Buildings

Dangerous structures

Complaints about possible Dangerous Structures are investigated immediately day or night. Our Senior Staff are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to deal with any incident relating to a building. They are able to give advice on the course of action that may be necessary to safeguard the public and a structure.

Where our responsibilities overlap with other Emergency Services a close liaison is maintained to ensure safety at all times. If it is necessary to deal with any immediate danger we can arrange for our own emergency contractor to carry out the work.

Should a major civil emergency occur, the 'City of Westminster Emergency Plan' would involve our staff in respect of dangerous buildings, etc.

Regrettably some structures become dangerous when buildings are being renovated or altered. This type of danger usually occurs when the building is of great age and does not respond well to insensitive alterations.

Our surveyors have found that the most common causes of collapse are:-

• Removal of lateral restraint to walls.
• Failure of over-stressed piers.
• Inadequate support to chimney breasts.
• Filling flues with concrete.
• Using existing brick walls as permanent shuttering to new concrete work.
• Sheeted scaffolds acting as sails in strong winds and pulling down the wall to which the scaffolding is attached.
• Undermining of foundations, usually by underpinning which is badly designed and/or poorly sequenced.
• Overloading of floors by builders' materials
• Roof 'spreading' or collapsing due to the new coverings being too heavy for the structure to sustain.

If you have any doubts as to whether the building you are dealing with is dangerous please contact us immediately. If your call is during normal working hours please contact:-

The Main Office

Tel: 020 7641 7230

If your call is after normal working hours please contact:-

The Duty Officer

Tel: 020 7641 6000.