The South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP) has issued an urgent call for the mandatory use of registered building inspectors on all construction and infrastructure projects.
The call follows the collapse of a building in Ormonde, south of Johannesburg, on Monday, which left nine construction workers dead, with others sustaining injuries.
READ | Deadly Ormonde building collapse: 'Structure was not sound'
In a statement on Wednesday, the council said the incident underscores the importance of appointing properly registered professionals to safeguard public safety and ensure compliance with national building standards.
SACPCMP President Sharon Shunmugam said registered professionals provide the necessary experience and skills required to ensure that projects are executed to standards that guarantee sustainability and the safety of structures.
“The only lawful way to assure that structures are erected in alignment with the correct and procedural building practices is to appoint registered building inspectors on projects to monitor progress and highlight risk or misalignment in building standards,” Shunmugam said.
Preliminary reports from investigators revealed multiple contraventions of building regulations and procedures. It has also been reported that building plans for the structure were absent, as reported in media briefings this week by the Mayor of Johannesburg, Dada Morero.
Shunmugam said the council has consistently warned both industry stakeholders and the public about the risks associated with non-compliance.
“The safety of the public is a priority. Where construction and related processes fail to adhere to the regulated standards of safety and construction management, the breakdown or collapse of structures is a likely eventuality,” Shunmugam said.
She emphasised that the utilisation of qualified professionals within the construction environment is essential to ensure that standards are adhered to, and the highest quality of outputs within the built environment comes to the fore.
She said the council is deeply saddened and immensely concerned that to date, the construction sector is still facing incidents where the most basic lawful construction requirements are flouted, and lives are lost.
According to the SACPCMP, the appointment of a professional, registered building inspector in such instances would have brought irregularities to the fore and highlighted risks that would result in safeguarding both infrastructure and those working on site.
“It is a travesty that once again, we see lives lost in an event where this could have been fully prevented if regulations were properly followed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost loved ones due to this tragedy and we are, as a council, ready to assist the relevant authorities in their investigation of this incident,” Shunmugam said. – SAnews.gov.za
