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 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...

Part of a roof collapsed in a factory and warehouse facility shortly after a storm event due to snow drift loads.

An inadequate structural design for alterations to a basement led to structural distress within a substantial five-storey townhouse.

An example of a small design and build contract where poor design and management led to an inadequate structure being built.

An upper storey extension was designed without considering the effect on the structure below.

On the site for an extension to a domestic property, a building inspector instructed a contractor to excavate a deep trench. The trench was in front of the neighbour's adjacent boundary retaining wall, and left a deep vertical face under the house being extended.

Temporary propping fails during works to a semi-detached property putting the whole building at risk of collapse.

A 6m deep excavation formed for constructing a retaining wall on a domestic project collapsed due to insufficient propping.