Responsibility of Stakeholders (What All Parties Need To Do)

The steel building industry is tremendously regulated by the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and Australian standards such as AS 4100 Steel Structures and AS/NZS 4600 Cold-formed steel structures. Because of these strict regulations, all major stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure high standards of communication and quality outcomes of all buildings. From the design and planning stages through to the completion of the project, nothing should be left to chance. 

Adhere to Guidelines

The Safe Design of Structures Code of Practice provides “practical guidance to persons conducting a business or undertaking design structures that will be used, or could reasonably be expected to be used, as a workplace. This includes architects, building designers and engineers.”
This means that all stakeholders must adhere to these levels of standards as well as those laid out by the BCA and the Australian Government and provide accurate and adequate information to ensure that the drafting and design stage is error free. If there are inaccuracies with the design in terms of size or other detailing because of misinformation, then these errors can be passed along to the next stage of the project wasting unnecessary time and generating needless expenses.

Communicate Well

If communication is lacking in any stage of the process, then considerable ripples can be created across the entire project. Everything needs to be double-checked, and even triple-checked, before the information is passed along down the line.
If lack of knowledge becomes an issue, then significant design and project delays can occur. Depending on what and who these delays affect, it can quickly add up, and a small problem can escalate rather quickly.

Create Realistic Timelines

While overseeing a project on a large scale can be difficult, it is up to each individual person to ensure they are doing their bit and passing along the necessary and correct information. If one person drops the ball, then everything could come toppling down, quite literally!
Trying to rush any stage of the process can also be counterintuitive as it can cause individuals to cut corners or skip a process. If unrealistic timelines are created, then everyone will be stressed, and issues such as communication and teamwork can suffer.

Avoid Assumptions

Proper planning documentation will need to be created, and a paper trail will need to be produced for every aspect. This will not only make it easier to prove all the standards have been met, but allow each stakeholder to check that nothing has been forgotten.
Assumptions should never be made by anyone and asking questions and confirming facts whether by a Request For Information (RFI) or over the telephone should always be a priority to clear up loose ends. Fact check where necessary to reduce the risk of major issues down the track.