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10 May 2024
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Major structural collapse in George in the Western Cape challenge search and rescue technicians
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The collapse of an apartment building under construction at 75 Victoria Street in George in the Western Cape Province, has the South African and international EMS fraternity on needles and pins, with first responders doing what they do best. The multi-storey building, which was still under construction, collapsed on Monday, 6 May 2024 at 14h09 in a pancake collapse.
81 construction workers were on site at the time of the collapse.
An emergency call for assistance was received at the Emergency Call Centre at 14h14 and both EMS Rescue as well as George and Garden Route Fire and Rescue teams responded to the scene. A forward control point, first responders staging area as well as a triage area were established at the incident scene.
The Garden Route District Municipality Disaster Management Centre activated their Multi Agency Command facility to be used as a Joint Operational Command to act as the incident coordination platform for the incident. The South African Police Service, Emergency Management Services (EMS), Forensic Pathology Services (FPS), Department of Social Development (DSD), Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Department of Health (DoH) as well as the George Communications unit joined the Garden Route District Municipality JOC.
Assistance were dispatched from the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), headed up Colin Deiner, Dr Wayne Smith, head of Disaster Medicine, Metro EMS and Emergency Medicine for the Western Cape, as well as resources from Worcester, Breede Valley and the City of Cape Town with a fully equipped structural collapse cache and two rescue cranes, one medium and one heavy unit.
Other resources included a George Municipality Incident Command Bus, a Western Cape Government Incident Command Bus with structural collapse vehicle caches from the Department of Health and Wellness (EMS), Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue including two rescue cranes.
The Western Cape Government has also sent a number of people from its Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, the Department of Infrastructure (Transport)/District Roads (Yellow Fleet), the Department of Health and Wellness (Emergency Medical Services and Forensic Pathology Services) and the Department of Social Development.
There are representatives from the National Disaster Management Centre, as well as numerous other agencies including K9 SAR, SARZA headed up by Ian Austin, ER24, Frontier Medix, Gift of Givers, Lions, neighbourhood watches, community police forums, Love George, Garden Route Food Pantry, Food Sock Meals, Optima Security, Bergsig Security, Dormelhdrift Security and Sierra Sport Massage.
There are around 682 first responders working on site. The current operational period is 12 hours a shift ie from 07h00am to 19h00 and from 19h00 to 07h00am.
The K9 search and rescue dogs include cadaver dogs.
There are also two independent engineers on site and one from the Department of Infrastructure. Prof Richard Walls from Stellenbosch University was on scene on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Colin Deiner said that the building collapse had provided a range of challenges. “It is a long and difficult stage because we now have to look for 39 bodies in a five-storey structure that collapsed and finding those bodies is very difficult. You have to break a lot of concrete,” he said.
Rescuers have started trying to move the massive concrete slabs with a crane.
“We are moving away from rescue equipment to demolition equipment. It doesn’t mean we are moving from rescue to recovery but we have to change the equipment to the conditions of the building,” Deiner said.
Donations
Safety equipment including helmets, safety goggles, headlamps and construction gloves are needed. If anyone can assist please deliver to GRDM Fire Station, Pearl Road, Tamsui Industria.
For financial donations, please use below banking details:
George Municipality: Relief and Charitable Fund
ABSA BANK Cheque Acc: 9149554208
Fire and Rescue International commend all first responders and their various officials for their dedication, expertise, perseverance and determination during this unprecedented incident. Your dedication and hard work will be well worth the effort and invaluable to the victims’ families.
Friday, 10 May 2024
Day four of the rescue response has the multi-agency command using demolition equipment to lift the concrete slabs currently obstructing access to the lower floors of the building site. The meticulous and skilled rescue response to date, which has allowed for the recovery of 42 persons of the 81 trapped workers has had to proceed carefully to avoid further collapse and injury.
The stability of the site is a threat to the safety of emergency personnel who have focused their efforts for the past 96 hours on rescue of as many trapped patients as is possible. The decision to switch to using heavy duty demolition equipment is not taken lightly. The demolition company has created a safe path to drive on over the site, filling in voids that have been thoroughly checked for any entrapped victims. Rescue techniques continue to be applied meticulously and sensitively at each phase. The current search is falls in Charlie sector.
The statistics are changing by the hour with the current totals as follows:
Total estimated number on-site at the time of incident: 81
Patients retrieved: 42
Patients deceased: 14 (recovered three bodies this morning and a further two this afternoon)
Patients hospitalised: 33 with 13 still in hospital
Unaccounted: 39
There are three patients in the George Provincial Hospital and 10 at the Mediclinic. The latter has admitted 18 patients since the disaster began unfolding. Five have been discharged and three passed away. Of the remaining 10 patients, three are in the ICU and one was to be airlifted today to Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. Injuries included long burn injuries, head injuries and crush injuries.
Read more
At a media briefing this afternoon, Dr Wayne Smith said both hospitals activated incident plans immediately following notification of the implosion. “The majority of patients started going to George Provincial Hospital, where a lot of them were stabilised and moved across to Mediclinic for some of the definitive specialist interventions that were required. So at the moment three patients are still in the George Hospital. It's a very fluid system, so patients are moving as and when specialist services are required. It is not about private or public sector. The hospitals as a whole responded."
He added that communication regarding the patients' condition is constantly communicated. There are a few complicated cases due to crush injuries which usually occur in an incident such as this.
Deiner said they had spoken to the developer earlier today and received information on where they could locate the missing people. It helped them find and retrieve the more bodies. The information they received, indicated that there are still people trapped on the first, second and third floor.
Identification of bodies
Frustration and agony among families waiting for news about their loved ones trapped in the rubble was an issue aired during the briefing this afternoon. Premier Alan Winde explained that the identification of bodies retrieved from the site is a difficult process that involves fingerprinting, DNA testing and looking at photographs to match and place, among others.
Dr Smith said DNA identification will become increasingly important to bring closure for families.
Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile said the forensic lab is on standby for testing of disaster victims and the only delay that might occur would be where a match with family members is needed and they cannot be found.
Premier Winde said the frustration of family members around their inability to communicate properly is also being addressed. Interpreters from consulates were expected to arrive today. If required, resources from the Premier's office are being used to find interpreters.
The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has declared the incident site at Victoria Street a No-Fly Zone. This restriction will be strictly enforced and any individuals found violating it will be subject to criminal prosecution.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde attended a regular Joint Operational Centre meeting again today where multiple stakeholders, including several Western Cape Government (WCG) ministers, municipal representatives and emergency and disaster management authorities, fed in input to ensure the overall response remains fully coordinated throughout.
The Premier reiterated, “This is an incredibly complex and delicate operation. Despite this, our highly experienced emergency and disaster management crews have been working flat-out to find the workers who are still trapped. If need be, we will further intensify our efforts.
Since the incident, nearly 700 emergency and disaster management officials and volunteers have been working tirelessly on the site. “You are true heroes and we are immensely grateful for all you are doing in this very difficult time,” reiterated the Premier. He added, “That is what I admire the most about our Western Cape residents; when incidents of this nature occur, everyone comes together and steps up. You are all extraordinary.”
Minster Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning stated, “We are currently using large construction machines to remove as rubble as fast as we can. We are working towards hard-to-reach locations and this takes time. Teams are working very carefully and methodically. I must stress this is a search and rescue operation with a recovery component.”
Colin Deiner emphasised the operation remains in the search and rescue phase, with heavy machinery brought in to excavate the site. It was emphasised that the operation will carry on in a coordinated manner for as long as it takes until every single person is accounted for.
“All role players are working together in a professional manner, with the victims and their families the top priority of our efforts,” Premier Winde added.
Premier Winde concluded that the multiple investigations undertaken by various agencies will be thorough.
George Municipal Report Erf 15098 Issued George Municipality, 10 May 2024
Rezoning application
On 3 September 2020, a pre-application form for the proposed development of Erf 15098, George was submitted to the George Municipality’s Town Planning Department by Jan Vrolijk Town Planner, acting on behalf of the owners of said property. Based on the outcome of the pre-application assessment, the development proposal was revised, and a new pre-application form was submitted on 23 November 2020.
In the pre-application document, the applicant expressed their intention to developing a 5-storey block of flats with a rooftop deck. The addition of the deck would result in the permitted 15m building height being exceeded by 2.17m. The parking ratio, building lines, coverage and floor factor had to be relaxed to accommodate the proposed development. At this stage as well as throughout the land use application process, the Municipality only looks at the development concept (the preliminary architect’s drawings) to get an overall idea of what the development may look like and the impact it may have the neighbourhood, the surrounding property owners, traffic movement, pedestrian safety, engineering services, and so on. The final detailed design is only addressed on the submission of building plans.
Jan Vrolijk Town Planner submitted the application in terms of Section 15(2) of the George Municipality’s Land Use Planning By-law (2015) for the Rezoning of Erf 15098, George from Business Zone IV (offices) to General Residential Zone IV (flats) as well as for certain Departures on 15 March 2021.
The public participation process was as followed in terms of the requirements of the bylaw and the closing date for comment was 21 May 2021. No comments or objections were received.
After assessment of the application, the Senior Town Planner recommended the application for approval on the following grounds:
1. The subject properties are located within walking distance from public transport facilities (“bus stops”) and supports the efficiency of public transport systems and transport orientated developments;
2. The development will provide for much needed housing opportunities within close proximity of work opportunities and social and economic amenities.
3. The proposed development supports densification in strategic areas, and optimizes the utilization of the existing resources and underutilized land within the CBD area;
4. The proposed development, in consideration of the need for densification in the CBD area, will not have an adverse impact on the adjacent neighbours’ amenity and right to privacy, views and sunlight.
5. The development can thus be deemed to be compatible with the spatial planning policies and guidelines for the area.
The recommendation was accepted, and that application was approved by the Acting Deputy Director: Planning, Mr Clinton Petersen, on 27 September 2021 in terms of the approved delegations and categorisation of applications, applicable at the time of approval.
The approval letter was issued on 01 October 2021. The Municipality notified the public of the decision on its website, advising parties of their right to appeal. The notice is placed on the website for the duration of the appeal period, which in this instance ended on 22 October 2021. No appeals were received and a letter informing the applicant of this was issued on 25 October 2021.
One of the conditions of approval for the implementation of the above approval, required the owner to apply for the approval of a site development plan. The SDP is not the detailed building plan, but rather intends to confirm that the building to be erected complies with the zoning scheme and conditions imposed with the above-mentioned approval.
The application for Permission in terms of Section 15(2) of the Land Use Planning By-law (2015) to approve the site development plan was submitted by Deon v/d Westhuizen Architects on behalf of the owners on 21 April 2022. The senior town planner found the proposal to comply with all legal requirements as stated in Section 65(2) of said By-law and the site development plan was accordingly approved by the Acting Deputy Director: Planning – Mr Clinton Petersen on 25 May 2022.
The approval letter was issued on 27 May 2022 with the 21-day appeal period also being applied. No appeal was received and a letter informing the applicant in this regard was issued on 20 June 2022.
Building plan application
The building plan application for Erf 15098, George, was approved on 6 July 2023 and issued to the applicant, Deon van der Westhuizen Architects. The outcome for approval follows two prior outcomes not to approve the building plan based on details required regarding services and outstanding contributions. The plans were only approved once the Building Control Officer (BCO) was satisfied that the requirements were met.
The SANS Form 2 for appointment of the Structural Engineer, submitted to the Municipality, accompanied the application and indicated the category of registration of the engineer as Professional Engineer and included the registration number. This registration number does not refer to the competencies the professional must hold, or the work reserved for this level of registration. The engineer was there for deemed competent. In the submitted form the competent person confirms that he does have professional indemnity.
On the Form 2, the engineer, Atholl Mitchell, declared that he has the necessary qualifications, experience, and contextual knowledge to undertake the work proposed. The form stipulates the description of all applicable work responsibilities and the owner signed acceptance of the appointment.
The Architectural Professional Council has developed an IDOW (Identification of Work) Matrix which determines the exact type of work that can be perform by a Registered Architectural Professional in the category of registration. This IDOW is a guide for the Municipality to determine the work that can be perform by a Professional in terms of his/her category of registration and based on the information provided by the applicant, the architect was also confirmed to be competent to undertake this design.
The value of the development was estimated at R39,544,000.00 at the time of approval. The development consisted of a basement parking area, ground floor parking and four floors of residential apartments above the parking. There are 42 apartments proposed and approved on the building plans. The area of the site is 1228 square meters, and the total area of the development is 4943 square meters with a coverage of 877.4 square meters (71.45%).
Compliance during construction
At the time of the incident, construction has progressed up to and included the concrete roof with various other disciplines busy with service installations. The municipality has no record of previous safety violations by the developer within the George municipal area.
The developer with his professional team is not obliged to submit any compliance report to the municipality. The normal practise is that the owner and developer, together with their professional team will have weekly/bi-weekly or monthly meetings and inspections where progress reports are submitted to the owner/client. This practice is done with no input from the Municipality and current the applicable legislation does not demand that this information is submitted to the Municipality.
Operational article
We will do a more indepth article for both Fire and Rescue International magazine as well as the Disaster Management Journal post event.
Sources: Various
Quote of the week
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organisational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” ~ Andrew Carnegie
Fire and Rescue International is your magazine.
Read it, use it and share it!
Read the latest magazine: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-vol-7-no-3.html
FRI magazine archive: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-archives.html
Enjoy the read!
Lee Raath-Brownie
Managing director
Cell: 082 371 0190
Contact us
Tel: 011 452 3135 or Email: [email protected]
Websites
www.fireandrescue.co
www.frimedia.org
Facebook
www.facebook.com/FireandRescueInternational
Twitter
www.twitter.com/FRI_magazine
LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-raath-brownie-16668065/
81 construction workers were on site at the time of the collapse.
An emergency call for assistance was received at the Emergency Call Centre at 14h14 and both EMS Rescue as well as George and Garden Route Fire and Rescue teams responded to the scene. A forward control point, first responders staging area as well as a triage area were established at the incident scene.
The Garden Route District Municipality Disaster Management Centre activated their Multi Agency Command facility to be used as a Joint Operational Command to act as the incident coordination platform for the incident. The South African Police Service, Emergency Management Services (EMS), Forensic Pathology Services (FPS), Department of Social Development (DSD), Department of Correctional Services (DCS), Department of Health (DoH) as well as the George Communications unit joined the Garden Route District Municipality JOC.
Assistance were dispatched from the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), headed up Colin Deiner, Dr Wayne Smith, head of Disaster Medicine, Metro EMS and Emergency Medicine for the Western Cape, as well as resources from Worcester, Breede Valley and the City of Cape Town with a fully equipped structural collapse cache and two rescue cranes, one medium and one heavy unit.
Other resources included a George Municipality Incident Command Bus, a Western Cape Government Incident Command Bus with structural collapse vehicle caches from the Department of Health and Wellness (EMS), Western Cape Provincial Government and the City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue including two rescue cranes.
The Western Cape Government has also sent a number of people from its Department of Police Oversight and Community Safety, the Department of Infrastructure (Transport)/District Roads (Yellow Fleet), the Department of Health and Wellness (Emergency Medical Services and Forensic Pathology Services) and the Department of Social Development.
There are representatives from the National Disaster Management Centre, as well as numerous other agencies including K9 SAR, SARZA headed up by Ian Austin, ER24, Frontier Medix, Gift of Givers, Lions, neighbourhood watches, community police forums, Love George, Garden Route Food Pantry, Food Sock Meals, Optima Security, Bergsig Security, Dormelhdrift Security and Sierra Sport Massage.
There are around 682 first responders working on site. The current operational period is 12 hours a shift ie from 07h00am to 19h00 and from 19h00 to 07h00am.
The K9 search and rescue dogs include cadaver dogs.
There are also two independent engineers on site and one from the Department of Infrastructure. Prof Richard Walls from Stellenbosch University was on scene on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Colin Deiner said that the building collapse had provided a range of challenges. “It is a long and difficult stage because we now have to look for 39 bodies in a five-storey structure that collapsed and finding those bodies is very difficult. You have to break a lot of concrete,” he said.
Rescuers have started trying to move the massive concrete slabs with a crane.
“We are moving away from rescue equipment to demolition equipment. It doesn’t mean we are moving from rescue to recovery but we have to change the equipment to the conditions of the building,” Deiner said.
Donations
Safety equipment including helmets, safety goggles, headlamps and construction gloves are needed. If anyone can assist please deliver to GRDM Fire Station, Pearl Road, Tamsui Industria.
For financial donations, please use below banking details:
George Municipality: Relief and Charitable Fund
ABSA BANK Cheque Acc: 9149554208
Fire and Rescue International commend all first responders and their various officials for their dedication, expertise, perseverance and determination during this unprecedented incident. Your dedication and hard work will be well worth the effort and invaluable to the victims’ families.
Friday, 10 May 2024
Day four of the rescue response has the multi-agency command using demolition equipment to lift the concrete slabs currently obstructing access to the lower floors of the building site. The meticulous and skilled rescue response to date, which has allowed for the recovery of 42 persons of the 81 trapped workers has had to proceed carefully to avoid further collapse and injury.
The stability of the site is a threat to the safety of emergency personnel who have focused their efforts for the past 96 hours on rescue of as many trapped patients as is possible. The decision to switch to using heavy duty demolition equipment is not taken lightly. The demolition company has created a safe path to drive on over the site, filling in voids that have been thoroughly checked for any entrapped victims. Rescue techniques continue to be applied meticulously and sensitively at each phase. The current search is falls in Charlie sector.
The statistics are changing by the hour with the current totals as follows:
Total estimated number on-site at the time of incident: 81
Patients retrieved: 42
Patients deceased: 14 (recovered three bodies this morning and a further two this afternoon)
Patients hospitalised: 33 with 13 still in hospital
Unaccounted: 39
There are three patients in the George Provincial Hospital and 10 at the Mediclinic. The latter has admitted 18 patients since the disaster began unfolding. Five have been discharged and three passed away. Of the remaining 10 patients, three are in the ICU and one was to be airlifted today to Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. Injuries included long burn injuries, head injuries and crush injuries.
Read more
At a media briefing this afternoon, Dr Wayne Smith said both hospitals activated incident plans immediately following notification of the implosion. “The majority of patients started going to George Provincial Hospital, where a lot of them were stabilised and moved across to Mediclinic for some of the definitive specialist interventions that were required. So at the moment three patients are still in the George Hospital. It's a very fluid system, so patients are moving as and when specialist services are required. It is not about private or public sector. The hospitals as a whole responded."
He added that communication regarding the patients' condition is constantly communicated. There are a few complicated cases due to crush injuries which usually occur in an incident such as this.
Deiner said they had spoken to the developer earlier today and received information on where they could locate the missing people. It helped them find and retrieve the more bodies. The information they received, indicated that there are still people trapped on the first, second and third floor.
Identification of bodies
Frustration and agony among families waiting for news about their loved ones trapped in the rubble was an issue aired during the briefing this afternoon. Premier Alan Winde explained that the identification of bodies retrieved from the site is a difficult process that involves fingerprinting, DNA testing and looking at photographs to match and place, among others.
Dr Smith said DNA identification will become increasingly important to bring closure for families.
Western Cape Police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile said the forensic lab is on standby for testing of disaster victims and the only delay that might occur would be where a match with family members is needed and they cannot be found.
Premier Winde said the frustration of family members around their inability to communicate properly is also being addressed. Interpreters from consulates were expected to arrive today. If required, resources from the Premier's office are being used to find interpreters.
The Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has declared the incident site at Victoria Street a No-Fly Zone. This restriction will be strictly enforced and any individuals found violating it will be subject to criminal prosecution.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde attended a regular Joint Operational Centre meeting again today where multiple stakeholders, including several Western Cape Government (WCG) ministers, municipal representatives and emergency and disaster management authorities, fed in input to ensure the overall response remains fully coordinated throughout.
The Premier reiterated, “This is an incredibly complex and delicate operation. Despite this, our highly experienced emergency and disaster management crews have been working flat-out to find the workers who are still trapped. If need be, we will further intensify our efforts.
Since the incident, nearly 700 emergency and disaster management officials and volunteers have been working tirelessly on the site. “You are true heroes and we are immensely grateful for all you are doing in this very difficult time,” reiterated the Premier. He added, “That is what I admire the most about our Western Cape residents; when incidents of this nature occur, everyone comes together and steps up. You are all extraordinary.”
Minster Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning stated, “We are currently using large construction machines to remove as rubble as fast as we can. We are working towards hard-to-reach locations and this takes time. Teams are working very carefully and methodically. I must stress this is a search and rescue operation with a recovery component.”
Colin Deiner emphasised the operation remains in the search and rescue phase, with heavy machinery brought in to excavate the site. It was emphasised that the operation will carry on in a coordinated manner for as long as it takes until every single person is accounted for.
“All role players are working together in a professional manner, with the victims and their families the top priority of our efforts,” Premier Winde added.
Premier Winde concluded that the multiple investigations undertaken by various agencies will be thorough.
George Municipal Report Erf 15098 Issued George Municipality, 10 May 2024
Rezoning application
On 3 September 2020, a pre-application form for the proposed development of Erf 15098, George was submitted to the George Municipality’s Town Planning Department by Jan Vrolijk Town Planner, acting on behalf of the owners of said property. Based on the outcome of the pre-application assessment, the development proposal was revised, and a new pre-application form was submitted on 23 November 2020.
In the pre-application document, the applicant expressed their intention to developing a 5-storey block of flats with a rooftop deck. The addition of the deck would result in the permitted 15m building height being exceeded by 2.17m. The parking ratio, building lines, coverage and floor factor had to be relaxed to accommodate the proposed development. At this stage as well as throughout the land use application process, the Municipality only looks at the development concept (the preliminary architect’s drawings) to get an overall idea of what the development may look like and the impact it may have the neighbourhood, the surrounding property owners, traffic movement, pedestrian safety, engineering services, and so on. The final detailed design is only addressed on the submission of building plans.
Jan Vrolijk Town Planner submitted the application in terms of Section 15(2) of the George Municipality’s Land Use Planning By-law (2015) for the Rezoning of Erf 15098, George from Business Zone IV (offices) to General Residential Zone IV (flats) as well as for certain Departures on 15 March 2021.
The public participation process was as followed in terms of the requirements of the bylaw and the closing date for comment was 21 May 2021. No comments or objections were received.
After assessment of the application, the Senior Town Planner recommended the application for approval on the following grounds:
1. The subject properties are located within walking distance from public transport facilities (“bus stops”) and supports the efficiency of public transport systems and transport orientated developments;
2. The development will provide for much needed housing opportunities within close proximity of work opportunities and social and economic amenities.
3. The proposed development supports densification in strategic areas, and optimizes the utilization of the existing resources and underutilized land within the CBD area;
4. The proposed development, in consideration of the need for densification in the CBD area, will not have an adverse impact on the adjacent neighbours’ amenity and right to privacy, views and sunlight.
5. The development can thus be deemed to be compatible with the spatial planning policies and guidelines for the area.
The recommendation was accepted, and that application was approved by the Acting Deputy Director: Planning, Mr Clinton Petersen, on 27 September 2021 in terms of the approved delegations and categorisation of applications, applicable at the time of approval.
The approval letter was issued on 01 October 2021. The Municipality notified the public of the decision on its website, advising parties of their right to appeal. The notice is placed on the website for the duration of the appeal period, which in this instance ended on 22 October 2021. No appeals were received and a letter informing the applicant of this was issued on 25 October 2021.
One of the conditions of approval for the implementation of the above approval, required the owner to apply for the approval of a site development plan. The SDP is not the detailed building plan, but rather intends to confirm that the building to be erected complies with the zoning scheme and conditions imposed with the above-mentioned approval.
The application for Permission in terms of Section 15(2) of the Land Use Planning By-law (2015) to approve the site development plan was submitted by Deon v/d Westhuizen Architects on behalf of the owners on 21 April 2022. The senior town planner found the proposal to comply with all legal requirements as stated in Section 65(2) of said By-law and the site development plan was accordingly approved by the Acting Deputy Director: Planning – Mr Clinton Petersen on 25 May 2022.
The approval letter was issued on 27 May 2022 with the 21-day appeal period also being applied. No appeal was received and a letter informing the applicant in this regard was issued on 20 June 2022.
Building plan application
The building plan application for Erf 15098, George, was approved on 6 July 2023 and issued to the applicant, Deon van der Westhuizen Architects. The outcome for approval follows two prior outcomes not to approve the building plan based on details required regarding services and outstanding contributions. The plans were only approved once the Building Control Officer (BCO) was satisfied that the requirements were met.
The SANS Form 2 for appointment of the Structural Engineer, submitted to the Municipality, accompanied the application and indicated the category of registration of the engineer as Professional Engineer and included the registration number. This registration number does not refer to the competencies the professional must hold, or the work reserved for this level of registration. The engineer was there for deemed competent. In the submitted form the competent person confirms that he does have professional indemnity.
On the Form 2, the engineer, Atholl Mitchell, declared that he has the necessary qualifications, experience, and contextual knowledge to undertake the work proposed. The form stipulates the description of all applicable work responsibilities and the owner signed acceptance of the appointment.
The Architectural Professional Council has developed an IDOW (Identification of Work) Matrix which determines the exact type of work that can be perform by a Registered Architectural Professional in the category of registration. This IDOW is a guide for the Municipality to determine the work that can be perform by a Professional in terms of his/her category of registration and based on the information provided by the applicant, the architect was also confirmed to be competent to undertake this design.
The value of the development was estimated at R39,544,000.00 at the time of approval. The development consisted of a basement parking area, ground floor parking and four floors of residential apartments above the parking. There are 42 apartments proposed and approved on the building plans. The area of the site is 1228 square meters, and the total area of the development is 4943 square meters with a coverage of 877.4 square meters (71.45%).
Compliance during construction
At the time of the incident, construction has progressed up to and included the concrete roof with various other disciplines busy with service installations. The municipality has no record of previous safety violations by the developer within the George municipal area.
The developer with his professional team is not obliged to submit any compliance report to the municipality. The normal practise is that the owner and developer, together with their professional team will have weekly/bi-weekly or monthly meetings and inspections where progress reports are submitted to the owner/client. This practice is done with no input from the Municipality and current the applicable legislation does not demand that this information is submitted to the Municipality.
Operational article
We will do a more indepth article for both Fire and Rescue International magazine as well as the Disaster Management Journal post event.
Sources: Various
Quote of the week
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organisational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” ~ Andrew Carnegie
Fire and Rescue International is your magazine.
Read it, use it and share it!
Read the latest magazine: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-vol-7-no-3.html
FRI magazine archive: https://www.frimedia.org/fri-archives.html
Enjoy the read!
Lee Raath-Brownie
Managing director
Cell: 082 371 0190
Contact us
Tel: 011 452 3135 or Email: [email protected]
Websites
www.fireandrescue.co
www.frimedia.org
www.facebook.com/FireandRescueInternational
www.twitter.com/FRI_magazine
http://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-raath-brownie-16668065/
