Single Building Assessment Specification Task and Finish Group: final output and recommendations - March 2024

Annex B: Scottish Government’s Specification of Requirements

1. Introduction

1.1. This contract is being commissioned by the Scottish Government, Local Government and Communities Directorate, Cladding Remediation Division on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

1.2. This contract is for a fire risk consultant to provide technical and professional advice and produce a Single Building Assessment Specification.

2. Background

2.1. On 14 June 2017, 72 people lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire in London. The fire started in the kitchen of a fourth floor flat but quickly spread up the exterior of the building and then around all four sides via the external wall system.

2.2. Since 2019, people in Scotland have been experiencing difficulties when trying to buy, sell or remortgage flatted residential properties in buildings with external wall cladding. The EWS1 form was created by surveyors and lenders to help rate external wall systems and get properties back onto the market. However, the form has not worked well in Scotland due to the Scottish tenure system (where there are no leaseholders). To address this, it has been decided that in Scotland a whole building or SBA is needed.

2.3. The Scottish Government are committed to providing support and remediation where risks, due to unsafe cladding systems on external walls, have been identified and assessed by a competent professional (chartered fire engineer for buildings over 18m). The Single Building Assessment has been introduced as part of the Cladding Remediation Programme to either carry out or support fully funded safety assessments to determine domestic multi-occupancy buildings with a fire safety risk. The assessments help identify the repairs needed to make buildings safe.

2.4. As part of this process, there is a requirement to provide suitable specification for those completing a SBA as we have noted a great a variety of responses to date, making the assessment process difficult.

2.5. As we are limited in the level of expertise within Scottish Government, we propose to source a technical fire expert externally to lead on the preparation of an SBA specification document.

2.6. The availability of an SBA specification document will enable the comprehensive completion of SBA documents going forward and ease of review and thereafter will ensure the safeguarding of residents and homeowners in the development.

3. Contract Aim and Objectives

3.1. The aim of this project is to develop a Single Building Assessment Specification as part of the Cladding Remediation program. This document will be used for all buildings within the programme.

3.2. The objectives of the contract are:

i. Deliver a Specification document for the completion of an SBA.

ii. Deliver a report summarising findings discovered during the process.

4. Scope of this Requirement

4.1. The scope of the contract:

• To commission the preparation of a Single Building Assessment Specification.
• Organisations should have knowledge of the Scottish Advice Note (SAN), PAS 9980 and PAS 79-2 documents and required experience. The process will be over 6 months including engagement with relevant organisations.
• Prepare for and run workshops with SG to gauge vision and scope for the SBA Specification.
• Engage with Building Standards.
• Engage with other relevant professional organisations, as necessary.
• Understand fully the SAN v2.0, PAS9980 and the withdrawn PAS 79-2 and develop detail within the SBA relevant to them.
• Provide advice to the Scottish Government technical team in regard to the SBA specification.
• Pick up the existing draft of the SBA Specification and finalise it.
• Develop Checklists required for those completing SBAs.
• Develop a strawman of a typical SBA report.

5. Project Requirements

5.1 The supplier must be (or have a member of staff assigned to the project who is) a qualified and chartered Fire Engineer with associated IFE membership.

5.2 The supplier must have knowledge and understanding of the Scottish Advice Note (SAN) – Determining the fire risk posed by external wall systems in existing multi-storey residential buildings – version 2.0, December 2022.

5.3 Knowledge and understanding of Scottish Government Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing High Rise Domestic Buildings.

5.4 Knowledge and understanding of PAS 9980.

5.5 Knowledge and understanding of PAS 79-2.

5.6 The timeline is expected to be around 6 months – some items noted above can run in parallel.

5.7 Experience with Cladding and its remediation and have skills in advising around the topic.

5.8 Knowledge and understanding of the design, testing and maintenance of fire safety systems as the relate to protection of communal areas.

5.9 The supplier will provide a written report summarising the findings.

6. Methodology

6.1 It is expected that this project will involve predominantly desk based and potentially meetings with the Cladding and Remediation Directorate and other relevant areas of Scottish Government.

6.2 It is expected that this project will involve attendance at roundtable discussions with relevant stakeholders. This will be organised and chaired by the Cladding and Remediation Directorate on an ad-hoc basis.

6.3 It is expected that the selected supplier will produce a statement detailing their approach and methodology. This should be approved and produced prior to the commence of the work.

6.4 The supplier should endeavour to arrange all their own meetings as required.