CITB, the Industrial Training Board (ITB) for the construction industry is calling on small and medium-sized (SME) contractors to ensure they are fully aware of changes to Building Regulations Part L requirements, and to upskill to avoid missing out on valuable work.
On 6 April, the 2013 revision to Part L came into force, further highlighting the importance of low carbon skills amongst SMEs (and also whole life costing, airtightness and thermal bridging).
Tony Howard, Business Development Manager at CITB, commented: “The changes to Building Regulations Part L are an important development for construction SMEs. They need to understand what is required to meet the new regulations for air tightness, new insulation materials and changing technologies, and have the skills to deliver to the required standards. Those who are not fully aware of the changes risk non-compliance.”
There are set to be further consultations on Part L in October with more changes anticipated. All of these are expected to reflect the increased importance of energy efficiency and low carbon construction techniques.
Tony Howard continues: “SMEs who do not have the most up to date low carbon skills and qualifications are likely to find work opportunities harder to secure. As both domestic and commercial customers move towards more energy efficient homes and workplaces, and in particular when it comes to retrofit, customers will look to SMEs with the highest level of low carbon skills and qualifications to undertake their work. With new technologies such as BIM (Building Information Modelling) on the rise too, low carbon skills are vital. Low carbon continues to rise up the agenda in the construction industry and it is crucial that SMEs have the skills to carry out this kind of work.”