By Albert Allotey
Accra, June 11, GNA – The Ghana Institution of Engineering (GhIE) in collaboration with other partners has recommended for urgent intervention for all building designs to be prepared and approved by recognised Built Environment Professionals to promote safer building practices across the country.
The other stakeholders are the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana, and the Local Government Service Engineers Association.
They said the responsibility of the professionals should be extended throughout the lifecycle of a building, including compliance monitoring, maintenance oversight, and prevention of unauthorised alterations.
They also proposed a national directive to introduce a six-12-month compliance widow for all owners of buildings of two storeys and above to summit architectural and structural drawings, structural assessment reports, structural analysis models (where applicable), and retrofitting or rehabilitation proposals.
The institutions made the recommendation in a joint statement, read by Mr Joshua Nii Moilai Allotey, Chairman, Structural Sub-Division of the GhIE at a media briefing on their preliminary investigations and updates on the recent building collapses in Ghana held at the Engineering Centre in Accra on Wednesday.
They undertook preliminary engineering assessments and site inspections at the affected locations, including Avenor, Adenta, Newtown, and other related sites.
The statement mentioned specific findings from the recent building collapses as un-engineered and abandoned structures, inadequate foundations and geotechnical noncompliance.
The others were unauthorised vertical extensions, structural deficiencies and progressive failures, systemic deficiencies: shared responsibility of citizens and state institutions, environmental factors, unauthorised modifications and change of use, and material quality in the informal sector.
The statement urged that all documentation must be certified by licensed professionals and that buildings found to be structurally unsafe must be restricted, partially closed, or evacuated until remediation is completed.
It called for strict enforcement of stage-by-stage inspections and that no concrete works should proceed without verification of excavation and foundation stages by qualified assembly engineer.
The statement recommended continuous involvement of engineers and architects throughout construction while proposing formal certification of artisans, including masons and steel benders, given their critical role in construction delivery, particularly within the informal sector, which accounts for most of the building activity in the country.
It called for mandatory structural assessments for ageing buildings, high-occupancy facilities, buildings undergoing change of use, abandoned structures, and public and private infrastructure.
It urged NADMO to secure all collapsed sites to preserve evidence, allow safe investigation, and support laboratory testing of materials.
The three institutions reaffirmed their collective commitment to supporting national authorities in strengthening enforcement, improving accountability, and promoting safer building practices across Ghana.
“We further confirm that comprehensive final reports will be issued upon completion of laboratory testing and ongoing investigations,” they stated.
They stressed that, “Building safety is not optional. It is a national responsibility. Protecting lives requires a shared commitment from professionals, developers, contractors, regulators, policymakers, and the public.”
GNA
Edited by George-Ramsey Benamba