BCSA launches RQSC for Buildings and the Corrigenda to the NSSS 7th edition

03/04/2023

Category: General

The British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA) is allowing non-members to sign up to its Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors (Building) for the first time.

BCSA says this allows the entire constructional steelwork sector to prove competence, giving clients an assured way of procuring a steelwork contractor that has the capabilities and experience to work under the new building safety regime.

This scheme has until now been open only to BCSA steelwork contractor members, but BCSA’s Council has agreed to open the scheme to all steelwork contractors by including the RQSC (Building) scheme in the next edition of the National Structural Steelwork Specification for Building Construction (NSSS). This together with the new Section 10 of the NSSS on Protective Treatments (corrosion and fire) and the Responsible Painting Coordinator training course can improve the competency and capability of the entire constructional steelwork sector.

"The most significant changes to building safety regulation in a generation are being ushered in by the Building Safety Act 2022, forcing all links in supply chains to have a long and hard look at their own practices and those of their suppliers.

“The steel construction sector is at the heart of this drive to make buildings safer, having played a full role in discussions on what a post-Grenfell tragedy building safety regime should look like. The introduction of new competence requirements for contractors places fresh onus on the industry’s clients to ask all suppliers to prove their competence and capability, and this will be the best way for steelwork contractors to respond to that.” comments BCSA Chief Executive Officer Dr David Moore

BCSA has revised the 7th edition of the National Structural Steelwork Specification for Building Construction, which introduces the new assessment scheme. Compliance with the new scheme - the Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors (Building) - will prove to clients that a steelwork contractor can meet or even exceed the competence requirements demanded by the new legislation.

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.

An existing RQSC scheme for buildings has been updated, improved and simplified to meet the new building safety challenges. The new Register takes account of the Common Assessment Standards introduced by BuildUK.

The scheme includes specific requirements for steelwork contractors which include details of their fabrication facility, the skill, knowledge and experience of their staff and CE/UKCA marking. Initially, it was thought that the Building Safety Act only applied to high-rise high risk buildings, but its scope is wider and Building Regulations, Clients and insurance companies are looking for the supply chain to demonstrate its competence and capability for all buildings.

The changes to the NSSS will come into force on 2nd October 2023, superseding all other versions of the NSSS. The revision to the 7th Edition of the National Structural Steelwork Specification for Building Construction will be published on 3rd April 2023 and the changes including compliance with the Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors (Buildings) will become a mandatory requirement from 2nd October 2023.

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