FENSA publishes ‘Guide to Transition to Certified Installer’
23rd October 2012

FENSA has published its processes and information to help companies
self-certifying replacement window and door installations to transition to the revised Competent Person Scheme (CPS) requirements recently set out by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

Since June 2012,the DCLG have set out these revised requirements which mean that all glazing CPSs are required to introduce the same changes. This involves transferring existing registered companies from self-certifying using the old Competent Person inspection regime to self-certifying under the revised scheme as a Certified Installer.

FENSA’s ‘Guide for Transition to ‘Certified Installer’ is now available online on the ‘Revised Scheme – Transition’ section of www.fensaonline.com and will also be communicated to installers via email and by post.

“We have produced a guide to lead and assist companies through the process,” commented FENSA Operations Director Chris Mayne. “At first glance these revised requirements could look pretty onerous and introduce a level of red tape that registered businesses will not welcome.But we have set out how companies can source template documentation – in instances where they do not already have them – either directly from us or from organisations we would recommend. We have also set up a dedicated team to help installers to achieve these new standards.”

FENSA registered businesses will start receiving notification of these ‘Transition Inspections’ under the revised scheme requirements from FENSA’s contracted inspection providers the British Board of Agrement (BBA) from October 2012. Companies will be required to undergo the transition from now until June 2014 as part of a rolling programme. They will receive sufficient notice of the revised scheme Transition Inspection during which time they will be required to source and prepare the documents required as part of the enhanced ‘Documentation Inspection’ plus provide information on the level of expertise of both their installers and surveyors.

The documents that the inspectors will need to see include: Complaints Procedure; Customer Contract; Customer Specification Survey Sheet; Health & Safety Document; Public and Employment Liability Insurance Certificates.

The information on installers and surveyors experience and/or qualifications will need to be provided on the FENSA Staff Competency Forms. There is a provision for demonstrating competency through ‘grandfather rights’. FENSA and the DCLG recognise that an employee’s experience of window installing and/or surveying is extremely valuable.
Therefore, vouching for a minimum number of two years worked by the company’s most experienced staff is an acceptable way to satisfy the requirements.

A full list of the required documents, a list of sources of template documents plus the Staff Competency Forms and FAQs are all available on the ‘Revised Scheme – Transition’ section ofwww.fensaonline.com.

“DCLG has set out these revised requirements for all glazing CPSs, which require an increased level of documentary proof that companies are adhering to best practice Most companies will have all this information – if not always in exactly the format requested – so FENSA believes that the requirements may look more complicated than they really are,” added Mayne.
“It is all part of a process of raising still further the standards of our industry and should be broadly welcomed.”

For further information on these revised scheme requirements or to join FENSA, please telephone FENSA on 020 7645 3700 or email

enquiries@fensa.org.uk.