England: New residential high-rise development plans required to incorporate fire safety considerations as Planning Gateway One comes into force

WOBO thanks SHP for the update on high-rise residential planning submissions within England. From 1 August, new planning requirements (Planning Gateway One) came into force on developments involving high-rise residential buildings, with fire safety issues needing to be incorporated into schemes before planning permission is granted....

ICC: Building safety groups discuss safety of existing buildings in Florida

Learning from disasters.   Building safety organizations from around the country and experts in the building safety community gathered last week in West Palm Beach, Florida, for an examination on how communities monitor the safety of existing buildings, what guidance exists for building owners, and how...

Australia: Commencement of Queensland’s new Building Regulation 2021 proposed for 1 September 2021

WOBO thanks the Queensland Government for the reminder of the Regulatory changes. Building and Plumbing Newsflash 590 Purpose To advise that a remade Building Regulation 2021 (BR 2021) is proposed to commence on 1 September 2021. Background The Building Regulation 2006 (BR 2006) will expire...

Paris 2024: Past and present Olympic construction fatalities

WOBO looks forward to Paris 2024 and thanks SHP for the reminder to maintain positive Health and Safety practises. Tokyo 2020 was an absolute spectacle, even without fans. While the Olympics has always had the ability to bring the world together to celebrate sporting excellence,...

Aug. 11, 2021, Update on NIST’s Champlain Towers South Investigation

WOBO thanks NIST for their update on Champlain Towers South. NIST continues its investigative work, studying the geologic characteristics underneath the collapsed building site, as well as the properties of the building’s foundation system. The subsurface investigation includes standardized procedures for monitoring the groundwater, as...

ICC: Building codes support disaster preparedness and resilience

WOBO supports developments linked to the safety of society. Building codes and standards have long been a silent partner in the health, safety and welfare of communities and are becoming increasingly more important in society. Today’s leaders face a multitude of risks, including extreme weather...

CROSS-UK Newsletter 62

Cross UK provide a significant breadth of topics linked to current actitivies and incidents within the construction industry.  This newsletter addresses the following;   Composite deck boards in common access balconies Brick slips falling from height Cross-laminated timber (CLT) in multi-storey buildings Fire compartmentation detailing...

Australia: Inspection and certification of fire safety systems

WOBO recognises the requirements for registered Fire Safety Practitioners. The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) today released the final consultation in response to the Building Confidence Report (BCR). Recommendation 19 of the BCR is that each jurisdiction requires registered fire safety practitioners to design, install and certify...

England: BS 9991 Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings – Code of practice

Buildings must have lifetime safety. This British Standard gives recommendations and guidance on the design, management and use of the following building types, to achieve reasonable standards of fire safety for all people in and around: a)    dwellings (single-family dwelling houses, self-contained flats or...

Scotland: Changes to Fire Safety Laws – February 2022

WOBO commends Fire Protection and Safety in the home. Campaign urges homeowners to install interlinked alarms to protect lives. Homeowners are being urged to install interlinked heat and smoke alarms in a nationwide media campaign launched before new fire safety laws come into effect next...

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