The ATTMA have today asked for the SAP Conventions to be amended to accurately reflect the not so recent changes in the air tightness testing industry.
The current SAP methodology allows for assessors to accept any form of data they receive with little ability to challenge, often losing any challenges they make. The SAP conventions as of May 2016 can be viewed here: https://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/SAP/2012/SAP-Conventions.pdf
The ATTMA have asked that testers providing evidence from a Government authorised Competent Person Scheme (CPS) can use only their lodgement certificate as evidence of compliance. This is because the competence of the business is assessed by the CPS scheme.
The ATTMA have also asked that unregistered testers (testers that do not operate within a competent persons scheme) must provide evidence of the hard test numbers as well as evidence of their calibration for their equipment – a check that is not currently being done by neither the SAP assessors or Building Control. This does not change what is currently required by Building Regulations.
We will keep you updated once we have progress.
*Update*
Today, 27 August 2016, The Department for Communities and Local Government have rejected proposals from the ATTMA to ensure current Building Regulations and the SAP conventions citing reasons that ATTMA had asked for:
- that we should not extend an invitation to the 6th September meeting beyond those who absolutely have to be there… (i.e. listed in the terms of reference document)
- in the test currently proposed Buildings Regulations colleagues have provided clear guidance on how this convention and the supporting annex should be drafted.
- what ATTMA is suggesting contradicts what is allowed by the Building Regulations, i.e. that anyone can do a pressure test as long as they have followed the correct procedures.
- DCLG do not agree with ATTMA’s viewpoint that their proposal their proposals will not require SAP/EPC assessor to police the industry. On the contrary, their proposal would require SAP/EPC assessors to confirm that an air pressure test had been carried out by either ATTMA or IATS, which would effectively mean they would be policing industry.
The ATTMA will continue to press for change to improve this industry and to halt the flow of fraudulent test reports that are not being checked.
