The move comes as a response to the new building safety regime being introduced following the Grenfell disaster.

The Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors (Building) has until now been open only to BCSA steelwork contractor members.

BCSA chief executive officer Dr David Moore said: ”The most significant changes to building safety regulation in a generation are being ushered in by the Building Safety Act 2022, forcing all links in supply chains to have a long and hard look at their own practices and those of their suppliers.

“The steel construction sector is at the heart of this drive to make buildings safer, having played a full role in discussions on what a post-Grenfell tragedy building safety regime should look like.

“The introduction of new competence requirements for contractors places fresh onus on the industry’s clients to ask all suppliers to prove their competence and capability, and this will be the best way for steelwork contractors to respond to that.”

BCSA has revised the 7th edition of the National Structural Steelwork Specification for Building Construction, which introduces the new assessment scheme and a new section on Protective Treatments (corrosion and fire).

Compliance with the new scheme – the Register of Qualified Steelwork Contractors (Building) – will prove to clients that a steelwork contractor can meet or even exceed the competence requirements demanded by the new legislation.

The scheme includes specific requirements for steelwork contractors that include details of their fabrication facility, the skill, knowledge and experience of their staff and CE/UKCA marking.

Initially it was thought that the Building Safety Act only applied to high-rise high risk buildings, but its scope is wider and Building Regulations, clients and insurance companies are looking for the supply chain to demonstrate its competence and capability for all buildings.