1. January 2016 came a new building application regulation, with increased demands for engineers who will perform a number of works in large buildings, in power.
The regulation, which was presented by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, allows engineers who have previously completed including fire protection, installation of fire extinguishing systems, plumbing and electrical in larger buildings, suddenly not allowed to do this work anymore.
– this allows a baffling work prohibition for a large number of experienced engineers. The result is delayed construction projects and increased unemployment for an already hard pressed profession, says Jan Johnsrud in Nito.
Master Requirements
Previously, this type of work could be carried out by an engineer with bachelor’s degree.
But with the new requirements, this type of work be carried out by those with university-level education with 300 credits.
– This lets ingeniørerer with 35 and 45 years of work experience lose their job, then they can no longer perform this type of work, says Johnsrud.
And tell that Nito working to determine how many engineers who will actually be affected by the new requirements.
– It can involve everything from between several hundred to several thousand companies, he says.
In addition to the requirements for the number of credits the regulations set requirements for the number of cases a company conducts every year.
– We have received inquiries from smaller companies that do not tend to have more than 3-4 contracts per year, since the new rules requires at least eight missions each year, many smaller companies had change or close down his business, he said.
Major consequences
Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development refers to an EEA regulations as the reason for the changed requirements.
– Changes in building regulations is not that Norway must adapt to EEA regulations. Our sister organizations in Sweden and Denmark have not heard of equivalent competence, says Robert Jomisko by Nitos socio department.
He notes that Nito have verified this by Simonsen Vogt Wiig who has extensive experience with EU and EEA regulatory issues, saying the consequences of the new regulations is large.
– Several reputable companies and engineers will be forced to close down their businesses because they can no longer work within development class 3. In addition, likely more companies are being threatened with lawsuits by customers because they can no longer perform work in class 3, he says.
And continues:
– When enterprises closed down and engineers will work prohibition we risk slowing down in both residential property development and infrastructure.
Transition Period
in a letter to Nito writes Local government and Modernisation Minister Jan Tore Sanner that he understands the frustration in the industry, and that the government has taken measures to prevent the unintended consequences of changes in the rules.
He writes that the government has introduced a transitional scheme under which enterprises in a two year period can renew its central approval partly on the basis of long-term practice.
– This means that enterprises applying for renewal of the approval, may be considered by the more lenient standards of competence that was practiced before 1 January 2016, writes the minister.
frames many
Nitos President Trond Markussen is not impressed with the transitional arrangement Minister refers.
– this concerns serious players with a long history, and it is for us incomprehensible that the government lays down jobs like this at a time of record unemployment, he said.
The transitional arrangement applies namely not for those who seek after January 1, 2016. Thus, it is already engineers who are not entitled to exercise their profession –
feedback from members of Nito shows that the new requirements may affect as many as 1,000 enterprises in Norway.
BFO Fire has obtained responses from 42 FG company with a total of 1842 employees.
the results show that 71 percent of companies report that they go down one or more measures classes. 53 percent of companies report that they have to downsize if the change is implemented, and 28 percent have businesses closing down.
Frames all kind of engineers
According Consulting Engineers Association (RIF) will 200 of their member firms with 11,000 employees more or less affected. Of the 11,000, half engineers, the rest are engineers or have a doctorate, he said.
– The most important thing for NITO now is that the new scheme is not a profession ban. For that is precisely what is the consequence today for those of our members who are affected. They lose their livelihood, even if they master their tasks. Several of those are not even be part of the transitional arrangement. This is completely unreasonable and leads to a loss of jobs, says Markussen.
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