Building collapse: Enact law against human errors, NBRRI urges FG, NASS

The Federal Government and the National Assembly have been urged to make legislation and establish a special court that will anyone found culpable of contributing to building collapse.

The call was made by Prof. Samson Duna, Fifth Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Building and Roads Research Institute, Abuja, Nigeria (NBRRI) when he presented a paper titled ‘Building Collapse in Nigeria: A Preventable Human Infliction’ at the Faculty of Engineering & Engineering Technology, Abubakar Tarawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi on Thursday.

He lamented that many innocent lives have been lost through the many building collapses across the country due to what he described as human errors and negligence by so-called professionals who did not do what they were expected to do right.

Duna opined that if people are tried and punished for any building failure and collapse, decorum and sanity will return to the building sector thereby reducing the risks of building collapse.

He also called for enforcement of the law to be enacted saying, “Also, there is issue of enforcement. Since the history of building collapse, we have never had a case where somebody was punished by being taken to court or jailed for being responsible.

“We are calling on the National Assembly to enact a law so that anybody that is found wanting as far as carelessness is concerned, man-made error somewhere, the person should be punished, face the music and this will serve as a deterrent to others.

He also suggested that there should be a rapid response team across the country so that immediate rescue operations will be conducted to save the lives of victims.

According to him, “We are agitating that each state government should establish a response team. Buy facility excavators, keep them, and train people just as if you are going to war. So that anytime building collapse occurs, you are there as a rapid response team and not when a building collapses and starts begging people to bring equipment.

“No equipment for excavation around here and we know that these buildings will continue to fail. We are not praying for anything like that to happen in Bauchi state, but if it does, do we have an excavator nearby.

“Do you have people trained to do something nearby that’s why I’m calling authorities like the state governments to establish Rapid Response Teams to cater for unforeseen circumstances like building collapse.”

The NBRRI DG also advocated that structural integrity assessment be carried out for all existing structures built over 15 years with emphasis on areas or locations that have experienced bomb blasts.

He further said that all stakeholders in the construction industry should adhere strictly to the provisions of the building code while the construction of buildings must be carried out by design specifications.

Duna added that the construction of large-scale buildings should be awarded to competent and registered contractors.

Furthermore, he suggested that Regulatory professional bodies should regularly organize workshops for stakeholders in the building industry to update their knowledge, public enlightenment and sensitisation campaigns should be carried out regularly.

Another area he wants attention to be focused on is geotechnical investigation and structural analysis which must be made mandatory and should be admitted to supervising authorities before commencing the construction.

He said, “Also, government and professional bodies should sensitise the general public on the steps to follow when embarking on high-rise building projects while all professional bodies should strengthen their arms of monitoring to ensure they function effectively during project supervision.

“The professionals must be involved in maintaining and supervising of building projects especially high-rise buildings while funds for the supervision should be incorporated into the cost of the projects.

“The government should ensure that certain laboratories for the testing of construction materials are made available in each state, if not, agencies with standard laboratory equipment should be identified for patronage by contacts.

“Professionals in the construction sector should attend refresher courses to refresh their knowledge; it should be a requirement for renewal of license to operate which should be carried out every Three years, and this should be handled by their professional bodies.

“Government should establish in each state a rapid response team that will cater for victims of building collapses when it does occur.”

He concluded by emphasizing that a strong law should be enacted by the National Assembly to punish those that violate the building code, which will serve as a deterrent to others.

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