Introduction

ENGINEERS know that it is impossible to be certain that a completed structure will never collapse. Economics and human frailty, innovation of design and new materials all come, in the design equation. The net result in the real world is that occasionally there is afailure.

The record in Britain and of British people working overseas is very good. The number of accidents causing deaths—thankfully and sometimes luckily—has been very small. Nevertheless, there have been failures in recent years which have caused the professional men to reflect that perhaps it is necessary to do something -more. In the construction industry progress on safety must always be an objective.