so and can demonstrate their competence to others. The standard is expected to describe five levels of core criteria that should be achieved, demonstrated and maintained by all individuals making choices concerning construction products at all levels in the built environment sector. It is also expected to include a methodology of application to define how those core level criteria can be mapped by industries within the built environment sector consistently to their competence frameworks.

The standard is intended to be used, in conjunction with BS 8670, by all industries in the built environment sector to map against their existing training and qualifications to demonstrate the construction product competence of the individuals in their work force. They may also use it to identify any gaps in their training and qualifications."