BSI announces first certification to new Built Environment quality standard

BSI, the business standards and improvement company, today announces the first organization to have achieved certification to a landmark scheme which can support improvement in quality for the built environment sector.

The engineering and construction companies VolkerStevin and VolkerFitzpatrick, which are part of VolkerWessels UK, achieved certification against BS 99001 Quality Management Systems in the Built Environment.

The new certification scheme was designed specifically for the built environment to address quality management issues that are reported to be prevalent in the sector.

In-depth audits of the organizations’ management systems were undertaken to confirm that the requirements of the scheme had been met. The standard focuses solely on the built environment industry and was developed to help the sector implement the requirements of the new Building Safety Act, which became UK law in April 2022.

Published in July 2022, BS 99001 builds on ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems with additional sector-specific management system requirements intended to tackle specific areas of concern in a multi-organizational, project-based way of working. The areas that can give rise to safety concerns include cost being put above quality and insufficient resource allocated to ensure quality is checked effectively at required stages.

Adrian Shah-Cundy, Corporate Responsibility Director for VolkerWessels UK, said: “The process of review against BS 99001, and being able to demonstrate meeting its requirements, forms a key element of our quality management strategy. The standard, and its assessment by BSI, has provided another insight into our processes relating to our construction activities and will no doubt bring additional benefits to our business. This certification is recognition in itself, but I see it as a means to help ensure we are delivering on our commitments to quality.”

Matt Page, Managing Director UK & Ireland, BSI Assurance comments: “We are delighted to announce that the first BSI clients have achieved certification to the new management system scheme against the requirements of BS 99001, something that has the potential to ultimately boost quality in the wider built environment sector.

“BSI is committed to supporting the built environment through the challenges the industry faces, which include the adoption of sustainable practices, prioritization of people and digital transformation. Certification to the new standard will underpin all these strategic objectives for VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerStevin, so that the organizations can take steps to reduce the amount of risk involved in built environment projects and take quality management to the next level.”

Andy Butterfield, Managing Director, Global Built Environment at BSI comments: “We are delighted to announce VolkerStevin and VolkerFitzpatrick as the first organizations globally to achieve certification. This is a significant accomplishment and demonstrates the pioneering leadership approach to helping drive better outcomes through adoption of Standards to achieve best practice. Globally, the built environment faces many challenges with the drive for better quality and rapid innovation to create a more sustainable built environment, therefore it is great to see VolkerStevin and VolkerFitzpatrick helping to lead the way in meeting these challenges.”

For more information, visit the BSI website.