Last week, Firntec hosted the Building Compliance and Retrofit Summit (BCRS), where one key takeaway stood out: in today’s increasingly complex regulatory landscape, competence is paramount. Within an industry tasked with safeguarding lives and ensuring compliance, the importance of engaging skilled, knowledgeable, and accredited professionals has never been greater. In the built environment, competence is defined through Skills, Knowledge, Experience, and Behaviours (SKEB), the foundation for safe and effective practice.
The Building Safety Act placed competence at the heart of building safety management, recognising it as a key factor in preventing failures that compromise lives. Under the Act, duty holders such as clients, designers, contractors, and accountable persons must ensure that anyone appointed to carry out building or safety-critical work has the necessary competence to do so. The Act also encourages continuous professional development and clearer accountability, helping to build a culture where competence is not assumed but proven through evidence, accreditation, and ongoing learning.
A competent professional understands how to carry out their work accurately, how it fits within the wider context of building safety, and how decisions can affect compliance, risk, and the wellbeing of building occupants.
The push towards a more competent sector is further highlighted by the recently updated BS 9792:2025 standard, which sets out requirements for fire risk assessors, defining what competence looks like in practice. It covers assessment methodology, evidence gathering, risk evaluation, and reporting, ensuring that FRAs are accurate, consistent and defensible. This standard is an essential reference point for responsible persons and organisations commissioning FRAs, providing clarity on what to expect from competent professionals.
Accreditations and third-party certification remain critical. Schemes such as BAFE, NICEIC, and FIRAS demonstrate that contractors have met recognised competence standards. Combined with BS 9792:2025, these benchmarks ensure that fire risk assessments and building compliance work are undertaken by professionals who are fully equipped to protect people and property.
During his address at the Building Compliance and Retrofit Summit, Anthony Taylor, Chairman of the Building Safety Alliance, highlighted the vital role of organisational capability in achieving true competence. This concept, embedded within the Building Regulations 2010 and reflected in Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, extends beyond individual skill to the systems, policies, and resources an organisation must have in place to ensure compliance. As defined under Regulation 11Q within the Building Regulations 2010, organisational capability ensures that individuals performing or designing building work are competent, supervised where necessary, and supported by appropriate management procedures. Anthony emphasised that competence is not just a personal attribute but a collective responsibility requiring structured oversight, effective training, and a culture that prioritises safety and accountability throughout any organisation.
For responsible persons and housing providers:
Firntec apply these principles rigorously. Every assessment and survey is carried out by professionals who meet recognised standards, maintain up-to-date training, and demonstrate the SKEB behaviours that safeguard buildings and their occupants. As legislation continues to evolve and expectations rise, competence must remain at the centre of every project, inspection, and recommendation.
Contact our team today if you have any questions on competence in building environments.