Common Assessment Standard Updated to Reflect Regulatory Changes

An updated version of the Common Assessment Standard, the industry-agreed standard for pre-qualification in construction, has been published by Build UK.

Version 6 aligns with the latest legislation, guidance and client requirements and includes changes to the Building Safety section to reflect that scaffolding and temporary works are not in scope of the Building Regulations which regulate ‘building work’, unless they form part of the structure once complete.

Introduced in 2019, the Common Assessment Standard aims to improve quality standards and reduce duplication across the sector.

With over 26,000 companies certified to the standard, Build UK says a growing list of clients and contractors are specifying the Common Assessment Standard to demonstrate the organisational capability of their supply chains.

Jo Fautley, Build UK Deputy Chief Executive, said: “The regulatory regime is constantly evolving, and the Common Assessment Standard has been updated to keep pace with the latest developments. Companies carrying out work under the Building Safety Act can use the Common Assessment Standard to demonstrate that they have the organisational capability to fulfil their dutyholder roles under the Act.

“Once certified by a Recognised Assessment Body, a company can share its data at no cost with the other Recognised Assessment Bodies, so it is visible to more clients and contractors, removing the need to have multiple certifications.”

Version 6 Updates

Updates to Version 6 of the Common Assessment Standard include:

• Completion of the Building Safety section is now ‘opt out’ rather than ‘opt in’. Companies wishing to opt out of completing this section must provide a statement confirming that they do not carry out any building work regulated by the Building Regulations.
• The competence-related questions, which were in the Building Safety section, have been moved to the Quality section and must now be completed by all suppliers.
• The exemption in the Information Security section previously granted by holding Cyber Essentials Plus has been removed, and companies will now be exempt from completing this section only if they hold ISO 27001 – Information Security Management Systems.
• Key questions, including fraud prevention, a dedicated person responsible for quality, and a Drugs and Alcohol Policy, are now mandatory for all companies.

The organisation says it has also improved the guidance to the Common Assessment Standard question set (Version 6) to provide more support to supply chain companies going through the certification process.

>> Read more about Build UK in the news