LEARNING FROM THE MISFORTUNE OF OTHERS

CROSS reports help reduce structural failures

The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) is an independent body established in 1976 and supported by the ICE, IStrucE and HSE to maintain a continuing review of building and civil engineering matters affecting the safety of structures.

In 2005 SCOSS introduced Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety (CROSS) to improve structural safety and reduce failures by confidential reports showing lessons learnt to generate change. Alastair Soane the Director of CROSS says that publicising the CROSS results and giving feedback helps overcome the barriers and persuade more engineers and others to participate. In UK and elsewhere the work of CROSS is attracting increasing attention. 

SCOSS is keen to expand CROSS and encourage even more reporters. The system is moving from a pilot scheme to a larger scale process with a more important role in the safety of structures. The objective is that CROSS information is widely available and regarded as an essential tool for designers, checkers, constructors, and facilities managers.

Comment: Over the last 2-3 years there appears to have been an increase in the number of failures involving structures and cranes. These have occured on large and small projects involving both major contractors and minor developers. Structural failure is the most likely cause of single incidents involving major loss of life, including members of the public. The CROSS system therefore deserves the full support of everyone involved in construction projects. By submitting a confidential report of a structural failure engineers, designers, CDM-Cs and others may learn from your misfortune.   

 

This article was posted on 11th February 2009 in ALL LATEST NEWS, STRUCTURAL SAFETY.
PP Construction Safety H&S Assistance and Consultancy service.

One Response to “LEARNING FROM THE MISFORTUNE OF OTHERS”

  1. FALLING CHIMNEYS RISING | PP Construction Safety News Desk Says:
    March 9th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

    [...] The confidential incident scheme for sharing structural failures provided by the UK Standing Committee on Struction Safety (SCOSS) is an excellent route to report [...]

«
»