The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has called for a stress test to be carried out on all buildings and properties used by the public within the next twelve months to ensure safety which include all government offices, banks, private businesses, malls, markets, churches and mosques.
The Director-General of the GSA, Professor Alex Dodoo, who made the call, said it is in the interest of the country for all buildings used by the public, including government buildings and private ones accessed by the public, to undergo the necessary tests and be certified.
Prof Doddo said, the stress test will allow the identification of the weaknesses in the building and rectify them and get a certificate confirming the fitness of the certified building.
The call came on the back of the recent collapse of a ceiling at one of the shopping centres at the Accra Mall.
Prof. Dodoo reiterated that, with the new Ghana Building Code in place, it is necessary to begin testing all buildings at all levels as it is the case in developed countries, where buildings are tested at every stage from the soil, to the laying of the foundation through to the roofing stage and final completion as well as fire and electrical installations.
He said if this is done, the collapse of buildings would be reduced to the barest minimum, adding that certification will be an attestation of quality, which involves testing and inspection before a certificate is issued.
He added that GSA had asked a third-party laboratory to undertake a test on all its buildings to enable the authority to rectify any inherent weaknesses identified.
Story by Maryam Hassan
