Construction Liability

Understanding Construction Liability and Risk Mitigation for Stakeholders in Construction Projects

Introduction

It is always a complex issue to ascertain liability as regards construction projects which cover civil, M&E, architecture, structural design and many others. The task of finding the root cause is well known to be “near-impossible” especially in a building collapse case where the structure has fallen to debris. The establishment of liability in this case will therefore depend on the submission plans, site inspection and evidence from the parties concerned. COI may be appointed in some cases. It is not unusual to have conflicting reports by experts appointed by the parties in subsequent lawsuits for damages. In this regard, the court has a difficult task to choose one over the other.

Accordingly, stakeholders of construction projects such as the project owners, architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, project managers, main contractors and sub-contractors, etc. need to understand construction liability clearly and take proactive measure to mitigate the risk involved.

The COP on Chief Executives’ and Board of Directors’ Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Duties is listed in the WSH (Approved Codes of Practice) Notification 2022 and effective from 31 October 2022. The intent of the ACOP is to shape the company leadership’s mindset and drive the right behaviours to improve the company’s WSH standards, which is a more effective and sustainable way of uplifting WSH standards. In the event of a WSH Act contravention, abiding with the recommendations in an ACOP can help in a defence when standing in court.  

Objective

This one-day course gives an overview of construction civil liability under contracts as well as criminal liability in regard to regulatory compliance with relevant laws and regulations. Participants will learn how to take proactive measures to mitigate the risk of liability.

• An overview of construction civil and criminal liability       

• COP on Chief Executives’ and Board of Directors’ WSH Duties explained

• Construction civil liability risk mitigation by insurance

• WSH Court Case Studies

By the end of the Workshop, Participants should:

• Be aware of common types of construction liability and COP on Chief Executives’ and Board of Directors’ WSH Duties

• Know the court’s decision on construction liability

• Be familiar with construction insurance in mitigating the risk of liability

• Be able to apply the knowledge gained in their daily work

Who Should Attend

The workshop will be useful to Technical Executives, Supervisors, Project Managers, Project Coordinators, Contract Administrators, Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Company Directors, Developers, Safety Practitioners, Professional Engineers and Engineers who need to handle Construction Projects at Worksites.

Course Fees (Incl GST)

SCAL Member Fee: $280.00

Non-Member Fee: $327.00

Speaker Profile

Er HC Lim

BEng (EE), MSc (IE), LLB (Hons), BSc (Economics) Hons, P.Eng, C.Eng, Sr MIES, MIET, ACS, ACG is Principal Consultant of Pinnacle Engineering and Management Consultancy, a translator, an advisor for parties in adjudication as well as a certified ACTA trainer and assessor.

He also holds DipBA, SDipECT, SDipFMA, ADipMD, CDipAF and GCIA.

He was Director (Contracts) of the Network Development Division, SP PowerGrid before venturing into training and management consultancy services.

He has had more than 30 years experience in the transmission and distribution network development, operations and maintenance, street lighting operations, management of safety and security units and support services for the company's operation.

In dispute resolution aspect, he is a SOP accredited adjudicator, a fellow of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and an accredited mediator of SISV Panel of Mediators.