Workers across the industry are being urged to add their voice to the consultation of a new standard to integrate BIM and health and safety into common standards used throughout the construction industry.
Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 1192-6 is set to become one of the core Level 2 BIM documents.
The specification will show how to gather health and safety information and use it to meet obligations under CDM, ready to pass on to FM teams to give them a clear understanding of residual or outstanding risks.
Architect Stefan Mordue, who works for data services company NBS and who has sat on the technical committee for the document, explained: “Basically PAS 1192-6 will aim to reduce hazards and risk across the whole project lifecycle, from design to demolition, including the management of the construction process, and make sure health and safety information gets to the right people at the right time.”
The fast-tracked specification is being co-funded by the HSE, the Association for Project Safety (APS), contractor Costain, and other industry partners. It has been developed by members of the BIM4Health and Safety Working Group.
The draft is currently on the BSI website and the public has until 28 March to review the document and add their comments or suggestions. The final version is expected to be adopted into PAS standards in May or June.
Mordue added: “The industry should review the document on the BSI website and log their thoughts as it will help improve the overall outcome.”
He said they had opted to go through the PAS route as it can have a development time of around nine months as opposed to a British Standard, which takes much longer. The reason being is that while a PAS invites comments from interested parties it will not necessarily incorporate them.
He added that there has been a general growing appetite for using BIM in relation to health and safety and this new specification will be vital for the future of the industry.
“We want to attract talent into the industry and the only way we’re going to do that is making it a safer environment overall, this is the key.
“It’s about providing clearer and more assured health and safety information to the right people and at the right time when they need it. That’s what the standard is all about.”
People can review the document and add their comments on the BSI website here.
