What constitutes emergency or critical work
The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) have issued the guidance below which lists the following as examples of emergency or critical work. These are the items most relevant to private domestic building work. We have highlighted the sections relevant to the fenestration sector.
- Make good unsafe buildings/dangerous structures – District Surveyors need powers to instruct emergency work to be done to make them safe if any occur – and a hastily abandoned site might just lead to a dangerous structure occurring.
- Structural inspections for subsidence/movement to determine risk
- Structural and roofing problems, loose tiles/chimney stacks, weathering
- All general building control work (both LABC and AIs) for nationally important buildings/facilities, e.g. NHS estate, GPs, etc.
- Drainage works/maintenance etc – important to avoid any increased public health problems in this respect
- Fire safety inspections
- Requirement for maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment to meet Fire Safety legislation – even if buildings are not occupied.
- Ongoing need for Fire risk assessments, both to meet legislation and new circumstances in buildings.
- Remedial work required to remove unsafe ACM cladding etc.
- Glazing replacement (where not doing so would leave the building exposed to weather)
- Locksmithing/ Lock replacement
- Gas safety work/ Suspected gas leaks
- Electrical safety work/ Electrical failures
- Flood remediation (especially to homes hit by recent floods)
- Plumbing and heating failures including loss of heating /hot water services
- Emergency Leaking/ flooding
- Health risks associated with blocked drainage/sewerage systems
By omission the implication is that all other private domestic work should not be carried out at this time.
A full list including guidance on work on major infrastructure projects is available on the CLC website.