Whoops, facade safety forgotten – what can be done?

Whatever you plan - a house, a project, or your holiday - you have to think of every detail if you want to prevent catastrophes, whether large or small. Just imagine that you forget important key points during implementation, such as the fall protection system for a building project. This mistake not only costs you time and money, but also endangers the safety of your employees. This is true above all when the project is already being implemented, and you first become aware of defects right in the thick of it.

In such a case, construction must be suspended, and the project is becomes delayed. Additionally, it is often possible to implement only a compromise solution which may fulfil the safety aspect, but then diminishes the aesthetics of the structure. Because an emergency plan is always useful, we have created one for you, in case you really have forgotten the fall protection system.

Emergency: Fall protection forgotten

To err is human, and in the case of the safety concept for a building facade, there is little point in covering up such an error, because this would create the risk of an illusion of safety. For this reason, a crisis meeting should be held immediately with all decision-makers. Even though this is not the most pleasant situation, everyone should put their cards on the table straight away. Jointly search for alternative solutions, and stop the construction project until there is clarity about the way ahead. In order to find a suitable solution quickly, you should call in an experienced expert in fall protection. For this, the following steps are required:

• Provision of the plans

• Inspection of the state of construction

• Urgent onsite survey

• Inclusion of partners

Next steps if facade safety was forgotten

We wish to give you a few basic tips about the steps to be borne in mind:

• Official activities
  The officials must check the statutory requirements and approve the system selected.

• Preparation of documentation
  Create a draft for a system on the basis of the construction plans, and install a system using certified products.

• Calculation of additional costs
  The later the absence of the fall protection system is noted, the more expensive it will be. An accurate overview requires a listing of all costs for the system and for the interruption to construction. In addition, do not overlook potential penalties.

• Revision of the schedule
  Because of the change to the plan, you must now estimate the time required to implement the emergency concept. This depends on the size of the project, and can be anything between a couple of hours and several weeks.

• Inform all participants
  Contact all firms, including subcontractors, and inform them of the changes.

5 reasons to plan the fall protection system immediately

Mistakes happen, and they always will. Sufficient planning and preparation of facade safety as early as the tendering stage means less stress, costs, and hassle. 

• Cost savings
  In principle it can be stated: The earlier you start to plan the fall protection system, the more economical it will be, because for facade construction it is important that challenges are recognised and appropriate solutions are found early in the construction project. This will save you costs and nerves.

• Implementation of the best solution
  Cooperating early on with a strong partner who specialises in fall protection on facades has positive effects on flexibility of planning, and provides long-term safety for the user.

1. Prevention of conflicts
   Careful advance planning means that you will face fewer surprises during the project. If there are no major changes during the construction phase, you are better able to prevent conflicts between yourself and the client or subcontractor.

• Avoidance of penalties
  Contractual agreements imposed at the start of the construction project generally include contractual penalties, e.g. for delays. The best way to avoid these is to consider facade safety holistically as early as the initial stages of the construction project.

• Customer satisfaction
  The old saying goes: The customer is king. And if the construction site runs with as few complications as possible, the customer will be particularly satisfied with your performance.

Clarification of responsibility

If the mistake has already happened, then the question arises of who must accept responsibility. In principle, planning of facade safety falls into the planning architect’s sphere of responsibility, because the applicable standards are regulated by law. After this, it ought to occur to the construction company engaged that a fall protection system could have been forgotten. But even at this point, in today’s hectic business world, it can happen that this situation is overlooked. In any event, in the worst case the client is left without facade protection.

Summary: Focus on safety at work from the very outset

The spotlight should always be on employee safety. As you have read in this blog, the earlier you start planning and implementation, the more options you have in terms of fall protection. Inclusion of an experienced expert for facade safety early in the project pays for itself in the end, through appropriate know-how and attractive cost benefit advantages. And even if the fall protection system has been forgotten, a partner like this usually has a final ace up his sleeve.

Are you planning a facade safety system, and would you like to find out more about its concept and implementation? Then download our free White Paper.