A simple question with big consequences: How do we know that the people responsible for manufacturing construction products are competent?

For years, the UK construction sector has relied heavily on product compliance; CE marking, UKCA marking, test certificates and declarations. But compliance, as the Grenfell tragedy tragically exposed, is not the same as competence.

Products do not fail in isolation. Buildings fail when people misunderstand, wrongly specify, misuse or mismanage products.

That gap between compliant products and competent people is where BS 8670‑2 comes in. But before we get into that, let's look at what came before.

Why BS 8670 exists

After the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, Dame Judith Hackitt's report concluded that the construction industry suffered from a fragmented and inconsistent approach to competence, especially across supply chains and specialist disciplines.

This directly led to:

• The Building Safety Act 2022

• A new legal focus on demonstrable competence

• A mandate for industry led competence frameworks

Rather than relying on one-off qualifications or paper assurances, the government tasked the British Standards Institution (BSI) with creating a coherent national framework for competence across the built environment. That framework became BS 8670.

Where BS 8670‑2 fits in

The BS 8670 series should be looked at as a family of standards rather than individual single documents, each addressing a different part of the built environment ecosystem. So far, it consists of:

• BS 8670‑1:2024 – Core competence criteria for building safety roles (already published, superseding BSI Flex 8670)

• BS 8670‑2 – Core competence criteria for construction products (currently in development)

In plain terms:

BS 8670‑1 covers "who is competent to do the work."

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BS 8670‑2 covers "who is competent to provide and manage the products."

What exactly is BS 8670‑2?

BS 8670‑2 an in-progress British Standard that defines what "competent" looks like for people and organisations involved with construction products.

That includes those who:

• Manufacture products

• Specify products

• Supply and distribute products

• Test or certify products

• Provide product technical advice

It does not duplicate UKCA/CE markings (product conformity markings indicating compliance with safety, health, and environmental standards).

Instead, it answers a different question: "Does this person or organisation properly understand the product, its risks, its limitations, and its role in building safety?"

Why construction products needed their own standard

Looking back, product responsibility occupied a grey area, where it is possible that manufacturers presumed correct use, designers relied on supplier advice, contractors treated products as broadly interchangeable, and certification was widely regarded as an assurance of safety.

The Grenfell tragedy showed that assumptions can be dangerous, with terrible consequences.

The Construction Products Association and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) have both made clear that competence in product knowledge is now a market expectation, not just good practice. The BS 8670‑2 is aimed at removing ambiguity.

What BS 8670‑2 is expected to cover

Although the BS 8670‑2 has not yet been formally published, BSI's project scope already confirms it will provide a Code of Practice for:

• Core knowledge of product safety and performance

• Understanding regulatory and legal obligations

• Knowing how products interact with systems and buildings

• Recognising limitations, misuse risks and foreseeable errors

• Evidencing competence in a consistent, auditable way

Importantly, it is proportionate, meaning expectations will scale based on risk and role.

Is BS 8670‑2 a legal requirement?

No. But that's not the right question. BS 8670‑2 will be:

• Voluntary, like most British Standards

• Authoritative, because it aligns directly with Building Safety Act principles

• Increasingly expected, particularly for higher risk buildings and safety‑critical products

In practice, it will likely become a procurement benchmark, a reference point for major clients, and supporting evidence of reasonable steps for regulatory purposes. This is exactly how BS 8670‑1:2024 is already being used.

What happens next?

With BS 8670‑2 is in formal development via BSI, industry briefings indicate a likely publication window around 2027.

What matters more than dates, however, is the direction of travel; construction product competence is now firmly on the regulatory and commercial agenda. Organisations that engage early will be better placed to:

• Anticipate procurement expectations

• Demonstrate responsible product stewardship

• Support safer outcomes in the built environment

Why This Matters to the Industry

BS 8670‑2 represents another step toward a more transparent, accountable, and safety‑led construction sector. A construction sector where informed expertise is recognised as essential infrastructure.

At SOPREMA UK, we are already aligning with the principles behind BS 8670‑2.

Through our CCPI‑aligned competency framework, each role has defined skill requirements, supported by documented training and assessed competence. This enables us to evidence informed product stewardship, support confident specification decisions, and meet evolving client and regulatory expectations.