Worried owners and managers of public buildings are being offered expert support to navigate the hazardous concrete crisis which has disrupted schools across the UK. 

Those with responsibility for buildings across education, health, councils, government, the NHS and blue light services are now being urged to take up the offer of free specialist guidance on the RAAC controversy. 

Taking place on October 5, the event will address confusion among building managers and owners, arising from the influx of conflicting information regarding risks, necessary actions, and potential liabilities in the wake of RAAC.  

Leverage the expertise of industry leaders

Hosted at the Scottish Procurement Alliance, (SPA) headquarters in Livingston, the event will leverage the expertise of industry leaders Goodson Associates and Hadden Group. 

Those attending can expect to learn about strategies for identification, management, mitigation, remediation, identifying qualified suppliers as well expediting the repair process. 

Lesley Anderson, regional director for SPA, which is Scotland’s largest free-to-join procurement organisation with more than 600 live projects worth £1.1bn, said the event would equip building owners with comprehensive knowledge to tackle the challenges effectively.  

Anderson said: “At a time when everyone is worried about this issue, we hope to bring some calm and reassurance. Public safety is paramount in light of the RAAC crisis, but there is also a lot of hype and misinformation surrounding the whole issue. Therefore, it is vital that those with responsibility for public buildings can get assured and expert advice to plan their next steps appropriately. 

"The event is certainly one not to miss as we’ll have experts from Goodson Associates who will offer valuable insights into the identification of issues, assessment of risks, effective management, and comprehensive remediation solutions.  

“We’re also delighted to Welcome Hadden Group who will also be sharing valuable insights on how best to tackle the current issues with RAAC. We hope that this event will help address apprehensions as well as sharing best practices, and equipping building owners with the essential knowledge they need." 

As of present, many buildings with RAAC can continue their operations safely when stringent inspections, routine maintenance, and effective mitigation measures are diligently implemented.  

Nonetheless, some educational facilities have opted to temporarily close buildings containing RAAC as a precautionary measure, owing to the challenge of ensuring regular access for necessary inspections. 

Structural integrity

The material poses a significant concern primarily when its structural integrity is compromised. With the appropriate safeguards and diligence, numerous buildings can navigate this issue securely. 

Steven Martin, of Hadden Group, said: “I’d urge as many public sector bodies as possible to attend our event, as it will look to provide awareness into the situation, as well as equipping partners with the required knowledge to enable them to deal with this situation appropriately.” 

SPA works with over 120 public sector organisations (partners) and its frameworks offer an efficient and compliant route to market for the construction, refurbishment, maintenance and consultancy of social housing and public buildings. 

It ensures housing associations, councils, blue light services, the NHS and a host of other public sector organisations/bodies procure the services they need while achieving best value for money and being fully compliant. 

Its partners gain access to a range of complimentary value-added services, including specialised technical, procurement, and social value advisory support. This extends to tasks such as price verifications, specification guidance, and participation in pre-start and progress meetings.  

As a not-for-profit, SPA reinvests surpluses in Scottish communities through the Community Benefit Fund (CBF) in collaboration with Lintel Trust.  

Since 2017, CBF has granted more than £1.7m, supporting 91 community projects, from Holiday Hunger initiatives to mental health services, benefiting 19,000 people and generating £3.9m in social value.