Safety of buildings should be a joint responsibility of all parties involved

All parties involved with the design, construction and use of buildings, should collectively take responsibility for the safety of the building. Clients, construction companies, building owners and their advisors should substantiate their trust in the safety of the building with verifiable checks of e.g. drawings and calculations, especially when the building is being modified.

This is stated by the Dutch Safety Board in its investigation report on the collapse of ramps at the multi-storey car park near the hospital in Nieuwegein.

The Dutch Safety Board asks the Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning to come up with a legal framework that stipulates the responsibilities of construction parties and building owners. It should be absolutely clear who is responsible for the safety of the building in each life stage of the building. The Board advocates for maintaining current and complete records of the building. Building records are an essential means for oversight, maintenance, as well as during emergencies.

Erica Bakkum, board member: ‘After our investigation into the collapsed ramps in Nieuwegein, we are surprised at the lack of direction and final responsibility for safety. Over the past years the Dutch Safety Board carried out many investigation into collapsed buildings.  As common thread we consistently see a lack of role purity and unambiguous assignment of responsibilities. This really needs to change.’

In the evening of Sunday 26 May 2024 around 21.50h, the top ramp of the multi-storey car park near  the hospital in Nieuwegein collapsed. As a result all underlying ramps also plummeted down. At that moment there were no people on the ramps and no one was injured, while the car park was used extensively on a daily basis. The collapse and the aftermath caused a lot of material damage and inconvenience for the visitors of the hospitals and local residents.