Updated 5.35pm with KTP statement

The Building and Construction Authority will publish 17 building and construction codes within the next three years, Construction Reform Minister Jonathan Attard said on Friday. 

Priority will be given to codes related to the structural integrity of buildings and construction sites, and fire safety, he added.

Other building codes will include specifications on ventilation, fire safety, resistance to moisture, water storage, access to buildings, and drainage disposal.

The construction codes will have rules on demolition and excavation practices, scaffolding, noise reduction, and waste reduction and disposal.

"As we go along we will be adding codes gradually until we arrive at the 17 that are needed for the construction industry," Attard said. 

The government's plans to draft building and construction codes follow recommendations made in the Jean Paul Sofia public inquiry. 

In December 2022, 20-year-old Sofia was killed after a Corradino construction site he was working on collapsed.

Eight months later, and following public pressure, the government announced a public inquiry into the construction site death.

Some of the stakeholders involved in drawing up the new building codes

"The urgent requirement for these National Building and Construction Codes also emerges from the conclusions of the inquiry into the death of Jean Paul Sofia," a booklet provided by the BCA reads.

Kamra tal-Periti to lead drafting efforts

Attard said a legislative committee will help draft the building and construction codes for the BCA. The committee will not only gather the laws that regulate buildings and construction but also conduct a full revision of the regulations.

The Chamber of Architects (KTP) will be leading efforts to draft the codes.

"It is architects who design all the buildings in our country, and therefore, the BCA felt that they are the most credible and competent professionals to draft these codes," the BCA said.

Other associations, however, will be part of the procedure.

They will include the Association of Builders and Contractors, the Malta Excavation, Demolition and Recycling Association, the Malta Development Association, the Chamber of Engineers, the Planning Authority, MCAST, the University of Malta, the OHSA, and the CPD.

"These entities, alongside the KTP and under the direction of the BCA, will have the role of drafting all the building and construction codes in our country," the BCA said.

In a statement, the KTP said it was delighted to be tasked with leading efforts for the "historic milestone". 

"The Kamra is honoured to have earned the trust of the Government and the industry stakeholders in taking the lead on such an important and delicate task. It is committed to living up to the expectations that are being placed on it," it said.