Builders and scaffolders need to go one step further in their design specifications when faced with heavy weather.

North Queensland-based FortisEM senior engineer Bill Hutton and his team are sitting in the wake of Cyclone Debbie which has steamrolled the Whitsunday region just south of Townsville.

Australian Standards specs were sufficient for normal weather events, Mr Hutton said. But they were unlikely to meet the forces presented by Cyclone Debbie.

“The problem with a lot of the design and wind specifications which govern the Australian Standards, is that they are not able to withstand a category three or four storm,” Mr Hutton said.

“Whatever the job, at the design stage there needs to be a lot of consideration put into the materials being used and then how best to prevent damage to the structure – as well as anything in the vicinity.”

Mr Hutton said scaffolders had a duty of care to ensure every measure was taken to prevent damage to the structure.

“We need to look at what could possibly catch wind and then how to prevent that and keep everything safe.”

He said while some of the premier operators were well prepared and had invested considerable time and expertise in ensuring their structures were built to the highest standards – which well exceeded Australian standards – there were still sectors of the community which needed to be educated and guided on best practices.

“A lot of it does come down to commonsense, but there are still quite a few out there who are doing what they’ve always done,” he said.

“But this isn’t the old days. And we need to educate across the board about the need to invest in quality and highest standards.”