The new UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment contextualised for Higher-Risk Buildings (UK-SPEC HRB) has been developed by the Engineering Council in response to recommendations made in Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety, Building a Safer Future, commissioned by the UK Government in the aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017.
UK-SPEC HRB was developed in collaboration with professional engineering institutions and expert volunteers to assess the competence and commitment of individual engineers and technicians working on higher-risk buildings in the UK. Based on the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment (UK-SPEC), the new Standard is tailored for engineers and technicians working in the built environment, particularly on the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of higher-risk buildings.
As the keynote speaker, Dame Judith Hackitt highlighted why it is important to have assured competence of those working on higher-risk buildings and that this must be centred on professionalism: “people who will uphold high standards of professional conduct themselves and call out those who undermine that in any way.” Dame Judith also emphasised that this launch is “very much the end of the beginning of the process”, and that institutions must now promote the new Standard and encourage uptake.
Trustees and staff from the Engineering Council joined representatives from the professional engineering community to mark this major milestone in advancing public safety.
Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) CEO, Steve Hamm, said:
“The IFE is proud to support the launch of the Fire Discipline Annex to the UK-SPEC HRB. This marks a significant milestone in maintaining the highest standards of professional competence within the built environment, reflecting the growing complexity and scrutiny associated with higher-risk buildings.
Fire engineering plays a crucial role across all sectors, and this annex offers a clear framework for practitioners to demonstrate their capability in line with the Building Safety Act. As the professional engineering institution licensed to assess against this Standard, we remain committed to upholding public safety and promoting excellence across the profession, working alongside the Engineering Council and other institutions to contribute to safer, better-managed buildings.”
Fire engineering plays a vital role across all types of buildings and sectors, and the introduction of a contextualised standard for higher-risk buildings reflects the increasing complexity and scrutiny these settings demand.
Engineering Council CEO, Paul Bailey, said: “We are very proud to be launching this new Standard today which presents a significant milestone in our continuing work with the professional engineering community to ensure public safety in the built environment. We hope the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire and the sad loss of 72 lives will never be seen again. UK-SPEC HRB will provide a means for those engineers and technicians working in the built environment, particularly on the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of higher-risk buildings, to become professionally registered. This is the first step however and it is our hope that UK-SPEC HRB is embraced and championed by the sector and the wider engineering profession, and that the Standard, and the Register of those individuals assessed against it, will support the continuing improvement of public safety across the sector”.
This annex complements the broader fire engineering profession by providing a clear route for practitioners to demonstrate their capability in line with the expectations of the Building Safety Act.
With the Government’s commitment to building 1.5 million homes over this Parliament which are of high quality, and safe now and in the future, we believe our HRB Register and UK-SPEC HRB is a key example of how this ambition can be achieved through a pipeline of suitably qualified professionals for the housing and construction market with the right skills.
We welcome the professional engineers who have already achieved registration, and we are committed to building on this momentum.
Please click here to view or download the UK-SPEC HRB.