Safety information search results

Apparently simple home improvement work, consisting of reroofing and a loft conversion, resulted in a 'near miss' with potentially dangerous conditions for neighbours.

A reporter was called upon to review a design for the removal of a loadbearing wall during the refurbishment of a residence. A builder was already on site but had stopped work since they considered the engineering design to be unsatisfactory and the structural designer was not responding to their queries. The reporter found that the structural design being followed was far from competent.

This report concerns external insulation on buildings being inadequately applied and fixed, with poor control of the workmanship standards, leading to potential safety concerns and damage to the property.

Damage to combustible insulation on the external walls of a high rise residential premises was noticed from apparent combustion within the EPS element.

A reporter observed inadequate fire stopping due to both ineffective installation or damage caused by follow on trades.

A fire involving a fluorescent light fitting occurred in a corridor in a sheltered housing complex.

This report concerns designs for simple steel beams submitted to building control bodies under Part A of the Building Regulations. The reporter, a checking engineer for a building control body, was not able to accept the effective length and restraints assumed in a number of submitted designs. Most originated from individuals who used proprietary structural design computer packages without, i...

Fire authority checks found several safety failings in partially occupied Higher Risk Residential Buildings.

A reporter is of the opinion that the design criteria for firefighting lifts should be re-evaluated.

This report draws attention to the excessive and incorrect use of standard details and notes on structural drawings, as well as the assumption that the builder/contractor will somehow work out the designer's intention of these on site. Inadequate or conflicting design and documentation can potentially lead to failures.