THE Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) has formed a commission of past presidents to investigate build quality in the wake of defects found in Edinburgh schools last year.
17 schools in the Capital were temporarily closed and required remedial work after a wall collapsed at Oxgangs Primary. An independent report found that the wall collapsed due to “poor construction and inadequate supervision” and that the issues identified in Edinburgh “are likely to be more widespread”.
CIOB said that in light of the report into the defects and “subsequent events”, a commission has been set up to probe build quality in the construction sector and what “needs to be done to address it”.
CIOB added that the commission will consider what steps the CIOB needs to take regarding already identified issues around management and supervision, the importance for the education framework, and whether there are further steps the industry can take.
Paul Nash, chair of the commission said, “The recent tragic events at Grenfell Tower have further underlined the need for an urgent review of the way in which quality is managed in our industry. Whilst aspects of the public inquiry must necessarily focus on the issues of regulation and inspection, I think we have to look beyond this at the behaviours that have led to a lack of focus on quality at all stages of the build process, from design and procurement through to construction and re-fit.
“The CIOB has a duty to respond to this issue, acting in the public interest. As professionals we have a duty to the industry and wider society to act responsibly and ethically. This defines what it means to be a professional. And we all have a responsibility for the reputation of our industry and, most importantly, the wellbeing of those who use the buildings that we create.”
