Thursday 28 March 2024

MDA recommendations to avoid future tragedies


The Malta Developers Association notes with regret that another building adjacent to a site being developed has collapsed. As soon as it became aware of the news, MDA officials went on site and observed and discussed what had happened in collaboration with the developer and architect concerned.
It resulted that excavations had been completed for some time and the building on the site was progressing normally. It is not MDA’s remit to pinpoint the causes for such incidents, more so in instances where serious scientific investigations must be carried out professionally before one can arrive at a conclusion about the cause or causes of the incident.
In the light of such incidents, MDA notes that architects rarely carry out geo-technical surveys on potential building sites (although in this particular case it was informed that this was conducted) – a very negative aspect of our construction industry, resulting from the traditional way of building in Malta. MDA will therefore be proposing to the authorities and the government that such surveys are to be made mandatory as part of the development permit process, as is done in several EU member states.
While MDA intends to recommend further initiatives to avoid more incidents, the Association is determined to contribute positively towards the drawing up of the new building code for Malta in the coming months. It also wishes to publicly show its appreciation to the Building Regulation Office for their prompt assistance and the personnel of the Civil Protection Department, whose courageous interventions on the scene of the incident proved to be providential.

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