Will the Building Control Amendment Regulations 2013 improve the accessibility of buildings?
The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (SI No 80 of 2013) were signed by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan on the 8th March 2013 and will come into effect on the 1st March 2014.
The purpose of the amendment regulations is to strengthen the current arrangements in place for the control of building activity. The amended regulations will require members of the construction industry to inspect and sign off on buildings at various stages of their construction and on completion, indicating that they are in compliance with the appropriate Building Regulations.
The question is however, ‘Will the Building Control Amendment Regulations 2013 improve the accessibility of buildings’?
As present, accessibility is mainly considered at the design stage of projects and little reference is given to accessibility during planning, construction or handover. This can have major implications on the overall accessibility and use of the building on completion. For example, recent inspections carried out by OHAC where accessibility had been considered in the design stages but not during construction found a number of shortcomings including:
- Footpaths on approach to the building were shown as 1800mm wide on the plans but only 1400mm wide on site.
- The accessible car parking bays were incorrectly laid out and didn’t provide dished kerbs at the head of the bay.
- The entrance doors had been incorrectly installed and didn’t allow for a 300mm leading edge on the pull side of the door.
- Fully glazed entrance doors didn’t provide manifestations on the glass.
- Lighting in accessible WC’s didn’t provide lighting levels of 200-300 lux.
- The signage provided throughout the building didn’t meet the guidance in TGD M 2010 or BS8300:2009.
In our opinion, the amended regulations will improve the overall accessibility of buildings as:
- Accessibility will be embedded at all stages of the project (not just the design stage). This will assist in the successful delivery of an accessible built environment.
- Designers, builders and certifiers will need to ensure accessibility is followed through at all stages of projects.
- Designers, builders and certifiers will have a greater understanding of the requirements of all building regulations including Part M – Access and Use.
- Greater supervision will take place during construction resulting in more accessible buildings.
- Certification will be required at design stage and on completion thus placing more of an onus on all those involved to ensure that the works meet all of the regulations which will lead to more accessible buildings.
If you would like further information on the Building Control Amendment Regulations 2013 or improving the overall accessibility of buildings, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01-4151285 or [email protected].
