Provide safe and secure structure of all occupiable spaces by ensuring structural integrity and compliance with fire safety

These requirements are mandatory only when projects meet one of the two criteria for audit in Requirement #2.

This section provides guidance on conducting a comprehensive structural and fire safety audit. It is designed to ensure that buildings adhere to internationally recognized safety standards, particularly in regions where adherence to building safety codes may vary due to varied factors.

1. Scope of the Audit shall include the following:
   • Structural integrity of the building
   • Fire safety measures, including fire exits, fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and other related infrastructure
   • Compliance with nationally recognized and enforced building codes
2. Auditor Qualifications shall consist of the following:
   • A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, architecture, or related field.
   • Must possess a valid license in structural engineering. For fire safety assessment, a licensed architect is mandatory.
   • At least seven years of experience in building safety inspections or related fields, with a focus on structural and fire safety.
   • Continuous professional development in the areas of structural and fire safety.
   • The auditor or auditing firm should have the capability to conduct physical tests on structural elements as required.
   • The auditor should have no conflicts of interest with the building owner, management, or any associated impacted parties and should provide a declaration of independence.
3. Audit Process shall include the following:
   • Review of building plans, permits, and previous inspection reports.
   • A thorough examination of the building's structural elements, fire safety systems, and any potential hazards.
   • As required, certain structural elements will undergo physical testing to ensure their integrity and safety.
   • Discussions with building management, maintenance personnel, and occupants to understand operational challenges and past incidents.
   • Review of all relevant licenses, permits, and maintenance logs.
4. Audit Reporting - Upon completion of the audit, a detailed report will be provided, which includes: summary of findings, identified risks and their severity, recommendations for remediation, and a timeline for addressing the identified issues.
5. Remediation shall include:
   • Any critical safety issues identified during the audit that pose an immediate threat must be addressed promptly.
   • Recommendations that don't require immediate attention but are essential for long-term safety and compliance.
6. Post-Audit Follow-Up shall include:
   • A follow-up inspection will be scheduled to ensure that all recommendations have been implemented.
   • Continuous monitoring and periodic re-audits will be recommended for buildings with significant safety concerns.

The CPI scale ranges from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). A score below 50 indicates that a country has a significant corruption problem. In the context of building safety, corruption can lead to shortcuts, the use of substandard materials, and a lack of proper oversight—all of which can compromise the integrity of a structure. By setting the threshold at 50, the intent is to provide additional assurances of building safety in countries where corruption is more likely to influence building practices.

More than 0.5% annual incidence rate of building collapses, fires, or other related incidents is indicative of systemic issues in building safety and construction practices. Using a percentage allows for scalability depending on the size and density of the region in question.

This guidance assists Owners in determining the incidence rate of building collapses, fires, or other related incidents in their respective countries over the past five years.

1. Research national incidents in the past five years. The following resources can be helpful:
   • official records or databases maintained by national or regional governmental bodies responsible for building safety, construction, or disaster management
   • national construction or real estate industry associations often maintain statistics or have access to data regarding building incidents
   • national and local news archives for the past five years using keywords like "building collapse," "construction fire," and other related terms
2. Compile data gathered data from all sources into a structured format, listing each incident with details like date, location, type of incident, and any known causes or contributing factors.
3. Calculate the Incidence Rate using the formula (Number of Incidents / Total Number of Buildings Constructed in the past five years) x 100.

Additional Resources

• Transparency International – an independent, non-governmental, not-for-profit working in over 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption. Available online: https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2022