PRESS RELEASE – ENGINEERS, contractors, public and private sector agencies came together for a national consultation to review the recommendations for St. Lucia’s administrative section of the building code. Legislative amendments, as well as an implementation plan and communication strategy, are also being developed to support the recommendations.
Consultant Engineer to the GCCA/OECS iLAND Resilience Project, Alison King Joseph, says that the consultation is timely to ensure that people are safe in the face of extreme hazards.
“One of the things we don’t have a good grasp on is the extent to which there is code compliance. A lot of builders build without getting planning approval and are not necessarily designed to meet code standards. We want to have a public that understands why it is important to have their building complied with the requirements of the code, and we want to make sure we have a system in place to ensure people who are offering building services, whether it be design or construction, understand and properly apply code requirements,” explained Joseph.
St. Lucia’s building code was last reviewed in 2015. Joseph said there are provisions for the code that have not been incorporated in the most recent edition. These codes speak specifically to hazard loading like earthquakes and hurricanes. However, the consultations are seeking to increase compliance with the code and not necessarily the technical provisions. She explained that the current consultations remain relevant because of intense weather conditions.