DHF reacts to the White Paper on Construction Products Competence (CPC)

Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has voiced its support for the white paper proposing a construction product competence standard for the built environment.  The recently published paper outlines proposals for an industry agreed standard on construction product competence and provides the built environment sector with the earliest opportunity to consider a proposed standard. 

Following the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire, Dame Judith Hackitt’s report identified ‘competence’ as a key issue for the construction industry.  This led to the creation of a Competence Steering Group (CSG) for the industry, together with eleven working groups, to develop individual competence frameworks for the various sectors, ranging from architects to installers and maintainers.  A twelfth working group looking at construction products competence, ‘WG12’, to which DHF has contributed, was also formed to identify a solution to ensure that anyone using construction products is competent to do so, and, furthermore, can demonstrate their competence to others.

“All professions and occupations interacting with construction products, including manufacturers, specifiers, building designers, installers, and maintainers, need to have a level of competence to reflect the tasks they perform within the supply chain. The misuse of construction products can lead to dangerous and potentially fatal outcomes,” explains DHF’s General Manager and Secretary, Michael Skelding.  “It is absolutely essential that the competence of those using construction products can be demonstrated, to ensure that buildings and the built environment are safe, efficient and perform as required.  At the present time however, no generally accepted system exists that can show that an individual dealing with construction products has the correct competence for the tasks for which they are responsible.”

WG12, tasked to create a solution that ensures all those using construction products are competent to do so, has proposed an industry agreed standard that covers the core level criteria that should be achieved, demonstrated and maintained across the industry.  This will affect all individuals who make choices concerning construction products at all levels in the built environment sector. The white paper includes proposals for a methodology to define how those core level criteria can be mapped by industries consistently to their competence frameworks and a guide as to how industries and organisations can use these principles to demonstrate that their workforce has the appropriate competence to meet their duties, accountabilities, and responsibilities with construction products.

“DHF has continually advocated competency through its training programme, CSCS card provision (applicants must have an up-to-date certificate proving their CPD) and relevant NVQ,” continues Michael.  “The proposals set out in the white paper potentially have an impact on each and every profession and occupation in the built environment, and in moving towards the creation of a new British standard, this is a step in the right direction.  But DHF also recognises that this is a cultural change within the sector and will not be straightforward to implement.  Ultimately, however, this is a positive move towards ensuring that the built environment is safe, and that the modern workforce can meet their duties relating to construction products by placing compliance and competence front and centre.”

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