Individual Operative

Even if you’re not in charge of a job, you are personally responsible for doing your work safely and competently. The Building Safety Act (BSA) and wider safety regulations apply to everything, including:

• Small works and extensions
• Commercial sites
• Higher-Risk Buildings (HRBs)

If you don’t follow the law, or if you work outside your skills, you can be held legally liable, especially if something goes wrong.

The BSA introduced a new standard of competence across all roles. You must show that you have the: 

• Skills to carry out your tasks
• Knowledge of systems, materials, and risks
• Experience with the type of work or building involved
• Behaviours that show you take safety seriously

BS8670 outlines the four pillars of good behaviour:

1. Respect for life, the law, environment and public good: Report safety hazards, ensure work is lawful and ethical, protect the environment and public good
2. Honesty and integrity: Be truthful and reliable, respect confidentiality, report unethical or corrupt practices
3. Accuracy and rigour: Only work within your competence, stay up-to-date on skills and knowledge, identify and manage risks effectively
4. Direction, conduct, and communication: Promote safety through clear communication, challenge unsafe practices or policies, be aware of the long-term safety implications of your work

To show you’re competent, you should: 

• Hold a valid CSCS or equivalent card
• Keep up-to-date certificates for any systems or products you install where appropriate
• Complete refresher training or CPD (continuing professional development) as needed
• Have professional qualifications (appropriate NVQs)
• Have a portfolio of evidence (previous works completed
• Have an accurate and up to date description of your role and capabilities
• Compile testimonials from previous clients

If you’re ever unsure about an instruction, spec change, or the safety of a product or system, you must raise it—either with your supervisor, site manager, or via formal reporting. Record that you raised the concern. Failing to speak up could result in legal consequences for you if something goes wrong later. 

If you’re working on a Higher-Risk Building (e.g. a block of flats over 18m), you will face additional site safety briefings, sign-ins, and daily recordkeeping requirements.

You may be required to:

• Attend enhanced HRB-specific inductions
• Record your access to restricted zones
• Sign off on specific installation procedures and materials used
• Please note that for some tasks where you do not have the knowledge to sign off installations, your manager will have responsibility

You must contribute to the “golden thread” of safety data by collecting CCP (Construction Control Plan) documentation. This includes:

• Photos of your work before, during, and after installation
• Details of the materials used (labels, batch numbers)
• Any changes from the specifications, with explanations about why
• These must be signed off and agreed either by the client, the principal designer, or the Building Safety Regulator, depending on the extent of the change and if the change is related to fire safety or structural matters. Check if you are unsure

If something doesn’t fit, do not adjust it on site without proper approval. Unauthorised changes can create fire or structural risks, and you could be held personally liable if the result is unsafe. Your level of responsibility will depend on the nature of the task and who is supervising the work.

You are part of the team that creates and maintains a digital audit trail of how the building was put together. This helps prove the building is safe and ensures others can manage risks long after you’ve left site. 

• What you installed (with product labels visible if possible) 
• Where and when you installed it 
• Any changes or issues during installation 

If something happens on site that could affect the building’s safety, like a fire-stopping product being damaged or a product being installed incorrectly, you have a legal duty to report it. This is known as a reportable occurrence under the BSA.

Examples include:

• Improperly installed cavity barriers
• Work continuing after a failed inspection
• Material substitutions without approval

• Report to your site manager, supervisor, or safety lead. They must then escalate it. You are protected from punishment if you report in good faith—even if it delays the job
• CROSS-UK has been appointed as the official reporting system for structural and fire safety until 2028. Find out more here

If you carry out work you’re not competent to do, or if you follow unsafe instructions without speaking up, you could be: 

• Fined 
• Dismissed 
• Personally prosecuted 

In serious cases (especially on HRBs), this could lead to criminal charges, loss of card registration, or even prison.