Dear Editor,
In an editorial which appeared in SN of January 21 attention was drawn to the faulty construction of septic tanks which has resulted in the recent deaths of two children. In these cases the tanks were built and operated without proper covers, posing a safety problem which resulted in the accidental deaths. It is unfortunate that in Guyana there are no enforceable regulations regarding safety with respect to many aspects of everyday life, the construction industry being one of them. Many of the septic tanks built in low-income areas are generally makeshift structures of masonry blocks with no baffle walls, covers and soakaway pits. Their contents become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and roaches, ooze in all directions from multiple cracks in the structures, and without covers provide a health and safety hazard to

the community.

To begin with the government has to lay down safety standards/building codes which are enforceable with stiff penalties for defaulters. With respect to septic tanks, their design should be part of the building plan submitted for approval by the relevant authorities, who should assign building inspectors to monitor compliance during construc-tion.

Building plans submitted for approval by many of the authorities in Guyana are not checked for structural stability or material quality requirements. Hence the need for codes to be established and designs certified by licensed architects/engineers for compliance. This may be light years away for Guyana, and indeed the developer/ contractor may try to make a fast buck by building bare-bones houses with sub-standard material and rickety scaffolds or the Guy building – a shack on the plot he received from the Ministry of Housing – but the bottom line is that with no oversight on the safety, design and construction of buildings and their appurtenances, we must all be prepared to bear the consequences of our neglect as has been so painfully evident lately.

Yours faithfully,
Charles Sohan