Building Control Performance Standards
Operational Standard Rules & Professional Conduct Rules for Registered Building Control Approvers
1. Policy, performance and management systems
Sweco has adopted a formal policy for the provision of its building control service and compliance with the Operational Standard Rules and the Professional Conduct Rules for Registered Building Control Approvers are seen as an integral part of that policy.
Sweco shall have methods of collecting and monitoring evidence of its performance, in terms of service delivery and compliance or non-compliance of building work with the Building Regulations. It shall have procedures in place to learn from its findings as part of a process of continuous improvement. It shall also facilitate in sharing of any information which may be of benefit to other RBCA’s in recognising general areas of difficulty and/or failure in achieving compliance.
Sweco shall incorporate quality management principles into its service, which can demonstrate that the above standards are being achieved.
Sweco shall, as part of its quality management system, carry out an annual formal review of performance and records shall be kept of information received and considered at each review and of any action subsequently taken.
2. Resources
Sweco endeavours to deploy sufficient experienced and qualified staff, with staff registered to the appropriate Class to work on the type of building control work undertaken.
It will regularly review its current and forecast workloads to ensure there is adequate capacity and capability to provide effective levels of service to either individual or collective projects and ensure the company is able to discharge its statutory duties with reasonable skill and care.
Sweco ensure that suitable arrangements exist for continuing professional development and in-service training of its technical staff.
Sweco consider it is essential that properly planned and recorded training is undertaken to keep abreast of new technology and to instruct and refresh on legislative requirements and other practical interpretation.
Sweco recognises that were staff are members of professional bodies, their CPD requirements should be adhered to.
3. Consultation
Sweco endeavours to undertake all statutory consultations in a timely manner. The views of all statutory consultees will be taken into account and any observations or advice beyond the scope of the Building Regulations will be communicated formally to the client. In the event of significant departures from approved plans during construction the company shall, where appropriate, inform the relevant statutory consultee and shall take into account their views, following amended consultation.
4. Pre-application contact and provision of advice
Sweco have arrangements in place for contact with those proposing or carrying out building work before a formal application is received.
Sweco will establish a single point of contact to deal with both procedural and technical building control enquiries on individual projects.
5. Assessment of Plans
Sweco acknowledge the importance of the plan assessment process in securing compliance with the Building Regulation. As a consequence, any contraventions of the Building Regulations identified on plans shall be communicated to the designer and/or client in a clear and unambiguous manner.
Sweco acknowledge the need to alert the client to provisions of legislation outside the Building Regulations which it believes are likely to be relevant to the building work being carried out. It also acknowledges that if plans are passed, or approved subject to conditions, or in stages, a schedule should be compiled of the modifications and/or of the further plans or information required to demonstrate compliance.
Where assessment of plans is undertaken, clear information shall be communicated to the designer and/or client regarding:
– Non-compliance with the Building Regulations;
– Views of statutory consultees;
– Conditions pertaining to the approval or passing of plans; and
– Remedies available in the event of a dispute over compliance.
Sweco acknowledge that records should be kept of the plan assessment process to ensure effective and continuing control over the design and executed work.
Sweco recognises that records should be made of any special or unusual circumstances affecting the construction of the building. In particular, a note should be made of any significant but nonetheless acceptable departures made from the guidance in the Approved Documents.
6. Site Inspection
Sweco acknowledge the importance of adopting an appropriate site inspection regime which takes full account of relevant factors such as:
– The degree of detail in the design assessment process;
– The nature of the work and the experience of the builder;
– Unusual or high risk features;
– Notification arrangements; and
– Key construction stages.
Relevant factors are assessed at the outset and regularly reviewed so that effective control is maintained for the duration of each project, with adequate site inspections and records, sufficient to demonstrate the application of reasonable skill and care.
The company recognises that work not subject to prior plans appraisal may need to be inspected in more detail than would otherwise be necessary and that, such inspections may need to be carried out by personnel with greater knowledge and expertise.
Sweco will maintain site inspection records of each inspection made which identifies the work inspected and any non-compliance. Where plans are not available for the work, these records will necessarily be more detailed.
Non-compliant work shall be communicated promptly and clearly to the responsible person, identifying the contravention(s) and indicating any measure(s) necessary to remedy the situation.
7. Communications and records
All records relating to the building control service provided to individual projects shall be retained by the company for a minimum of fifteen years with arrangements made for their transfer into safe keeping in the event of Sweco ceasing trading.
8. Business and professional ethics
Sweco shall observe the highest professional standards and business ethics expected of service providers. It shall not attempt to supplant a competitor, or win work, on the basis of interpretation of the regulations. The principle of the building control function being independent shall not be compromised.
9. Complaints Procedure
Sweco will operate, maintain and make available, on request, to any interested party its complaint procedure.
Persons dissatisfied with the building control service they receive shall be able to complain and have their complaint dealt with fairly, transparently and in a manner that can be independently audited.