FENSA has announced that a sanctions policy will be levelled at those FENSA registered businesses that do not complete a Transition Inspection by the deadline of 6 June 2014. Non-transitioned registered business will find their FENSA accounts ‘frozen’ from 9 June.
,To ‘unfreeze’ the account, the installer will need to call the FENSA Transition Helpline on 020 7397 7208, or email transitions@fensa.org.uk. These businesses will be required to make a commitment to undertake a Transition Inspection before 1 September 2014. As soon as they make that commitment, the FENSA account will be ‘unfrozen’ and the FENSA inspections body (the BBA) will then be in contact to arrange the inspection.
,Registered Businesses with ‘frozen’ FENSA accounts will be prevented from registering installations and will no longer have the company listing publicly available on the FENSA website. Their account will remain ‘frozen’ until a Transition Inspection has been successfully undertaken and failure to complete an inspection by 31 December 2014 may result in the registration being suspended and the issuing of a 28-day notice of registration removal.
,The position regarding Minimum Technical Competencies (MTCs) is clarified as follows: Up to 31 May 2015, a FENSA registered company is required to employ operatives (installers and surveyors) who are deemed competent, or are adequately supervised by competent colleagues, to ensure that a job complies with Building Regulations and is safely completed. Demonstration of competence during this period may be by the holding of an industry recognised competency card and/or qualification.
,The FENSA registered business will need to record that its staff comply by maintaining a register of approved surveyors and installers. This Staff Competency Register will be available on the FENSA website.
,After 31 May 2015, all relevant installers and surveyors will need to prove competency – by holding a recognised card or relevant qualification.
,Chris Mayne, FENSA managing director, commented: “FENSA operates under 21 Conditions of Authorisation set down by the government (DCLG). Condition 9 requires us to assess registered businesses on technical competency against national occupational standards under MTC. This means that our registered businesses that have transitioned to Certified Installer will be deemed compliant.
,“FENSA will be launching a Staff Competency Register in the summer (available online to companies that have transitioned) for companies to record the status of their employees and sub-contractors. Compliance will be assessed by BBA during its usual inspections.”
,“However, the competency requirements move forward, post 31 May 2015, to focus on the individual installers and surveyors. All operatives who work for self-certifying installation companies will need to hold a competency card (like the FENSA MTC card) or relevant qualifications.”
,According to FENSA, there will be sanctions in place that will apply to companies that do not follow this procedure – and they will include inspections, re-inspections, suspensions and potential cancellation of FENSA registration.
,The employment of competent operatives by self-certifying installation businesses is a requirement of all glazing competent person schemes. If a company wishes to continue self-certifying, it will need to state that it has a competent workforce. FENSA says the easiest way to achieve this, is by getting its operatives registered for the F
