Professionals not playing a sufficiently prominent role in construction industry

Dear Editor,

Over the past years many tall buildings have been erected in the city and other parts of the country. It seems to me that professionals such as architects, structural engineers, civil engineers and quantity surveyors are not playing a meaningful role in the construction industry. It is believed that not all of these tall buildings are designed and supervised by construction professionals; some seem to be supervised by an ordinary foreman, and in certain cases by the building’s owners. This is very unprofessional, especially when individuals who are not professionally qualified execute such large projects. If this situation should continue like this there will be a total breakdown in standards in the construction industry in Guyana. I do hope that Guyanese are taking this situation seriously, and are taking the relevant steps to improve on the quality of work that is being executed.

Proper construction starts from the foundation to the completion of all works; these projects must be designed and supervised by competent professional individuals. Such large types of construction must always have a resident construction inspector or clerk of works on all sites, from the commencement of building to completion. They should report to the architect or engineer during the construction process.

Building codes are key in these situations, and it is necessary for them to be applied and enforced. There should be review committees comprising competent individuals to assist in these developments.

Take, for instance, that some of these tall buildings do not have a fire escape staircase, which is dangerous. Other building code violations are prevalent and need to be addressed urgently.

Yours faithfully,
Jewel C Cameron