IMechE members are supporting the new UK engineering qualification for Higher Risk Building work

Members of the Institution’s Construction and Building Services Division are supporting the development of a new qualification for engineers and technicians working on Higher Risk Buildings, which was launched earlier this month.

The Engineering Council’s new UK-SPEC Higher Risk Building Qualification was launched at an event at the House of Lords, hosted by the Earl of Lindsay who is Chair of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service.

Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017, Dame Judith Hackitt was commissioned to undertake an independent review of UK Building Regulations and Fire Safety.

In response to the recommendations of the Hackitt Review, the Engineering Council developed UK-SPEC HRB as a recognised standard of competence for engineers and technicians working on Higher Risk Buildings, in particular those within the scope of the new Building Safety Act 2022.

The competences required to achieve this qualification are based on BS 8670 Standard which provides core criteria for building safety, focusing on the competence of individuals involved in providing services and products throughout a building's lifecycle.

David Smith, Chair of the Construction and Building Services Division, said:

“The new UK-SPEC HRB is important as part of raising safety standards in the design, construction and management of High Rise Residential Buildings and avoiding tragedies like Grenfell Tower.

It is hoped that a sufficient number of professional engineers will achieve this qualification so that it becomes the standard competence requirement in the industry.”

After a welcome by the Earl of Lindsay, and a message of thanks to all involved by Prof. John Chudley Chair of the Engineering Council, Dame Judith Hackitt told guests that change in the construction industry needed to happen much faster, and that a sense of urgency is needed.