So, you've got design responsibility. What now?

You might’ve been formally appointed, or inherited it through involvement in a project. However it landed in your lap, it’s yours now.

You can keep that.

So, you’ve read the regulations. You know the Building Safety Act has teeth. And now you’re working out what to do about it.

This is a guide, from us to you. To help you find your way with the three things that matter most from here on out: having the right competency, the right advice, and the right systems.

Prove you, and others, are competent to do what you’re doing

Competency isn’t about how many years you’ve done a job. It’s the foundation of every dutyholder role under the regulatory guidance.

The official line is that you must demonstrate the right skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviour - or, organisational capability - for the work you’re undertaking.

That means understanding the design decisions you’re making and being able to justify them, particularly in areas that are critical to life safety (typically fire and structural safety). You’ll need to show you understood the risks, selected appropriate solutions, and engaged with the right people at the right stages.

There’s also growing talk of a register for designers under the BSA, with professional bodies tightening their own CPD requirements. Now is the time to prepare.

Get guidance and support, early

You might not need to have the in-depth level of knowledge on everything. In fact, if you think you do, the HSE might be quietly concerned.

Taking control of design responsibility means steering the process and knowing when to bring in the right voices. Often, these are specialists - fire engineers, structural consultants, building control specialists, manufacturer technical teams.

Guidance injects much-needed expertise into safety-critical areas of building design. It should be brought in early, comprehensively, cohesively, and accessibly documented, and from competent individuals. Anyone providing guidance must be able to demonstrate that they hold the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviour. The Building Safety Regulator expects it.

 We, for example, offer technical guidance and support to our customers, through our specification packs and project support. It’s backed by testing, and competence that we’ve invested heavily (that’s both a financial investment and an investment of time) to achieve. If your spec rep can’t confidently answer your question, they’ll defer to someone who can. Support is part of the package.

Systems are the bones of the building

Systems are, in many cases, the bones of the building. Particularly where walls are concerned.

If the documentation can’t be provided to prove that, in that application, a drywall system can perform as required under pressure (pressure mostly in the metaphorical sense, but also sometimes literally), then it may not stand up – legally. Systems that have impact on either fire or structural safety must be:

• Fully tested
• Clearly classified
• Supported by evidence for that application

You should ask to see the classification report (based on EN test data), and the details that show the build up and the application. EN standards are the benchmark we should all work to, in order to have confidence in systems.

For example, an EN 1364-1 fire resistance test shows how a system performs. Classification reports (under EN 13501-2) translate those results into clear performance values, for the build-up and the application they apply to, verified by an accredited third-party. If these are not available from the manufacturer, you will need to look a little closer at the test report in order to have full certainty of the suitability of the system to meet the requirements.

Also, make sure systems are backed by a technical support network. Aside from technical datasheets and installation manuals, you want detailing guidance, installation advice, CPD training if needed, and a clear route to assistance, should you need it.

The discrete sales pitch

We said we wouldn’t go full sales brochure. But if you’re reading this, you’re probably in the market for systems that perform (and can prove it). Advice you can actually use. People who actually answer the phone.

That’s what we do. We test everything to EN standards. We publish classification reports. The guidance of our technical and specification teams is only ever a phone call away.

Design responsibility feels big because it is. But it’s manageable - if you work with the right people, ask the right questions, and specify systems that can speak for themselves.

If you’re looking for those people, get in touch.