This post has already been read 2946 times!
Kayode V. Fowode
On Wednesday March 13, 2019, Lagosians witnessed yet another building collapse at Ita-Faji on Lagos Island. According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, the corpses of 20 victims were recovered and taken to the mortuary from the scene of the tragic incident, while 45 survived. The survivors are currently undergoing treatment at some government health facilities in the city.
Unfortunately, history has shown that incidents, such as this, usually result in fatalities, injuries, litigations and a burden on government medical facilities, among other consequences.
I have said it before that building construction is a high-risk activity that must be efficiently controlled by building owners and effectively regulated by regulatory agencies. Until we identify the root causes and take corrective actions, Nigerians may likely continue to experience the same misfortune.
Considering the recent incident, it might be worthwhile to look at some of the causes of building collapse. From my personal experience and through investigations and media reports, the causes of building collapse in the country are as a result of one or a combination of the following: inadequate site preparation, including absence of proper soil investigation; defective design and construction; lack of building or planning permits; use of substandard materials; corruption; non-adherence to approved building plans; engagement of inexperienced personnel, developers and contractors; lack of proper supervision, inspection and monitoring of construction works; illegal conversion, alteration, and additions to existing structures; undue interference of client on building works; foundation failures; natural occurrence; insufficient construction health and safety legislation; insufficient regulatory officers and non-enforcement of extant notices, etc.
Regrettably, government at all levels has failed to take appropriate holistic action to address the root causes of these incidents and thus, prevent recurrence. Government must understand that actions required of them are beyond sending condolences and paying for the medical bills of the victims.
We are tired of seeing innocent Nigerians killed in the rubbles of collapsed buildings. How many Nigerians do we expect to die before the necessary action is taken to reduce such incidents? What specific Occupational Safety and Health law is directed towards enhancing safety during the construction of buildings? What measures have been put in place to review and act upon the various comments, articles and professional advice offered in the past after such incidents had taken place? Do we have sufficient inspectors from the regulatory agencies to monitor ongoing construction work every day and night? Do we have an efficient system to track substandard buildings and the engagement of incompetent building contractors and developers? More important, are enforcement actions proactively implemented or only applied after a catastrophic incident? Many questions can be asked, but it is obvious that we are yet to learn from past experience.
The time to act is now, if we must prevent death from building collapse. All duty holders, including government, must address these concerns. The owners of buildings under construction must be stopped from engaging developers or contractors that have not been duly assessed and confirmed by the regulatory agencies to possess the competence, resources and necessary safety records to guarantee safe construction. Hence, an approved list of competent developers, who have been assessed and verified to deliver the highest level of professional services, should be maintained in the form of a register and made available to the public who may require their services.
Also, wherever and whenever a building is identified for non-conformity to appropriate laws and marked for removal, immediate legal actions must be taken so as not to expose occupants and others to danger. No building confirmed by a competent and authorised body as distressed should be left undemolished irrespective of the owner’s political affiliation or circle of influence. No life is worthless nor can be replaced, so we must all do the needful.
Furthermore, it is illegal to commence construction work without approved drawings from the appropriate authorities. In a situation where such occur or where a building is illegally converted, altered and added to existing structures without necessary approval, the approving authorities must act swiftly and accordingly.
Managing safety is a joint responsibility. As such, preventing building collapse cannot be tackled by the government alone. It is a collective responsibility. This is why the Standard Organisation of Nigeria should be vigilant to ensure that locally produced and imported building materials conform to standard requirements.
The National Assembly should speedily pass the bill on Construction Health and Safety similar to Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 (enacted in the United Kingdom). The above bill emphasises and places duties on all duty holders on construction safety. Regulations should identify all duty holders within the industry and clearly stipulates individual legal duties along the supply chain.
In addition, early intervention by regulatory officers is crucial to preventing building collapse in the future. Safety begins with pre-planning, therefore the regulatory officers must check that developers or contractors understand the construction methods at the pre-planning stage and how the entire procurement process shall be managed in order to ascertain the quality of building materials and eliminate the risks of substandard materials.
The RO must ensure that controls to mitigate any foreseeable risks are integrated into the building design and the client or principal designer has taken all reasonable measures to eliminate or control foreseeable risks that may arise during construction, maintenance and use of the building. This should be one of the major criteria for issuing Building Permit.
Unfortunately, corruption has consistently remained a threat to the construction industry. Every competent engineer knows that adequate feasibility studies, soil and site investigation, adherence to engineering specifications, accurate data from professionals, and use of standard materials forms the basis for good design and construction. It is therefore pertinent that officers of the approving authority read through drawings to detect defects and avoid engaging in corrupt practices of granting illegal approvals. The RO must also ensure that all building plans tendered for approval complies with Nigeria’s new Building Code, Regulations and local bye-laws.
Finally, as mentioned in my previous article, safety is not simply common sense. The regulators must begin a country-wide campaign on construction and building safety in order to educate the public on the risks associated with living in distressed buildings and the hazards posed by construction activities together with other associated risks that might arise from the use of substandard materials.
The public must be sensitised to the applicable regulations, hazards identification, and how to work safely.
- Fowode is a Health and Safety Practitioner based in Lagos
[Punch]
