@anthony

Your statement is contradictory. We can only claim to have a building code if it becomes mandatory to comply with it. The code to which you refer is in draft.

@anthony

Let us agree to disagree, the code can only be effective if the standards not complied with are easily enforceable by home-owners.

Poor housing stock worrying

3/11/2011

ATTORNEY General Adriel Brathwaite is disappointed with the condition of this island’s housing stock.

Describing the island’s building stock as “poor”, he noted that this became highly evident in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Tomas.

“We have been lucky to date that we have not been struck by anything, but I guarantee you that if we do get hit by a significant system that we are going to be devastated. I shudder when I drive around and look at the level of our building stock,” he continued.

According to him, minimum building standards should be implemented in Barbados upon considering the level of damage the island sustained in the storm’s fury.

“I have seen the level of damage brought on by Tomas and in terms of sending signals of what we would like to see, personally I believe that we should have some type of minimum building standards.”

In addition, he stressed: “Having a building code would get people to recognise that they should spend more money putting their homes into a condition that if and when it is struck, they can survive and this is more important than putting money into vehicles to make them look like palaces.”

Admitting that this type of behaviour could not be legislated, Brathwaite nevertheless encouraged locals to take proactive steps in ensuring their homes were safe.

“Contractors and persons building homes need not wait for a building code, but should take it upon themselves that they need for their own protection a structure of integrity that will survive,” he stated.

The AG was addressing several concerns of the insurance industry yesterday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre during a meeting with the General Insurance Association of Barbados (GIAB) and the heads of insurance firms. (JMB)

@Stand Up2

Surely a naive view?

Your position rings true for any profession but we need the code enforced by legislation because we live in the real world and not* a Utopia.

Money and power trumps Professional responsibility in the real world.
That is why there is something called Legislation.

@Bush Tea

Surprise to read you positing such an illogical position. The example you gave is extreme indeed to justify an ‘anything goes’ building culture.

@Bush Tea,
You are missing the point.

There are basic building construction practices that are not followed by unscrupulous contractors and workmen.

You will still be able to put your chattel house on some softstones or concrete blocks but people who build a wall house should build a structure that meets a proven standard.

@David
All I’m saying is that professionals need to act professionally whether or not a Code exists or is enforced. Integrity is doing the right thing even if no one is watching! I am all for Building Codes and was involved in developing a Code for Barbados over thirty years ago! Engineers have done fantastic work in Barbados over the years in the absence of a Building Code.

1. We will always have trouble as long as we give in to bullies.

2. We must ALWAYS push back when a bully pushes us.

3. And remember that a lawyer is only an expert on law and a doctor is only an expert on medicine. In everything eles the doctor is as ignorant or foolish as the average layman. And the engineers etc MISR assert thier authority over the doctor. PRofessional responsibility demands this.

And if we want better results in the future do tis:

Prevent those engineers etc. who allowed themselves to be bullied from ever practicing again.

@ Hants
Which point is the Bushman missing…?

….and more importantly what is your point? …that Lowdown is able to live as he does because he is ‘educated’?
Have you considered that ‘most of us would not live like Lowdown ‘ because ‘most of us’ are short sighted, simple minded, and more like his flock in mentality than like him…?

Bushie thinks that that prolonged Canadian cold is getting to you Handsie muh boy!
Do you know that there are some people who think that it is wasteful, selfish, destructive to the environment, arrogant and anti-social to take scarce resources to buy a big able BMW like yours, and then spend a fortune in gas – just so you can parade around Canada looking important?
Do you think that they should be a standard that specifies that you be limited to, -say a Ford Focus – in the interest of the general good…?

@ David

LOL @ that phensic….
..don’t mind Hants hear? what public good what? You think he will dump that fancy BMW for the public good? ….and who says that the Government (public) has to pay the price when ‘inferior’ housing is destroyed by bad weather? ..if we behave like children who need a parent to bail us out of trouble, then perhaps we NEED to be told how and what to build etc…

…but for those of us who are GROWN UP enough to stand on our own feet and take responsibility for our actions, we don’t need any ‘parents’ telling us what to do…

Now to explain your REAL position for you (LOL)…. where some of us agree to constitute ourselves into an organized society, there becomes a need for organizational rules and regulations. (Ontology)

IF and WHEN a society should decide on some types of standards, THEN one may argue that members of that society should then conform to those standards OR withdraw from the society….
However, in situations where persons such as Bushie may have HIGHER CALLINGS that may conflict with the societies’ rules, do not expect that low level societal ontology will ever trump BT’s fundamental principles….

Why would a wise person waste their time focusing on the establishment of permanence in a world where we are all known to be temporary – and where we always exists in a state of one instant from death?

Careful analysis on your part may well establish that true ‘logic’ would likely lead us to ignore the whole question of housing altogether – and to focus on the ‘work of BBE’

….a famous man was crucified for doing exactly that- some time ago.

Sorry to be confusing David. The reality is that everything depends on the perspective from which we are arguing.

The Bushman’s position ‘as a Bajan’ for example, may be radically different to his position ‘as an individual’ on a particular matter.

Similarly, if we are discussing a matter such as the financial crisis, one may take a strong position as to the cause , solution etc…. However, when viewed from the point of view of being one of BBE’s boys, this ‘crisis’ takes on a whole different perspective…. this is why it is important to establish up front, one’s ontological reference points.
…besides which, the Bushman just enjoys upsetting some people’s apple cart…. LOL.

If this is not consider to be fair comment then feel free to delete it.
Now you mean to tell me that, all of these people working on that site became aware of what appeared to be a massive cave close to an occupied apartment complex, and not one of them ever thought it was their duty to alert the residents of said apartment complex.
That said, why is there no focus on the obviously poorly constructed apartment building, which may have contributed more to the disaster than the preparatory construction work?

If I use my money to build a card board house to live in well that is my money spent. But if I use my money to invest in a building that is made of card board so as to have other peoples live in it (even if they were in laws) well that is another matter all together. Commercial property should be subjected to rigorous codes and shit, whatever is required to protect the pubic from greedy, short cutting leaches and parasites… ja ja!

Bushtea wrote “Do you know that there are some people who think that it is wasteful, selfish, destructive to the environment, arrogant and anti-social to take scarce resources to buy a big able (not a BMW but similar) like yours, and then spend a fortune in gas – just so you can parade around Canada looking important?”

BushTea I believe I have already stated on BU that I am a “selfish arrogant bastard”. Also you can’t “look important” by driving a BMW (or the car I drive) in Canada.
If you look like a bushman and drive a BMW you may “look” like an “important” drug dealer.lol

As for Lowdown, you have to be intelligent and mentally tough to live his lifestyle successfully.Farming requires focus and dedication.
Farmer,musician,writer. Interesting combination.

BushTea are you a farmer too?

A building code has only become necessary because any and every one can now claim to be a builder. The problem comes when many people want big house like their neighbour but have limited finance
so along come some-one who claims he/she can build the house to suit the money the owners have. What happens next is to get C class artisans and also reduced the size of the materials, the mixture of the concrete, the amount of steel used and any other cost saving measures, including 6″ blocks in place of 8″. I’ve seen many houses in Barbados that are ready to fall if struck by a Cat 1 hurricane. The only way to improve the quality of our housing stock is to have qualified, genuine and honest inspector checking on the project as it is constructed, a system similar to the GEED