Mayor of Hut slams DHB for rash communication about earthquake risks in hospital

Hiritunga block at Haute Hospital. Photography: Mark Mitchell

The mayor of Lower Hut has criticized the local DHB bank for its “poor and hasty” communication about the earthquake threat detected at the city hospital.

“The uncertainty that has arisen over the past month has caused serious concern in our community, and there is work to be done to rebuild trust,” Campbell Barry said.

His criticism came after it was revealed that the main building at Hutt Hospital was in better condition than initially thought.

In May, Hutt Valley DHB announced that the Heretaunga Block had received a new 15 percent building rating (NBS) making it vulnerable to earthquakes. This low rating was given to many of the building’s structural and non-structural elements.

At the time, the NBD said patients and services would eventually have to be moved outside the building.

But a peer review of a draft detailed seismic assessment has since been completed, with precast concrete facade slabs now found to be the only part of the building rated 15 percent by NBS.

However, DHB advised in today’s update that this did not change the general status of the building by law.

A building’s rating is determined by its weakest part, so even if the problem is local, or only one component is less than 34 percent NBS, the site’s overall score is affected and still considered earthquake-prone.

While other elements in the building are no longer rated 15 percent NBS, DHB said they are still considered an earthquake hazard.

“We therefore recommend that the Board confirm our previous decision to move services from the building as soon as practicable.”

Mayor of Haute Campbell, Barrie. Photo/ Georgina Campbell

The DHB indicated that the time frame for resettlement may be longer, given the new information.

Barry said it was good news that the hospital’s condition was better than originally reported.

“However, this reinforces how poor the initial communication on this matter from the CEO of NBD was. He was hasty and lacked planning and foresight.

“And what remains unclear, and what I am confused about, is that DHB is moving forward with its original plans to vacate the building.”

Barry said the DHB needs to be clear about whether the building presents a significant earthquake risk and must be evacuated, or whether it can be mitigated as the latest information has suggested.

Precast concrete facade panels are located on the exterior of the building. The National Bank of Dubai said it was waiting for more engineering advice on how to mitigate or address the risks.

There is already a fence around the Hiritunga complex.

On Wednesday, the Hutt Valley and Capital Coast County Health Boards will consider the final draft of a detailed seismic assessment.

There are 210 physical bed places in the Hiritunga building, which is a quarter of hospital beds in the area.

It is not unusual for peer reviews to reach a different conclusion than the initial assessment.

Engineering after all is not an exact science.

For example, an initial evaluation of Wellington City Council’s Freyberg Pool found the building to be earthquake-prone, but it was rated 40 percent by NBS after engineering consultancy Beca was brought in for a second opinion.

The engineers involved in this decision acknowledged that it’s easy to be conservative but “really hard” to be realistic.

Speaking about the Freyberg Pool, Beka’s chief structural engineer, Rob Gorey, said the engineers tried to get the ratings and ratings for the buildings as high as they could reasonably justify them.

“You should go down every street I think because as I say, these buildings should basically give the best chance without being over-motivated.”

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