ADSA Helps Spearhead Competence Initiative

The Automatic Door Suppliers Association (ADSA) is taking part in a ground-breaking initiative to increase levels of competence and confidence in the UK building envelope sector.

The Joint Competence Initiative (JCI) has been established in response to the Building Safety Act – considered the most significant change to health and safety legislation affecting the construction industry in the past 40 years.

The JCI is an ‘association of associations’ providing guidance and support to move forward industry standards and raise the bar higher.

ADSA was invited to represent the doors sector as part of the JCI steering group along with other trade associations, including Council for Aluminium in Building (CAB), Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF), the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology (CWCT) and Society of Façade Engineers (SFE). They are joined by representatives of leading contractors, sub-contractors, manufacturers and suppliers and education providers such GQA Qualifications Ltd. 

Ken Price, ADSA‘s managing director, said it was an honour to be involved in an initiative which would ‘radically reform and improve quality and standards throughout the industry’.

He adds: “It has brought together leading associations which have responsibilities in establishing and maintaining competence levels within their own sectors. By working together, we have been able to define what competence looks like, how we measure and achieve it against specific roles and requirements.

“We have shared the work which we have undertaken individually and helped contribute to a bigger picture of competence. Moving forward, we have pledged to drive through change against a recognised set of standards that relate to different parts of the industry: subcontractors, specifiers, manufacturers, etc, and identify the kind of training and continuous professional development that is required to prove competence.”

About the JCI

JCI was initially formed of technical and procurement leads from BAM, ISG, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Lendlease, Mace, Morgan Sindall, Multiplex, Sir Robert McAlpine, John Sisk, Skanska and Wates Group. Its vision has been to establish ‘proportionate and practical requirements relating to both organisational and individual competence of those working in the glazing, cladding and roofing sectors’.

This has led to the publication of a white paper, ‘Achieving Competence in the Building Envelope Sector’ which is available for download from ADSA’s website.

Neville Grunwald, JCI Chair, comments: “JCI will consult with Principal Contractors and Developers to adopt the white paper as the preferred measure of subcontractor competence as part of the supply chain process. 

“In order to maintain the currency of these measures, the volunteers and associations of the JCI will continue to interact with Government bodies and other stakeholders to monitor changes in laws and regulations surrounding the issue of competence in the Built Environment and lobby them to ensure those laws and regulations are proportionate and applied in a practicable manner.”

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