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DIR 04/19 | Publication of List of Licensed Masons

The Kamra tal-Periti notes the belated publication of a list of current licensed masons by the Building Regulation Office (BRO) on its website. This is in response to the Kamra’s repeated requests over several years. The publication of this list on the evening of Friday 21st June 2019 is therefore a step forward; however the usefulness of the published list is very limited since the relative ID numbers, which would allow identification of the person holding the licence, and the validity period of the licence have not been published at the same time. This is in breach of the Services Directive (Article 22).

Nevertheless, it is now expected that the BRO will not permit works to continue on any site where the appointed mason is not on the list.

The Code of Police Laws stipulates that “It shall not be lawful to exercise the trade of mason without a licence …”. This licence, which must be renewed annually, is required to give assurance to the owner of the site, the perit in charge of the project, and society at large that such person is indeed qualified to carry out this trade and has received the appropriate training. The Code of Police Laws also states that “If any mason, through unskilfulness, imprudence or carelessness, shall, in the construction of any work entrusted to him, and appertaining to his trade, cause any injury to any person or property, it shall be lawful for the Court of Magistrates to interdict such mason from the exercise of his trade for any time to be stated in the sentence, ordering, at the same time, the withdrawal of the licence.” The responsibilities arising out of the Code are very clear, and no lesser legal instrument can be used to infer otherwise.

It is also to be noted that various Court sentences have determined that the “owner” qua “employer” or “developer” is obliged to ensure that the persons engaged on a construction project are duly qualified to exercise such role.

 

Directive regarding ongoing works

In view of the publication of this list, periti are advised to:

  1. Inform their clients that the list of licensed masons has been published and that, in view of their obligation to ensure that persons engaged on a construction site are duly qualified, they should check that the person listed as a “mason” on the Commencement Notice submitted to the Planning Authority is in fact included on the list – periti may, if they so wish, offer to undertake this check themselves on behalf of their clients;
  2. If it is found that a person claiming to be a mason is engaged on an ongoing project and is not on the list, then the perit is to immediately order the suspension of the Works, verbally and in writing, and to notify the owner / employer / client of the situation in writing – no works are to be carried out under the direction of the perit until such time as a duly licensed mason is appointed;
  3. If the perit notes that works are continuing following the order to suspend the Works, then said perit is to immediately notify in writing the Building Regulation Office and the Commissioner of Police, keeping the Kamra tal-Periti in copy.

 

It is to be noted that the Kamra tal-Periti has received reports that the list may not be fully updated. It is therefore recommended that, if a mason’s name is not on the list, the client is to contact the BRO for further guidance, following which the appropriate action may be taken as outlined above.

Periti are reminded of the protection afforded to them through Directive 03/19 regarding their right to refuse to sign a Change of Architect Form when the interest of public safety is being safeguarded by the Perit.

The Kamra tal-Periti fully endorses the notion that there should be no compromises on public safety.

 

ADDITIONAL REMARKS:

A. Future works

In the case of building works for which a Commencement Notice has not yet been submitted as at the date of this Directive, the Kamra tal-Periti will be insisting with the BRO that it should not permit any works to commence on a site where the person indicated as the appointed mason in the Commencement Notice is not duly licensed. The onus to verify whether a mason is licensed, and therefore competent, lies with the owner / employer / developer, and with the regulator, in this case the BRO.

 

B. The list published by BRO

The Kamra tal-Periti will be writing to the BRO to request that the published list contain, as a minimum, the ID Card Number and address of the licensed mason, as well as the validity period of such licence, to enable owners to verify that the licence number matches the person identified in the list. This will avoid the current practice of persons claiming to be masons and listing the number of someone else.

This requirement is in line with Article 22 of the Services Directive which states that:

  1. Member States shall ensure that providers make the following information available to the recipient:
  • The name of the provider, his legal status and form, the geographic address at which he is established and details enabling him to be contacted rapidly and communicated with directly and, as the case may be, by electronic means;
  • Where the provider is registered in a trade or other similar public register, the name of that register and the provider’s registration number, or equivalent means of identification in that register; …
  1. Member States shall ensure that the information referred to in paragragh 1, according to the provider’s preference:
  • Is supplied by the provider on his own initiative;
  • Is easily accessible to the recipient at the place where the service is provided or the contract concluded;
  • Can be easily accessed by the recipient electronically by means of an address supplied by the provider;
  • Appears in any information documents supplied to the recipient by the provider which set out a detailed description of the service he provides.

 

C. Licensing and registration of contractors

It is also pertinent to note that the Civil Code places the onus for structural integrity jointly on the perit and the contractor. The Building Regulation Act also places the obligation on the BRO to issue “licences and registration of masons, fire consultants, other consultants in the building industry, building contractors and tradespersons.”

Following the approval by the Extraordinary General Meeting, the Kamra tal-Periti is demanding that the registration and licensing of building contractors and tradespersons is implemented by the date of coming into force of the amendments to Legal Notice 72 of 2013.

 

Perit Simone Vella Lenicker

President

 

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DIR 03/19 | Change of Perit in cases of Public Safety

Directive Repealed

See DIR 04/22

Following the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Kamra tal-Periti held on Friday 21st June 2019, wherein it was unanimously agreed that public safety must be given priority over any other concern, the Kamra tal-Periti is hereby giving notice to all members of the profession of a directive that was also unanimously approved during said EGM.

Periti are hereby authorised to refuse to sign a Change of Architect Form in cases where they have submitted a report to the Building Regulation Office stating that the Developer qua owner/employer or the Contractor/mason have refused to follow their instructions on matters related to structural integrity. In line with the EGM’s decision, the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti will consider any actions by another Perit to take over the works concerned as constituting “supplanting” in terms of Provision 4 of the Code of Professional Conduct.

Periti are reminded that the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti is empowered to take appropriate action in terms of the Periti Act in case of breach of this Directive.

 

Perit Simone Vella Lenicker

President

 

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PR 16/19 | Kamra tal-Periti welcomes publication of list of licensed masons

Verzjoni bil-Malti

The Kamra tal-Periti welcomes the timely publication of the list of licensed masons on the website of the Building Regulation Office (BRO). The Kamra tal-Periti has been asking for the publication of such list for many years, and each time it was told that this could not be published for reasons of data protection.

The Code of Police Laws stipulates that “It shall not be lawful to exercise the trade of mason without a licence …”. This licence is required to give assurance to the owner of the site, the perit in charge of the project, and society at large that such person is indeed qualified to carry out this trade and has received the appropriate training. The Code of Police Laws also states that “If any mason, through unskilfulness, imprudence or carelessness, shall, in the construction of any work entrusted to him, and appertaining to his trade, cause any injury to any person or property, it shall be lawful for the Court of Magistrates to interdict such mason from the exercise of his trade for any time to be stated in the sentence, ordering, at the same time, the withdrawal of the licence.” The responsibilities arising out of the Code are very clear, and no lesser legal instrument can be used to infer otherwise.

The publication of the list is therefore a welcome move, and it is expected that the BRO will not permit works to continue on any site where masons are found not to be on the list.

 

 

It is also pertinent to note that the Civil Code places the onus for the structural integrity jointly on the perit and the contractor. The Building Regulation Act also places the obligation on the BRO to issue “licences and registration of masons, fire consultants, other consultants in the building industry, building contractors and tradespersons.” The EGM of the Kamra tal-Periti held on the 21st June 2019, which was the largest in the Kamra’s history, demanded that such licencing and registration is implemented. The Kamra tal-Periti reiterates its willingness to support Government in setting up systems for the registration and licensing of contractors in accordance with the BRO’s obligations as set out in the Building Regulation Act.

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PR 15/19 | Public safety must come first

Verzjoni bil-Malti

At an Extraordinary General Meeting held on the 21st June 2019, and attended by around 400 Periti, it was unanimously agreed that public safety is paramount, and that no effort should be spared to ensure that the safety of people in their homes, and their quality of life, are the topmost priority of all involved in construction industry, including the respective regulators.

The time is long overdue for Government to properly address in a holistic manner, the problems besetting the construction industry, and not through a piecemeal approach. Hastily drafted and ill-thought revisions to a Legal Notice will not serve to ensure public safety, but rather serves only to confuse the various roles and responsibilities on construction sites. In particular, the EGM emphasised that under Malta’s Civil Code there are only two figures responsible for construction work, namely the Perit and the Contractor. Consequently the role of a site manager, as conceived in the Legal Notice, could only be assumed to be within the contractor’s setup, since the Contractor was obliged at law to understand and follow the instructions issued by the Perit, and be sufficiently knowledgeable to understand the significance of such instructions.

 

 

A contractor may employ or engage any knowledgeable person, including technical professionals, to take control of the site, and to help the contractor and all personnel understand the instructions received, without diminishing the contractor’s responsibility in terms of the Civil Code in any way. Periti must, on the other hand, bear responsibility for all instances where there may have been negligence, or where due diligence was not sufficiently exercised by them in discharging their services, which include designing the structure so as to be safe and in accordance with regulations,  issuing particular works instructions and specifications, particularly for excavation, demolition and alterations or extensions to existing buildings,  During the EGM, Periti reaffirmed their commitment to take full responsibility for the tasks that were within their remit. They however demanded that Government stops dragging its feet, and immediately takes the necessary steps to ensure that the framework which allows Periti to ensure public safety is in place and effective.

In this context, the EGM is demanding that the amendments to the Periti Act, that the Kamra tal-Periti has been insisting on for the last 12 years, be approved, in full consultation with the Kamra; that Government enters into immediate discussions with the Kamra, on the  Building and Construction Regulation Framework it has proposed, and to agree on its implementation within a reasonable timeframe; that, even before the setting up of the Building and Construction Authority, a proposal which the Kamra has supported since its inception, Government immediately provides the Building Regulation Office with all the necessary financial, human, and technical resources it requires to deal with its workload; and  finally, that Government implements the obligations of the regulator as far as concerns the certification of all building products, both produced locally or imported, as required by the Laws of Malta since 2011.

The EGM is demanding that any Legal Notice should, rather than contain technical detail that is better placed in building regulations, include provisions that empower the Perit to suspend works, and lodge a report with the Building Regulations Office, without having to relinquish his commission, if the contractor or developer refuse to comply with the Perit’s instructions on matters relating to structural integrity.

Finally, the EGM is demanding that there should be a clear separation between planning application and permitting processes, and the processes by which building and construction is notified, regulated and monitored. Nearly five years have been wasted as a result of the misguided advice given to Government that the two processes should be brought together under the remit of the Planning Authority.

The EGM finally reiterated the profession’s full commitment to ensure public safety, and urged the Government to enter into discussions with the Kamra, as the sole and legal representative of the profession, rather than depend on advisors or entities which may not be adequately familiar with the technical and engineering aspects of the construction process.

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PR 14/19 | Avoidance of damage to third party property – new regulations

Verzjoni bil-Malti

On the 13th June 2019, Government halted all demolition and excavation works in the country as an emergency action in view of the recent spate of structural collapses which occurred adjacent to construction sites, a measure which the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti understood to be necessary due to the potential risks to public safety resulting from the lack of adequate regulation and of which it immediately informed periti. That day the Prime Minister announced that new regulations would be published regarding excavation and demolition works to address a number of issues. Draft amendments to the Avoidance of Damage to Third Party Property Regulations were published on Monday 17th June 2019, and concern the following main aspects:

  • The definition of site responsibilities, in particular those of the site manager;
  • Increase in insurance cover and requirement for its renewal;
  • The process for the submission of the method statement and condition report, including regarding the need and frequency of geological and geotechnical surveys;
  • Exemptions; and
  • Penalties.

The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti together with its team of technical experts has reviewed the proposed draft, and has this morning issued a preliminary position to all periti. This will be discussed and approved at an Extraordinary General Meeting to be held on Friday 21st June 2019. Periti have been given until Thursday at noon to submit their comments in writing to the Council, following which a final draft will be circulated.

The following is an Executive Summary of the Kamra’s initial reactions:

  1. The rush to implement these piecemeal changes to the regulatory regime that governs the building industry is ill-thought. Our regulations and legislative instruments need a complete overhaul, as the Kamra has repeatedly stated since 2007. Attempting to amend the current regulations without having considered their impact on other pieces of legislation as well as on current practices and capacity of the industry is a recipe for further confusion and lack of clarity, rather than addressing the issues of safety which these changes purport to address. Even if the purported aim is to address the dangerous process of demolitions and excavations adjacent to existing properties, the Legal Notice proposes to address all other construction activities, but, at the same time, fails to address the other dangerous process of loading party walls, and their foundations, designed to carry two or three storeys, by many more floors.
  2. The amendments claim to clarify the roles of the figures engaged on a site. However, there are glaring incongruencies with roles defined in other legislation, and rather than clarifying, the proposals introduce new roles without defining appropriate competences, while ignoring the existence of figures already defined in other legislation, such as licenced masons. It also ignores the blatant lacuna regarding the legal obligation for registration of contractors, who are liable, as per Civil Law, jointly with the perit, for the structural integrity of buildings.
  3. The proposed processes for the submission of method statements, geotechnical investigation reports and geotechnical design reports are cumbersome and more intent on establishing who does them, who submits them, when and to whom, than on establishing the criteria for their preparation. The Kamra is of the opinion that this is a result of the lack of research to understand how such instruments are used internationally, and trying to adapt them to the local situation, with no regard for scale or complexity of projects.
  4. The proposed draft seems to imply that the measures proposed therein are to apply retroactively to ongoing projects. This will have implications on the capacity of the industry to respond in a meaningful manner.

In our view, the proposed Legal Notice in its current form is not acceptable. The full version of the Kamra’s analysis on the draft will be published at the end of the consultation process following the EGM.

 

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PR 13/19 | Kamra tal-Periti holding talks with various industry stakeholders

The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti has called an Extraordinary General Meeting on Friday 21st June 2019 to discuss the state of the construction industry. The purpose of the meeting is to update its members on the developments that have occurred over the past few weeks, the progress made on its public consultation document A Modern Building and Construction Regulation Framework for Malta following its publication in May, closing talks held over recent months with government about the updated Periti Act, and to consult on the draft regulations to be published on Monday by government following the temporary suspension of demolition and excavation works.

Meanwhile, the Kamra tal-Periti is also holding talks with various industry stakeholders about its reform proposals. The consultation meeting scheduled with the MDA for the end of the month has been brought forward to Tuesday, 18th June. The Kamra tal-Periti and the MDA have reached an understanding that in this critical juncture for the industry, it is important to converge towards a common position for the good of the country. Further meetings are also scheduled to take place with the Chamber of Engineers, the Chamber of Commerce, and the BICC.

The events of the past weeks have thrown a spotlight on the industry as a whole, including on the profession, which most certainly has its own responsibilities to carry with regard to the current state of affairs, as do all the other operators involved. The issues we are facing are complex, and the fast pace of the industry is stretching resources beyond capacity, yet none of this justifies relaxation of standards and lack of diligence.

This is a crucial moment for the industry to come together and seek convergence, and the Kamra will continue to take a leading role in ensuring that this takes place.

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PR 12/19 | The Building and Construction Industry is in Crisis

Verzjoni bil-Malti

The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti is shocked to wake up this morning to the news of yet another serious incident which involved the collapse of a building in Mellieha.

The facts of the case are still emerging, yet it is evident that this incident and similar ones in the past months are a direct symptom of the chaos that prevails in the construction industry.

The Kamra tal-Periti has been calling for a complete overhaul of our regulatory systems since 2007, yet nothing has materialised to date. At the end of 2018, Government proposed the establishment of a Building and Construction Authority, a proposal which the Kamra had supported, however this is still in the early stages of formulation and is not envisaged to be established before the end of the year.

In May, the Kamra tal-Periti issued its detailed proposals for a modern building and construction regulation framework. A preliminary introduction to these proposals was presented to the Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and the Property Market, the Honourable Chris Agius, and to the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC), however detailed discussions have yet to commence. The proposals were endorsed by the profession last November, and presented to various stakeholders in the past weeks. The Kamra has received very positive feedback and looks forward to taking these proposals forward with government.

The efforts which are being made are feeble. The only proposal that was announced since the Guardamangia collapse was the exploration of the setting up of a Considerate Constructors Scheme, an as yet insufficient local interpretation of a similar scheme in the UK. The proposed Scheme appears to be merely intended to tie contractors to a code of ethics on a purely voluntary basis rather than strengthening the regulatory system and accountability of industry operators across the board, thus providing further loopholes in the system.

Delay is not an option. The industry is in crisis. We have a complete lack of regulation of contractors, a complete lack of adequate competencies among the workforce, confusion about the various roles and responsibilities on construction sites, building regulations which date back to the 19th century, as well as a serious lack of enforcement. Unless we take immediate action, matters will only get worse.

In view of this, the Kamra tal-Periti has requested an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss a way forward. The meeting is expected to take place next week.

 

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PR 09/19 | Building Industry is regulated by 22 entities

Verzjoni bil-Malti

On the 26th April 2019, the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti met with a delegation of the Partit Nazzjonalista, headed by Party Leader Dr Adrian Delia, who highlighted a number of issues which the Party considers to be of utmost importance, including the need to shift from a mindset of development permitting to one of planning, and the importance of quality in the building industry. Dr Delia also highlighted the need for a long term vision for the country, and stated that the Party will insist that all the necessary technical and environmental studies related to the proposed link between Malta and Gozo are published prior to a final decision being taken.

Perit Simone Vella Lenicker, President of the Kamra tal-Periti, noted that the Chamber presented its proposals for an overhaul of the building and construction regulations to Government just two weeks ago. These proposals were approved by the profession at a General Meeting held last November, and were positively received by the Parliamentary Secretary Chris Agius. These proposals will ensure better quality in the industry and will bring it firmly into the 21st century.

She also emphasised that shifting from a mindset of development permitting to one of strategic and local planning is imperative to ensure that the urban quality within our towns and villages is not lost forever.

With regard to the proposed Malta-Gozo tunnel, Perit Vella Lenicker reiterated the position of the Kamra that the studies should be carried out and published before any decisions are taken. She also stated that it was worrying that motions had to be passed in Parliament to ensure that all regulations and legislative requirements are adhered to, and this further emphasised the need for an urgent review of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development and the translation of the Plan into the Local Plans, both of which are now practically obsolete.

A number of other issues were discussed, including the need for an architecture policy, a landscape policy and a skyline policy, as well as the need to introduce a culture of design competitions for projects which are funded by public money.

The Council of the Kamra tal-Periti also presented its vision, as a member of the Architects’ Council of Europe, for the upcoming MEP elections, including the need to achieve a better quality of the built environment, the need to secure affordable housing of high quality, the need to re-think the connection between climate change and the built environment and the need to improve education and up-skilling across the sector.

The delegation of the Kamra tal-Periti included also Perit André Pizzuto (Vice President and Treasurer), Professor Alex Torpiano (Past President), and Council Members Periti Sandro Cini, Gaston Camilleri and Alberto Miceli Farrugia.

 

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PR 08/19 | The inadequacy of building and construction regulations

Following the two incidents in construction sites in Swieqi and Guardamangia that occurred yesterday, and several others over the course of the past months, the Kamra tal-Periti feels compelled, yet again, to point out the grave inadequacies of our building and construction regulations.

The Kamra tal-Periti has been exhorting Government to regulate the industry for many years, both through widely reported press statements, and at various meetings held with successive Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries responsible for the industry.

The rate of construction accidents in Malta, whether resulting in damage to neighbouring properties, injury or even death, is unacceptable. The ever-increasing complexity of today’s buildings, compounded by the current frenzy of the industry to turn around projects as quickly as possible, urgently requires an immediate and major overhaul of the country’s building and construction regulatory processes.

 

The current legislation in Malta is characterised by excessive fragmentation of responsibilities.

 

Article 1638 of the Civil Code states that “[i]f a building or other considerable stone work erected under a building contract shall, in the course of fifteen years from the day on which the construction of the same was completed, wholly or in part, or be in manifest danger of falling to ruin, owing to a defect in the construction, or even owing to some defect in the ground, the architect and the contractor shall be responsible therefor.”

This article in the Civil Code does not establish clear lines of responsibility, which are generally decided by the Courts when similar incidents occur, depending on the particular circumstances of each case. Moreover, whereas Periti carry a professional warrant and are subject to a Code of Professional Conduct, contractors are not regulated at all. This is especially worrying when it comes to demolition and excavation contractors. The absence of a registration system means that anyone with demolition or excavation plant can carry out such works, without any basic training, technical knowledge, or insurance cover.

The Avoidance of Damage to Third Party Property Regulations (L.N. 72 of 2013) place the onus of enforcing the implementation of a works method statement drawn up by a Perit outlining the method of construction on a site manager purposely appointed by the developer, and on the contractor executing the works. Regulation 10 states “[p]rofessional responsibility for the method statement remains with the perit who prepares it, whilst ultimate responsibility for adhering to the method statement rests with the site manager and the contractor.”

Once again, the regulations do not establish minimum basic training or competences for site managers, not even as basic a requirement as literacy. The regulations even allow the developer to take on the role of site manager, in what is clearly a blatant conflict of interest sanctioned by the law. Indeed, if the developer fails to appoint a site manager, the regulations presume that the developer is ipso facto carrying the responsibilities of a site manager.

 

When two key players in the industry are not required to possess basic competence and are wholly unregulated, the public is exposed to unacceptably high and unnecessary risks.

 

The Kamra’s calls for an overhaul of the regulatory framework were finally heeded by Government last October when it launched the White Paper for the setting up of a new Building and Construction Authority. Just two weeks ago, the Kamra held talks with Government on its detailed proposals for the regulation of the industry to bring it in line with other European countries. The Kamra will be making its proposals public in the coming days.

The Kamra tal-Periti will not be commenting on these or other specific cases until investigations are concluded so as not to prejudice any potential proceedings.

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PR 07/19 | Kamra tal-Periti presents its vision for national building and construction regulation

Verzjoni bil-Malti

Yesterday (11th April 2019), members of the Council of the Kamra tal-Periti presented the Chamber’s vision for an overhaul of the current building regulations, which are both outdated and insufficient to ensure the highest standards of quality in the construction industry. This vision was presented to the Honourable Mr Chris Agius, Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and the Property Market, representatives of the Building Regulation Office (BRO) and the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC), as well as consultants appointed by Government to oversee the establishment of a new Authority which is intended to regulate the industry.

Perit Simone Vella Lenicker, President of the Kamra tal-Periti, explained that the proposals being presented were approved by an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Chamber held last November, and confirmed the Kamra’s full availability to participate in discussions regarding the formulation of new building regulations, as well as the technical expertise of its members to ensure the highest standards within the sector.

Vice President Perit André Pizzuto gave an extensive presentation of the Kamra’s position, starting with an overview of the current situation and its limitations. He then went on to outline the Kamra’s proposals which include the consolidation of various regulators within the new Authority, the dire need for a comprehensive register of contractors, the importance of contemporary regulations which are not prescriptive but performance-based, and the promotion of a self-regulatory approach by the various professionals involved in the construction process.

The Kamra’s proposals were received positively, and discussions will continue in the coming months to ensure full synergy between the profession and the government’s advisors.

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