In design, specification and build, we’re all looking for definitives. We live in an era of cold hard data, where industry regulation and expectation don’t really do grey areas, or wide margins of tolerance – everyone’s after a continuous thread of easily accessible proven evidence.
Why is it important? Because when questions get asked everyone’s looking up the chain for someone to take responsibility. Buildings are rarely the result of one person’s work, they’re the work of many hands, at varying times, under varying degrees of pressure, trying to find the relevant information to make the right decisions – and in that process too much of the data we all depend on relies on trust.
Faith that the right data will be at hand isn’t enough by today’s standards, since the Building Standards Act of 2022 the law requires that an ‘Accountable Person’ – typically building owners, managing entities, principal designers and principal contractors – be identified to hold legal responsibility for ongoing building safety. Where the principal designer is responsible for ensuring that the design of building duly prioritises and incorporates the necessary fire and structural safety considerations, and meets the necessary building regulations, the principal contractor is responsible for ensuring that what was designed is what gets built, and that the doing so is carried out to the necessary quality standards, by individuals who hold the necessary competence.
To a manufacturer like Siniat – whose main client is likely the designer, or contractor – it’s important that there’s recognition of what’s at stake. It’s for this reason– to a fair amount of industry buzz – Siniat became the first plasterboard manufacturer to promise Design Liability.
As a manufacturer, Siniat provide product and system data, test evidence, certification, and detailing guidance. They also spend time providing technical support, to ensure products and systems are used correctly, safely, and in compliance with the law.
The duty to assess whether a product is suitable for a particular application sits with the designer and contractor. Under the BSA, principal designers and contractors must explicitly verify that materials used are appropriate, compliant, and safe for their intended application—especially in high-risk buildings.
One thing manufacturers are responsible for, though, is ensuring that any guidance or data they provide is correct, up to date, and not misleading. Design Liability is Siniat’s way of taking
accountability for their systems, information and standard details. It’s both a confidence in their credentials and a statement of intent, a necessary act of shared accountability as part of a bigger
process.
The response to the announcement of Siniat’s Design Liability has been very positive, but, as expected, has also raised some questions. Today (13 October) Siniat released a webinar with Iain McIlwee from the FIS (Finishes and Interiors Sector) and their own Nigel Morrey (Siniat’s Technical Director) where they discuss exactly what design liability means, answering the industry’s questions and explaining how it changes things for the future of design and construction.
