As part of its continuing mission to disseminate the most up-to-date information to its members, plumbing employers’ association SNIPEF is co-hosting a free webinar to promote understanding of the benefits of building standards certification.

The event will highlight how certification schemes help raise standards throughout the construction industry, as work carried out by Approved Certifiers must be to a high standard and must comply with building regulations.

It will take place under the banner of Scottish Building Standards Certification (SBSC), comprised of major industry scheme providers including SNIPEF; Structural Engineers Registration; certification body BRE Global; RIAS Services; Certsure, trading as NICEIC; and SELECT, the trade association for the electrotechnical industry in Scotland.

Speakers will include Dave Forrester, director of technical services at SELECT; Leslie Fox, schemes administration manager at SNIPEF; and Stephen Garvin, head of the Scottish Government’s Building Standards Division. The Scottish Futures Trust will also be represented.

Fiona Hodgson, chief executive of SNIPEF, said: “The webinar, with its accomplished speakers, will outline the many benefits that certification services bring, including public health and safety, greater efficiency and productivity and better peace of mind.

“It will also offer a view from the client’s perspective, with a real-life case study which will illustrate the practical way certification has helped a consumer.”

It is the latest initiative from SNIPEF which, in July, helped produce a new animated film explaining why the industry should use approved certifiers. The film was prompted by a Scottish ministerial intervention in June when Kevin Stewart, MSP, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, wrote to local authorities to highlight the positive impact of certification.

He said then that certificates of design and construction provided by qualified building professionals could dramatically reduce the need for local authority verifiers and streamline the construction process.

SNIPEF has joined with other certification scheme providers to work with the Scottish Government’s Building Standards Division Resilience Group to address short, medium and long-term issues created by the coronavirus outbreak.

It is also working with other organisations in the Construction Industry Coronavirus Forum (CICV) to release a series of animations which have helped guide firms through the easing of lockdown process.

The seminar will take place at 11am on Thursday, September 10.