Civil engineers act to avert Grenfell-style disasters

Grant Prior 7 years ago
Share

The Institution of Civil Engineers is launching a review of how major infrastructure projects are built in a bid to avoid a Grenfell-style disaster.

The review will look at lessons from the tragedy in terms of potential problems with procurement and all stages of the construction process.

The ICE said: “The independent review will seek to identify and address systemic issues highlighted by the Grenfell Tower fire, which may increase the risk of a serious failure of infrastructure assets and networks in the UK.”

It will be led by former government Chief Construction Advisor Peter Hansford and will complete its review by October.

Issues to be covered include:

  • Competency and capability within owners, clients and all tiers of the supply chain, including capabilities to understand and manage whole systems
  • Responsibility and accountability for safety at all stages of the assets’ life-cycle
  • Inspection and quality assurance regimes during and following construction, operational management and in-service modification, refurbishment and re-fit
  • Creation, maintenance and implementation of regulation, guidance and codes & standards
  • Assessment and management of system related risks
  • The effectiveness of industry efforts to understand and apply lessons from recent catastrophic failures
  • The impact of procurement practice, commercial arrangements and changes to professional roles and culture on all of the above.

President of ICE Professor Tim Broyd said: “ICE’s aim with this review is to establish what needs to be done to mitigate the risk of a similar tragedy resulting from the failure of infrastructure assets or networks.

“As the world’s premier civil engineering organisation it is right that we assess whether change is needed to how we procure, design, construct and maintain the UK’s infrastructure.”

Hansford said: “The Grenfell Tower tragedy has quite rightly led to a period of deep reflection amongst civil engineers about what the failings at Grenfell highlight for practices across the construction sector.

“Inevitably the Judicial Inquiry and any criminal investigation may take time to complete.  It is important however that the profession moves quickly to capture and implement lessons as quickly as possible”.

Latest news

House builder Camstead goes into administration

Work stopped on three current sites
13 hours ago

Graham wins £100m Cardiff Crossrail phase 1

Work on route to Cardiff Bay to start before end of next year
19 hours ago

Laing O’Rourke appoints new European MD

Peter Lyons to take-up new role in February
2 days ago

Profits dip at Stepnell ahead of demerger

Turnover and secured workloads up ahead of restructure
2 days ago

HS2 green bridge deck takes shape

100m-wide wildlife bridge to carry hedgerows and country lane over HS2
19 hours ago

1,000-home Wolverhampton city centre scheme in for planning

ECF and council advance City Centre West build to rent scheme
2 days ago

Sisk clinches £54m North London council HQ revamp

Haringey's iconic Grade II listed civic centre to be brought back into use
2 days ago

Ofgem approves £2.5bn Eastern Green Link 1

Work to start next Spring on cable project from Scotland to the north of England
2 days ago

Anglian Water hunts for £1bn delivery partner

Programme delivery partner wil integrate with client team over 15-year plan
2 days ago

Hadden collapse costs supply chain £6.7m

"Highly unlikely" subcontractors will receive anything for their unpaid invoices
2 days ago

Management buyout at M&E specialist

£25m turnover Kimpton in second MBO in its 60-year history
2 days ago

BAM finalises £71m deal to replace first major RAAC school

Work to start on new St Leonards Catholic School in Durham
2 days ago

Scaffolder hit by two tonne weight at nuclear plant

Court hands out £633,000 in fines after Dungeness B decommissioning incident
2 days ago

Go-ahead for 860,000 sq ft East London medical campus

Whitechapel Road scheme of six new and repurposed buildings
2 days ago

Site labour rates hit record high as cost inflation returns

Industry's biggest payroll firm says rates rose nearly 5% last month in London
5 days ago

Morris & Spottiswood acquires part of ISG fit-out division

ISG Cathedral acquisition saves 111 jobs and expands presence across England
5 days ago

New work drives Q3 construction output uplift

Third quarter activity up 0.8% despite slowdown in September
5 days ago

Octavius cuts concrete formwork strike time by 5 days

Temperature probes reduce times for safely striking formwork
5 days ago

Plan for 200-home student-led London scheme

Developer Regal is behind new Camden Town scheme
5 days ago

Green light for new £45m tax office in Portsmouth

HMRC to occupy new office complex with construction starting next year
5 days ago

Extra tunnels included in £6bn East West Rail scheme

Government unveils plans for two new tunnels in Cambridgeshire
6 days ago

Infrastructure to get £80bn boost from public sector pensions

New "megafunds" will invest in UK construction projects
6 days ago

Bidders wanted for £800m building safety framework

Fusion21 launches renewal of deal across 12 lots
7 days ago

Winchmore wins £6.5m brickwork package on Stratford flats

Latest award from Graham on £69m development
6 days ago

Motts/Jacobs JV to design £2.5bn West Yorkshire Mass Transit

First construction could begin in 2028
7 days ago

Muse signs landmark deal to redevelop Solihull shopping centre

Mell Square scheme includes 1,600 homes at 6.4ha town centre site
7 days ago

Reds10 raids house builders for two director hires

David Newey and James Bateman join as regional ops directors
1 week ago

Builder killed as telehandler overturns

House builder goes into liquidation before court hearing and £160,000 fine
1 week ago

Balfour Beatty regional MD steps down

Lindsay McGibbon is understood to be exiting for a job in the United States
7 days ago

Firms put on alert for £1.5bn decarbonisation framework

Fusion21 aims to invite bids in January for housing and public buildings retrofit framework
1 week ago

Contractor services