The first AGS Loss Prevention Working Group meeting of 2018 took place on 23rd January 2018 and the Loss Prevention Leader, Hugh Mallett of BuroHappold, has provided an update on the top three current issues the Loss Prevention Working Group are discussing.

Loss Prevention Guidance (formerly known as the “Tool Kit”)
All the former toolkit papers have now been reviewed, checked and re-drafted. The papers that had become no longer relevant to current practice have been archived. All the other 23 papers will all be re-issued as the “AGS Loss Prevention Guidance – 2017” at AGS Members’ Day on 11th April 2018. (The 2017 date refers to the date the laws and legal citations were checked). The Loss Prevention Guidance is important to the AGS as the Guidance provides a substantial body of advice to members on matters ranging from the basis upon which members are appointed to provide their professional services, the potential for professional liability and how this can be managed, through to the risks of working alone and the implications of the Freedom of Information Act. The Guidance provides essential information for all members and their staff. Knowing that the legal aspects have all been checked for current relevance and up-dated should increase the confidence of member’s employees in dealing with these matters. AGS Members should always aware that specific matters can always be discussed via the AGS legal advice line managed by BLM Solicitors.

Loss Prevention Alerts on the Case of MT Hojgaard AS v E.ON (LPA 65), Construction Act Payment Provisions (LPA 66) and Japanese Knotweed (LPA 67)
These Loss Prevention Alerts have been developed and prepared over the last year. All three LPA’s were published on the AGS website in January and February 2018. The three new Loss Prevention Alerts respond to recent issues that have been raised with or on behalf of the Working Group. They provide members with an explanation of the issues that gave rise to concern and advice as to how to mitigate potential risks. The LPA’s can be downloaded here.

The Shortage of Reservoir Panel Engineers
A Position Paper highlighting the issue of the shortage of reservoir Panel Engineers has been drafted and discussed at AGS Senate. This is not solely an AGS matter of concern and it is proposed for the AGS Chairman to discuss the paper and the issues it raises to the President of the ICE. The shortage of registered Panel Engineers was identified by a member of the Loss Prevention Working Group as a looming problem due to the increased required for inspection of reservoirs, the decreasing number of persons qualified to do so and the difficulties of entry onto the register for young engineers. The position paper to be discussed with the ICE is very much a plea for action to address this gap between the requirements of the regulations and the ability of the wider industry to deliver people with the necessary skills and experience to fulfil those responsibilities.