The Three Dutyholder Roles
The Act creates three principal dutyholder roles during the design and construction phase: the client, the principal designer, and the principal contractor. Each has defined responsibilities for managing building safety risks.
The Client
The client is responsible for ensuring that dutyholders are competent and adequately resourced, that a principal designer and principal contractor are appointed, and that a building control application is made at the appropriate gateway.
The Principal Designer
The principal designer is responsible for coordinating health and safety during the design phase and for ensuring that building safety risks are planned out or reduced where possible. For AOV systems, this includes ensuring that the smoke ventilation strategy is properly integrated into the building design.
The Principal Contractor
The principal contractor is responsible for coordinating and managing building safety risks during construction. This includes ensuring that AOV systems are installed by competent contractors, that installation records are maintained, and that the golden thread is updated throughout construction.
Competence Requirements
All dutyholders must be able to demonstrate competence. For AOV installers and contractors, this means demonstrating appropriate training, qualifications, and experience. SDI 19 certification from the Smoke Control Association is widely recognised as evidence of competence for smoke control installation.
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