New government requirements for the Glazing Industry started 6th June 2014.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (“DCLG”) has set out their requirements for the Conditions of Authorisation for CPS Operators. Condition 17 stipulates that CPS Operators must ensure that Glaziers now issue ‘financial protection’ on each and every job that you registered with a CPS. Failure to provide adequate ‘financial protection’ in addition to your own guarantee will result in you no longer being able to self-certify via a CPS. Condition 17 is explained in more detail below.

The simplest way to ensure compliance is to use HomePro’s award winning Insurance Backed Guarantee (IBG) Scheme ( http://www.homepro.com/HomeProInsurance/Trades )

Additionally, at least one member of a glazing installation team must have been assessed for their MTC.

Those who have been assessed will need to carry their MTC card with them as it serves to confirm their competency to homeowners. The MTC scheme has been set out by DCLG.

It will be the role of the MTC qualified person to sign off any completed glazing works going forward. Anyone who is conducting a survey will also need to be assessed, or supervised on site by a competent surveyor.

A MTC assessment will need to be completed every three years which will keep accredited personnel up to date with Building Regulation and technological changes within the glazing industry.

Where an installer has achieved an NVQ within the last 5 years, they will be able to obtain an NVQ card without undertaking an MTC assessment, but they will need to speak to their CPS on an individual basis to confirm details.

We are here to help our member glazing installation companies, their surveyors and installer teams demonstrate their experience, knowledge and competencies with our IBG products and by displaying their IBG compliance on their directory listings.

UKAS’s requirement for Condition 17 Stipulates That ...

Financial protection must be provided not just offered. This can be provided by the CPS operator or by the members. The condition is that appropriate financial protection must be provided and it is the responsibility of the CPS operator to arrange it. The purpose of this condition is to protect the consumer in the event of installer going out of business. All Building Regulation work for which the CPS operator is authorised must be covered by the protection provided.

DCLG has further clarified (Reference communique issued by DCLG on 10th December 2013) that the financial protection referred to in condition 17 should be offered as an option to local authorities and housing associations. This offer must be made to ensure that those organisations that may wish to take up this financial protection have the opportunity to do so.

References to ‘work’ in DCLG and Welsh Government Conditions of Authorisation

Various references in the conditions of authorisation to "work", "members' work" (condition 12), "work to dwellings" (17), "scheme work" (18), "completed work required under the scheme" (19 & 21) all refer to dwellings that falls within the scope of the scheme.

However, if a scheme operator undertakes a periodic random inspection of a member's work under condition 12 and notices that any controlled work (outside the scope of the scheme) is not compliant with the Building Regulations DCLG and the Welsh Government would at least expect the CPS operator to point it out to the scheme member.