It’s always the same. Almost from a template.
A building under construction collapses. Some injuries may or may not be reported. Emergency responders and media houses rush to the scene. They are quickly followed by regulatory authorities and building professionals who assess the situation and face the cameras to explain the accident. In almost all cases, the verdict is that the developer has flouted building regulations either through failure to involve professionals or execution of project without authority.
But these pronouncements are futile. It’s normally too late. Lives have been lost. Injuries have been sustained. Losses have been incurred both by the developer and the construction workers. By extension, suppliers who were involved in the project one way or another also stare at loss of revenue.
Once the cameras leave the site, the disaster is quickly forgotten – until the next one when exactly the same events will be repeated and the tape is replayed.
But who is to blame? Someone is clearly sleeping on the job. In almost all these cases, it is never the fault of one party. The developer or the contractor cannot be said to be the sole culprits. The regulatory authorities such as the National Construction Authority and County officials cannot be solely blamed either.
The truth is that all of them are culpable whenever an accident occurs. It is the duty of the developer to hire professionally trained building consultants such as architects and engineers to ensure that the structure being put up complies with all laid down regulations and norms. The contractor must also not only be duly registered but must also be authorized to undertake the kind of structure being put up.
It is extremely reckless to erect a building such as multi-storey office blocks or apartments without the involvement of a structural engineer to advise on the kind of foundations and reinforcements needed to support the structures. Some “clever” developers involve these professionals for the sole propose of getting the building plans approved. After approval, they proceed to execute the project with a contractor without any of those consultants getting involved again. All this in a bid to cut costs. Having the right structural or architectural drawings on paper does not guarantee that the structure will be as seen on those drawings in terms of strength or even appearance. These consultants have to continue supervising the work until completion. On the other hand, there are professionals who provide these drawings but never appear on site to see what is going on. They are too busy chasing other projects. Eventually mistakes are made by contractors and disaster beckons.
For the local authorities (County Government), it is not enough to issue permits to developers. They must constantly police construction sites to ensure corners are not being cut or project is undergoing some unauthorized alterations such as additional floors. The same should be done by the National Construction Authority.
Until all these parties live up to expectations and do their work diligently, we shall not see the end of these accidents any time soon.
