Join the Code Council and the University of Canberra for the inaugural IBQC Forum

On Oct. 9, 2020, the International Code Council and the University of Canberra are hosting the inaugural annual forum of the International Building Quality Centre (IBQC). This first forum will be held virtually from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. GMT and will feature a keynote speech from Dame Judith Hackitt, former chair of the UK Health and Safety Executive and the Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety following the Grenfell Tower fire. Dame Judith is now an advisor to the UK government and to the Victoria, Australia, government on the delivery of major reform to building regulations.

Closing remarks will be delivered by Sylvia Solf, global product specialist of Trade & Competitiveness with The World Bank. Various IBQC board members will offer insight into the practices that enable safety, efficiency and innovation as discussed in the Principles for Good Practice Building Regulation publication, which was released last month. The IBQC’s first publication, Principles for Good Practice Building Regulation is a collection of 10 key elements of successful building safety regimes. The principles assume a foundation of public safety in building regulation and challenge jurisdictions to move beyond that to achieve regulatory regimes that are efficient and that encourage innovation. The authors posit that inefficient regulatory regimes encourage circumvention, and regulatory regimes that do not accommodate legitimate building innovations become irrelevant. Therefore, good practice building regulatory regimes must be a win-win-win proposition relative to safety, efficiency and innovation. The document succinctly defines each of the 10 principles and defines good practice in an easy-to-use listing of the components of each principle.

Other speakers include: Professor Kim Lovegrove, senior construction lawyer with Lovegrove and Cotton Lawyers, presenting “Best practice dispute resolution mechanisms and mandatory auditing”; Alejandro Espinosa-Wang, senior private sector specialist at The World Bank, presenting “A mandatory statutory process which provides for rigorous inspections of work by competent practitioners”; Stephanie Barwise QC of AtkinChambers Barristers presenting “Building approvals systems”; Bronwyn Weir, director at Weir Legal and Consulting Pty Ltd., presenting “Regulating for building product safety and compliance”; Professor José Torero, professor of civil engineering and head of the civil engineering department at University College London, presenting “Professional competency certification: what is required in design and practice”; Michael DeLint. director of regulatory reform and technical standards with Residential Construction of Ontario, presenting “Best practice solutions for developing economies: adapting the Principles”; and Professor Robert Whittaker, director of Holdum Whittaker, presenting “The importance of clear and transparent legislative and regulatory frameworks to achieving building safety”.

Registration is free and for those unable to join the live forum, a recording will be available on the IBQC website starting Oct. 14, 2020.