Think Before You Act ... Compliance is Everyone's Responsibility

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT ... COMPLIANCE IS EVERYONE's RESPONSIBILITY was the firm unified message delivered for a hot topic panel discussion moderated today in Sydney by Brett Hazlett, Global GreenTag's CEO AU & NZ at Total Facilities 2019.

The topic: Managing building compliance to maximise user safety was deliberated by an expert panel, including (pictured above from left to right) Brad Collins, Managing Director of AESC, Dan Caldwell, Director of APTUS Building Consultants, Craig Humphries Head of Operations for Hendry and Brett Hazlett.

To highlight the importance of compliance, one of the critical topics discussed were the combustibility of cladding materials and the recent fire disasters that ensued in the UK at Grenfell Tower in London and at the Lacrosse Apartments in Melbourne.

The panel advised:

- Due diligence is important at all levels of a building project, and to mitigate risk requires everyone to know precisely what compliance standards are required.

- Think before you act. Compliance is everyone's responsibility. No one in a court of law is exempt from taking responsibility. Therefore, if you don't know where the risks are, ask! There are no dumb questions. Especially if expensive ramifications face you down the track.

- Be aware that no one or business entity is exempt from liability in a building project. Liability has a flow on downwards affect and that would include product procurement as well, choosing between products that are properly certified and those which are not.