Practical Post 13: Duties & conflicts- BC(A)R SI.9

by Bregs Blog admin team

Practical Post 13: Duties & conflicts between Design and Assigned Certifiers- BC(A)R SI.9

I am the architect for a pub refurbishment. Although there is no additional floor area the interior is being substantially altered and a Fire Safety Certificate will be required for the works. I will be making the Fire Safety Certificate and Disability Access Certificate applications as part of my service. As this is an existing building with high occupancies I anticipate that this will be tricky to resolve.

The pub owner has now appointed a chartered engineer as the Assigned Certifier for the project. I have worked with this engineer many times in the past and he is very competent and professional to deal with on structural work. However, I am concerned because I know that he had no previous experience in fire safety or disabled access. The owner and the engineer do not see this as a problem but I am worried that I will end up doing the inspection work on site for him.

I am even more worried that if there is a problem later he might say that the owner knew he didn’t have this experience and that they were all relying on me! I have already have had a difference of opinion with him regarding transition arrangements in the regulations, and I am concerned how any differences of opinion between me as Design Certifier and the engineer as Assigned Certifier will impact on the contract.

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Other Posts in this series:

Practical Post 1: BC(A)R SI.9 Extensions & Refurbishments– click link here

Practical Post 2: completion- FAO Vintners & Retailers– click link here

Practical posts 3: Change of Use – FDI and offices – Click link here

Practical post 4: What if the builder goes bust?– Click link here

Practical Post 5: Small retail extension- problem with certifier – Click link here

Practical Post 6: no one wants to do certifier roles! – Click link here

Practical Post 7: Existing Shopping Centres – Click link here

Practical Post 8: Employees won’t certify: BC(A)R SI.9 – Click link here

Practical Post 9: Fees & numbers of inspections?: BC(A)R SI.9 – Click link here

Practical Post 10: No retrospective compliance: BC(A)R SI.9 – Click link here

Practical Post 11: Phasing and BC(A)R SI.9? – Click link here

Practical Post 10: No retrospective compliance: BC(A)R SI.9 – Click link here

Practical Post 11: Phasing and BC(A)R SI.9? – Click link here

Practical Post 12: “architects only” club?–  Click link here

Practical Post 14: Supervision vs Inspection –  Click link here

Practical post 15: Code of conduct issues –  Click link here

Practical Post 16: Pyrite and certification? – Click link here

Practical Post 17: Off-License fit-out –  Click link here

Practical Post 18- material alterations: Creche  – Click link here

Practical Post 19: Phased completion & BC(A)R SI.9 –  Click link here

Practical post 20: Are builders off the hook with BCAR? – click link here

NOTE: This series of posts is not meant to undermine or be in opposition to any professional advice from registered representative bodies: rather it is to offer additional technical aids to those that find themselves in the unenviable position of having to deal with SI.9 in it’s current form at present. As with all information posted on the Blog we urge all practitioners to check with their respective professional bodies before assuming any roles or duties under Building Control (Amendment) regulation (SI.9 of 2014). We hope to post a number of these practical posts and list in one area, so home owners, SME’s and professionals can drop in and click on a particular topic to get summary information that may be useful to them while working within these new and difficult regulations.