NEWS
Cladding quality and safety program a success C ladding Safety Victoria’s (CSV) quality and safety program has identified hundreds of potential incidents on site, ensuring that workers and residents continue to remain safe.
At the core of this quality and safety program is the designated clerk of works, who are assigned to each individual project and attend site regularly throughout cladding rectification. These clerks of works undertook a staggering 4,529 inspections across 142 live sites in six months from July to December 2021. The clerks identified 2642 observations on worksites in that time – including 678 safety hazards, of which 65 were potentially fatal fall hazards. CSV chief executive Dan O’Brien said the benefit of the clerk of works program is clear. “In line with the recommendations of the 2019 Victorian Cladding Taskforce, CSV reinstated the clerk of works, and it has had a very positive impact. “Early identification of safety hazards avoids injuries, and early identification of quality issues means they don’t escalate into timely and costly work that must be redone. CSV’s clerk of works program has shown successful in both outputs,” Dan said. In 2019, the Victorian Cladding Taskforce acknowledged that the clerk of works has largely disappeared from the building and construction industry, recommending it be restored as part of a long-term reform strategy in Victoria. The clerks conduct site inspections with a focus on safety, structural integrity, quality of workmanship, correct material use, and making sure that work is done in line with design and product installation manuals. CSV engaged an independent quantity surveyor to review and cost the top five quality and safety observations found from July to December last year. These
Volume 77 Issue 02
CSV’s clerk of works inspectors are a regular presence on all active cladding rectification sites funded by the Victorian Government. costs provide a measure on the potential savings the program would have longerterm and to determine the cost benefit of the program moving forward.
“The sense of collaboration between the clerk of works inspectors and builders has also improved. Builders are carrying lessons learned from project to project.
Taking into account the number of hazards identified, and factoring in the cost of the top-five quality and safety observations found during the same period, the findings showed potential savings totaling millions of dollars in compensation avoided as a result of the clerk of works program, had these issues not been identified and rectified.
“Different projects present different challenges, but in every case it’s important to get the work done properly the first time and keep things running smoothly,” he said.
CSV has contracted personnel from BG&E Façade Consultants, Sedgwick and MBB Consulting for its clerk of works program. One of the clerks, Kelvin Kok, from BG&E Façade Consultants brings more than a decade of façade experience to the role. “Since the clerk of works was introduced, we’ve observed a significant improvement in quality and safety on site,” Kelvin said.
The progress of the cladding rectification program has been rapid to date, with more cladding removed in Victoria than any other state or territory in Australia. As of May this year, we have funded almost 300 rectification solutions, completed rectification on more than 150 of Victoria’s highest-risk apartment buildings, and have also discharged about 150 buildings from the program after our assessments found that no action was required or that they were out of scope for funding. For more information, visit the website: www.vic.gov.au/cladding-safety.
Master Builders Victoria
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