Engineering Council officially launches UK-SPEC HRB Standard

This move is in direct response to recommendations made in Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, itself commissioned by the Government in the aftermath of the tragic Grenfell Tower fire that occurred on 14 June 2017.

UK-SPEC HRB was developed in collaboration with professional engineering institutions and expert volunteers to assess the competence and commitment of individual engineers and technicians working on higher-risk buildings in the UK.

Based on the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence and Commitment (UK-SPEC), the new document is tailored for engineers and technicians working in the built environment, particularly so in terms of the design, construction, maintenance and operation of higher-risk buildings.

Dame Judith Hackitt has highlighted precisely why it’s important to have assured competence of those working on higher-risk buildings and that this must be centred on professionalism. Dame Judith commented: “We need people who will uphold high standards of professional conduct themselves and call out those who undermine that in any way.” Dame Judith has also emphasised that this launch is “very much the end of the beginning of the process” and that institutions must now promote the new document and encourage its uptake.

Trustees and members of staff from the Engineering Council joined representatives from the professional engineering community to mark this major milestone in advancing public safety.

Highest standards

Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) CEO Steve Hamm commented: “The IFE is proud to support the launch of the Fire Discipline Annex to the UK-SPEC HRB. This marks a significant milestone in maintaining the highest standards of professional competence within the built environment, reflecting the growing complexity and scrutiny associated with higher-risk buildings.”

Hamm continued: “Fire engineering plays a crucial role across all sectors. The Fire Discipline Annex offers a clear framework for practitioners to demonstrate their capability in line with the Building Safety Act 2022. As the professional engineering institution licensed to assess against this document, we remain firmly committed to upholding public safety and promoting excellence across the profession, all the while working alongside the Engineering Council and other institutions to contribute towards safer and better-managed buildings.”

Vital role

Fire engineering plays a vital role across all types of buildings and sectors. The introduction of a contextualised standard for higher-risk buildings reflects the increasing complexity and scrutiny this setting demands.

Engineering Council CEO Paul Bailey observed: “We’re very proud to be launching this new standard, which presents a significant milestone in our continuing work with the professional engineering community to ensure public safety in the built environment. We hope that the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower fire and the sad loss of 72 lives will never be replicated.”

Bailey continued: “UK-SPEC HRB will provide a means for those engineers and technicians working in the built environment to become professionally registered. This is only the first step, however. It’s our fervent hope that the UK-SPEC HRB is embraced and championed by the sector as well as the wider engineering profession, and that the standard of those individuals assessed will support the continuing improvement of public safety across the sector.”

With the Government’s commitment to building 1.5 million high-quality homes over the course of this Parliament, and structures that are safe now as well as into the future, there’s a firm belief that the HRB Register and the UK-SPEC HRB will assist with that ambition through realising a pipeline of suitably qualified professionals for the housing and construction markets.