CODE OF CONDUCT AND PRACTICE

[PRACTICE NOTES]
FOR CONSTRUCTION SITES

JUNE, 2020

Practice Notes/Guidelines for

monitoring of Building Operations
for compliance with the existing
bye-laws & regulations
Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

CONTENTS

ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS............................................................................................................................... 3

Disclaimer................................................................................................................................................................................4

FOREWORD............................................................................................................................................................................. 5

PREFACE/ INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................6

STAGE 1: Project Planning & Design (Inception)........................................................... 7

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care........................................................................................ 7

Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation.....................................................................8

Stage 2: Project Approvals (Building Permission)..................................................... 13

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care...................................................................................... 13

Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation...................................................................14

Stage 3: Project Execution (Construction; DLP; Completion)...............................18

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care...................................................................................... 18

Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation................................................................... 19

Stage 4: Project Commissioning (Handover; Occupation; Utilization;

Decommissioning)..................................................................................................................... 28

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care..................................................................................... 28

Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation.................................................................. 29

APPENDIX 1: REFERENCES ....................................................................................................34

APPENDIX 2: PRACTICE NOTES (Summary Checklist)................................................. 36

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 Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

ABBREVIATIONS/ ACRONYMS

BCA; 2013 - BUILDING CONTROL ACT; 2013

BCR ; 2020- BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS; 2020 (Statutory Instrument No. 3)

NBC NATIONAL BUILDING CODES

• The National Building (Building Standards) Code; 2019/ SI No. 51

• The National Building (Standards for Electrical Installations in Buildings) Code;

2019/ SI No. 58

• The National Building (Standards for Mechanical Installations in Buildings)

Code; 2019/ SI No. 60

• The Building Control (Accessibility Standards for Persons with Disabilities)

Code; 2019/ SI No. 60

PPA; 2010 Physical Planning Act; 2010

NPPSG National Physical Planning Standards & Guidelines

ARA; Cap 269 Architects’ Registration Act; Chapter 269

ERA; Cap 271 Engineers’ Registration Act, 1969; Cap. 271

SRA; Cap 275 Surveyors Registration Act, Cap. 275

NBRB National Building Review Board

BC Building Committee (District or Urban)

BCO Building Control Officer

NPPB National Physical Planning Board

PPC Physical Planning Committee (Regional, District, Urban, Local).

NEMA National Environment Management Authority

NEA; 2019 National Environment Act; 2019

ESIA Environmental Social Impact Assessment

PWD’s Persons With Disabilities

DLP Defects Liability Period

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 Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

DISCLAIMER

The material and information contained in this Code of Conduct is for general information
and ease of reference only. The information in this Code is not intended to substitute the
laws, Regulations and Code cited in this Code. Users of this Code are encouraged to refer
to the detailed text of the relevant law in order to make any business, legal or any other
decisions.

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 Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

FOREWORD

The National Building Review Board (NBRB), a semi-autonomous government of

Uganda body, under Ministry of Works and Transport, was established under Section 3
of the Building Control Act, 2013 to, inter alia, monitor building developments in country,
among others. The NBRB, therefore, has the responsibility to ensure that all stakeholders
discharge their duties as prescribed in the legal framework for building control.

This Code of Conduct and Practice Notes for Building Construction Sites is intended to
ensure that all stakeholders know their responsibilities in accordance with the Building
Control Act, 2013. It’s my hope that the guidelines contained herein will elicit adherence
to a set of requirements in compliance with the existing regulations for purposes of
establishing order and ensuring safety on construction sites.

Finally, I wish to confer my profound gratitude to Eng. Vincent Ochwo Olie, Eng. Patrick
Mwesigwa and Eng. Paul Rusoke Byangire (Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers);
Arch. Godfrey Songa (Uganda Society of Architects) and Arch. Jerome Olowo Stowell
(NBRB Secretariat) for the credible input and eventual preparation of this code of conduct.
I similarly thank their parent institutions for seconding to us such a dedicated team of
true technocrats.

Eng. Flavia G. Bwire

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

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 Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

PREFACE:

This Code of practice (Practice Notes) was developed for purposes of detailing the
checklist of requirements for all stakeholders involved in building operations/ construction
projects. Some of the key stakeholders that are involved in building operations include
the Project Owners/ Developers; Financiers; Approving Authorities (District, Urban,
regional, Local, NEMA etc); Construction Professionals (including architects, engineers,
surveyors, physical planners, environmental experts etc); Contractors; Sub-contractors
and materials/ equipment suppliers. During the lifecycle of a construction project, every
stakeholder is expected to adhere to a set of requirements in compliance with the existing
regulations for purposes of establishing order and ensuring safety on construction sites.
Some of the key requirements outlined in this code of practice include the need for
Owners/ Project Developers to engage duly registered and licensed professionals for the
design and supervision of construction projects and for construction professionals to
provide the necessary designs, reports and information as required for obtaining building
permits and for construction. A summary/ snap-shot version of these practice notes has
been provided under Appendix 2 of this document for quick reference.

The practice notes have been grouped according to the key stages of the life-cycle of a
building operation including conception & feasibility planning; application for physical
planning approval; application for a building permit (for building operations); contracting
& construction (including construction, correction of defects and practical completion);
and finally occupation, use and demolition/ de-commissioning of a building. For each
stage the responsibilities of each stakeholder have been outlined in order to identify
the duty of care for each stakeholder to comply with the existing regulations. The ‘Duty
of care’ for each stakeholder outlines their legal responsibility to adhere to the existing
construction industry bye-laws by providing the necessary compliance steps as provided
in the existing regulations. For developers, this includes submitting all required project
information including land ownership details, project details, personnel involved (duly
regulated & licensed by relevant professional bodies) and all other technical information
required for compliance. The duty of care for construction industry professionals and
contractors is to ensure that they act with the highest level of professionalism in advising
their clients as required for project execution and for compliance with the bye-laws. For
the approving authorities the duty of care is to ensure that sufficient planning guidelines
and resources (including human resources) are provided at each administrative level to
regulate & monitor construction activities.

Finally, for each project stage a detailed checklist has been provided indicating the
parameters required for compliance at each stage of the life-cycle of a building operation
(i.e. a checklist of compliance parameters). Each item is accompanied with a brief quote
of the applicable bye-laws, codes/ regulations (cross referenced across the existing
construction industry legislation).

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 Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

A Stage 1: Project Planning & Design (Inception).

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care

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Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation

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C Stage 2: Project Approvals (Building Permission).

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care

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Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation

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D Stage 3: Project Execution (Construction + Defects Correction; Completion).

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care

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Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation

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E Stage 4: Project Commissioning (Occupation; Utilization; de-commissioning).

Stakeholders Responsibilities & Duty of Care

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Compliance Check-List & Relevant Codes/ Legislation

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NOTES 1:

• Provide mechanism for Registration & categorization of contractors for various

projects. (Ref: Kenyan Document; National Construction Authority Act; 2011)

• To Note: (The composition of Building Committee, the officer responsible for

engineering is usually is a civil engineer and does not have expertise in electrical
and mechanical engineering – therefore there is need to have electrical and
mechanical engineers to scrutinize electrical and mechanical engineering
drawings respectively and advise the officer responsible for engineering
accordingly).

• Contractors’ Work Method statement is relevant for the nature of works being
executed. (refer to Accident reports; Kansanga/ Entebbe etc)

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 Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

REFERENCES:

• The Building Control Act; 2013

• BUILDING CONTROL REGULATIONS; 2020 (Statutory Instrument No. 3)

• National Building Codes for Mechanical, Electrical Installation & Accessibility

Standards

• Physical Planning Act; 2010

• Architects’ Registration Act, Cap. 269

• Engineers’ Registration Act, Cap. 271

• Surveyors Registration Act, Cap. 275

• Etc

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NOTES 2:

Convention for naming of Clauses:

1. Act: use ‘S’ - for Section, eg ‘S10’

2. Regulations: use ‘R’ - for Regulation, eg ‘R15’

3. Codes: us ‘P’ - for Paragraph, eg ‘P20 - NBS’ (National Building standard)

To specify the Code, use ‘P’ - then discipline. Eg (P25- NBS for Electrical Installations) or
(P25- NBS for Mechanical Installations) or (P25- NB Accessibility for PWDs), etc

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 Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

APPENDIX 2: SUMMARY PRACTICE NOTES

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Code of conduct and practice for construction sites

2nd floor Southwing Rumee

Plot 19 Lumumba Avenue,
Nakasero Kampala, Uganda

P.O Box 7349, Kampala

Hotline: 0800 220746

Tel no. 0312421600

[email protected]