'Cheese Grater' steel building under construction

RQSC for Buildings Steelwork Contractor Membership

What is RQSC for Buildings?

The Building Safety Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 28th April 2022 paving the way for the most significant changes to building safety regulation in a generation. One of the main changes to the building safety regulations is the introduction of new competence requirements for all buildings.

To ensure that the constructional steelwork industry is ready to meet this challenge BCSA has revised the 7th edition of the National Structural Steelwork Specification for Building Construction and the main change is the introduction of a new assessment scheme for steelwork contractors to demonstrate their competence and capability in the fabrication of structural steelwork. This new assessment scheme is called the Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors (Building) and is based around the Common Assessment Standards introduced by BuildUK.

Compliance with RQSC will enable steelwork contractors to demonstrate that they meet and, in many cases, exceed the competence requirements required by the Building Safety Act 2022. It will also give clients and insurance companies confidence that by selecting an RQSC(Building), steelwork contractor they are choosing a company with the right competence, capability, and credentials to safely complete the project.

You do not have to become a member of the BCSA to gain the entry on the Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors for Buildings, but by doing so, you will gain access to a number of benefits as outlined here.

By becoming a BCSA RQSC for Buildings member your organisation can:

Demonstrate competence and capability
Improve client confidence and service
Receive tailored advice and support from our expert team
Gain access to the wider structural steelwork sector

Membership overview

Membership of BCSA RQSC is open to any steelwork contractor who has a fabrication facility within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

All steelwork contractor companies applying for RQSC Membership are required to undergo a technical assessment (visit to their Works) – an assessment visit is required every three years.

This assessment also covers health and safety, finance and resources, questions are inline with Build UK Common Assessment Standard.

Capabilities are defined in terms of two primary criteria – Class and Category.

The Class gives guidance on the size of steelwork contract which the company has the financial and management resources to undertake.

When calculating a company’s Classification value annual turnover, net asset value, references (supply and erect steelwork contracts) and public liability insurance are taken into account.

If a project lasts longer than a year, the value is the proportion of the steelwork contract to be undertaken within a 12 month period.

BCSA categorises its members by the type of steelwork for which a company is assessed to undertake. Each applicant is independently assessed during a visit by reference to a range of competence criteria including technical and managerial. Companies can attain just one category, for one type of steelwork, or two or more.

A full list of member benefits can be accessed here. In addition to this, members will benefit from both the work BCSA undertakes for and on behalf of the steel construction industry.

The cost for Steelwork Contractor membership is related to a company’s turnover. It is based on the turnover figure for the fabrication and erection of structural steelwork. Certain exclusions apply, eg cladding.

10 : up to £250,000
9: up to £350,000
8: up to £500,000
7: up to £600,000
6: up to £1,200,000
5: up to £2,400,000
4: up to £3,400,000
3: up to £5,000,000
2: up to £6,500,000
1: up to £10,000,000
0: more than £10,000,000

C - Heavy industrial platework for plant structures, bunkers, hoppers, silos etc
D - High rise buildings (offices etc over 15 storeys)
E - Large span portals (over 30m)
F - Medium/small span portals (up to 30m) and low rise buildings (up to 4 storeys)
G - Medium rise buildings (from 5 to 15 storeys)
H - Large span trusswork (over 20m)
J - Tubular steelwork where tubular construction forms a major part of the structure
K - Towers and masts
L - Architectural steelwork for staircase
M - Frames for machinery, supports for plant and conveyors
N - Large grandstands and stadia (over 5000 persons)
Q - Specialist fabrication services (eg bending, cellular/castellated beams, plate girders)
R - Refurbishment
S - Lighter fabrications including fire escapes, ladders and catwalks

For more information on joining the RQSC for Buildings, please contact:

Lorraine MacKinder

Membership Manager

Lorraine’s role is to provide membership administration to all members of BCSA. Lorraine is responsible for the RQSC Buildings and Bridgeworks assessment administration, new member administration, organisation of regional meetings, annual general meetings and in-house meetings. Lorraine has over 17 years experience as an administration manager and personal assistant.

lorraine.mackinder@bcsa.org.uk

Specialist Areas

Assessment
Administration
Member queries
New member enquiries
Meeting organisation

Registration Form

Registration form to enquire about membership and joining the BCSA

Find out more

RQSC for Buildings Directory

RQSC for Building members are companies who undertake the design, fabrication and erection of steelwork for all forms of construction in building and civil engineering. Member listings can be searched by 14 building types, contract values, accreditations and location.

Find out more