Isabel Ocaña: Madrid’s older building stock is vast and needs greater safety measures
The older building stock in Madrid is extensive and needs greater safety measures, says the vice-president of the Madrid Association of Property Administrators, who explains the main areas of prevention to be considered in blocks of flats, such as checking lifts and façades and protection during building and refurbishment works.
What areas of prevention and protection should be addressed in residential buildings in Spain?
In new buildings, efforts are underway to make the installation of fire detectors in dwellings mandatory. This would prevent many of the fires that start in flats from eventually engulfing the entire property. As for the older housing stock, it is vast in Madrid. It is true that when a building undergoes a complete refurbishment it is required to comply with current fire protection regulations, but if it is merely a minor renovation of, for example, a staircase or a roof, there is no such obligation, and this is something that should be rethought.
In any case, all communities, old and new, are obliged to have a fire protection maintenance contract, which can range from the classic fire extinguisher located on each floor to more complex systems including, for example, passive protection elements.
How is safety in lifts ensured?
For lifts, a maintenance service contract is mandatory. They cannot operate without a company to carry out periodic inspections, in addition to the statutory inspections. However, safety must also be ensured on platforms and accessibility lifts. Although by law, a maintenance contract is not required for these elements, as a registered property administrator, I strongly recommend it because it can prevent many problems.
When building works or renovations are carried out, are sufficient safety measures taken?
Following the fire in the building in the Campanar neighbourhood in Valencia, there was some fear among the population, and many residents' associations that had installed ventilated façades on the building envelope asked us if the installed product could burn. It must be borne in mind that any building can burn and what must be done is to take every possible measure to prevent it from happening and, if not, to raise the alarm as soon as possible to control it. In any case, the older building stock must be refurbished to bring it into line with regulations and the 21st century.
How are façades and other elements maintained?
Every ten years, the Building Technical Inspection (ITE) must be carried out, in which everything from the drainage system to the roof is checked. In addition, we monitor the condition of our façades, and if we see that there is a risk of any element falling, our obligation is to immediately inform the president of the community, call a meeting and explain the situation. If this is the case, the relevant municipal council can also be informed that, due to the danger to passers-by, works will be started, although the administrative procedures and enforcement orders take a long time to process.