BPSA moves to back building codes

The Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) is placing its firm support behind calls for the implementation of Government-mandated building codes to avoid further economic hardship from an increasingly menacing wave of natural disasters.

Three days after the passage of category one Hurricane Elsa, BPSA President Edward Clarke revealed that with the exception of some roof damage, flooding, and the loss of critical business days, the fallout for businesses has been minimal.

But on Monday, Clarke expressed serious concern about the apparent lack of scrutiny from authorities in routing out “unqualified” builders who are leaving homeowners at risk by taking “shortcuts”.

“We have probably been lucky and complacent over the years that we haven’t had any direct hits or damage. Even the designs of some of the houses, especially some of the chattel houses, the types of roofs and the way the roof structures are tied down, is a cause for concern. I think that is what some of the engineers are saying,” Clarke told Barbados TODAY.

“I think there is definitely a need for some building codes in Barbados. I think the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers [BAPE] has been clamouring for that for years including the civil engineers and the structural engineers.

“People take all kinds of shortcuts when they are building. Some very unqualified builders are working for people and then we see these problems,” added the BPSA president.

Latest reports indicate that 95 houses were destroyed and almost 2,000 damaged, including 250 government housing units.

Furthermore, President of the Barbados Association of Professional Engineers (BAPE) retired Lieutenant Colonel Trevor Browne has blasted successive Governments for presiding over a landscape that has seen few infrastructural changes since the 1955 rebuild that followed Hurricane Janet.

During a recent Barbados TODAY interview, Browne expressed frustration that “genuine promises” from Prime Minister Mia Mottley regarding key changes to the Town and Country Planning Act and the Planning and Development Act, have not yet come to fruition.

“It means that we have lots of houses that have been standing for 10 to 20 to 30 years that are not built to standard, people taking shortcuts whenever they have to make adjustments,” he contended.

The BAPE president explained that draft legislation that was drawn up shortly after the destruction caused in September 2019 by Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas, received tremendous support from local agencies, but nothing more has been done.

Browne added that although the creation and implementation of a building code as outlined in the legislation, may come at an additional cost, it would ensure the protection of families for decades to come.

“We have to admit that the Prime Minister probably did all that she could. What we have to try to understand is what is wrong with our national implementation systems that can allow something as important, supported by someone as important as the Prime Minister, and yet we cannot get it implemented in Barbados,” Browne complained.

Meanwhile, the BPSA president wondered what would have been the extent of the damage if Elsa was a slow moving hurricane that dumped sustained winds for hours in a manner similar to Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas during the 2019 hurricane season.

“We have to be prepared as a country, not just for businesses, but for the general public, because even if the businesses stay in good shape, what happens when our employees’ houses are destroyed? What happens when our customers’ houses are destroyed?” Clarke inquired.

“It is a community. It is an islandwide national cause and we have to be prepared as a country, not just as the business sector, but the general communities and the households, and everybody needs to look at it as a very serious risk that we are facing as a country.

“I think more importantly too, we need to have a maintenance programme for our homes and businesses. I don’t know what maintenance programme has been ongoing, but when you look at the structures, unfortunately, they are not very strong and probably not properly kept, some of them. I think that is something that we need to encourage people to do,” he added.

As part of those maintenance plans, Clarke suggested continuous insurance coverage as part of a business’ emergency management plans.

“I think what you may find is that some of the smaller businesses are the ones that people might say ‘I don’t need any insurance’, and then trouble hits and they are left scrambling. But I think they need to have a look at it,” the business leader suggested.

“In general in Barbados we need to ensure the wider public looks at their risk management and insurance coverage, because insurance is there to provide for you in a great time of need, when your house is destroyed, when you are flooded, your house is burnt, or whatever it is.

“I would urge all Barbadians to look at getting adequate insurance coverage. People may deem it to be expensive, but insurance is not that expensive when you look at the risk you are managing and the cost of that risk if you lose everything,” Clarke concluded. (kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)