LETTER | Building collapse: Scope of probe should be expanded

LETTER | It is heart-rending to learn that three construction workers lost their lives, two sustained severe injuries following the collapse in a warehouse under construction in Batu Maung, Penang on Nov 28.

The victims, all of whom are Bangladeshi nationals, were caught in the aftermath of a devastating incident.

The authorities had issued an immediate stop work notice and investigation to identify the cause of the incident is in progress.

Reports suggest that the investigation carried out would be leaning towards Section 15 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 - which is related to the responsibility of the employer towards the safety and health of its employees.

There are other parties which would also conduct investigations. I hope they will extend the scope of their investigations.

The warehouse under construction was a three-storey complex belonging to a large international logistics company.

It was reported that the construction was a fast-track project and work started at the end of 2022. The project was scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

However, only slightly more than half of the project has been completed, after almost a year of work.

In the incident, it was reported the roof frame under construction collapsed. Buildings need to be carefully designed and built so that they can maintain their structural integrity many years after being constructed.

No matter how it happened, a roof collapse is evidence that something has gone wrong in the construction of the building.

The roof does not simply collapse. Because of the complexity surrounding such collapses, however, it can be hard to discern who is ultimately responsible.

A thorough investigation and interviewing witnesses and parties involved will likely be necessary to identify the causes.

Construction is a process which requires many steps to be followed, such as the minimum time for concrete to take its time to be ready before being entirely loaded.

Extra load not forecasted in the design process is another reason for provoking more weakness in the structure of a building.

Underestimated, the force of wind might affect the fragility of a building. Beams that are not constructed properly or installed incorrectly in poor construction can lead to failure.

In general, a good team of specialists in geology, civil engineers, contractors, and a project manager would be best to work on a building project to avoid any future issues.

In my opinion, an incident is never a single cause but a sum of multiple causes.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.