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Cheung, S-O and Tsang, K-F (1997) Professional liabilities in construction: exposures and responses. In: Stephenson, P (Ed.), Proceedings 13th Annual ARCOM Conference, 15-17 September 1997, Cambridge, UK. Association of Researchers in Construction Management, Vol. 2, 623–32.

  • Type: Conference Proceedings
  • Keywords: exposures; negligence; professional competence; quality assurance
  • ISBN/ISSN: 0 86 339 759 X
  • URL: http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/ar1997-623-632_Cheung_and_Tsang.pdf
  • Abstract:
    Occupations are regarded as professionals where the nature of their work requires specialised skill. Construction professionals such as architects, engineers and surveyors are no exception. These professionals involved in project developments are expected to provide a high standard of service. In addition to their contractual duties towards their engagers, there also exists a duty towards the community. Whilst professional institutions have laid down stringent rules to regulate,. monitor and control the competence level of their members, construction professionals are subjected to commercial pressures for speedy delivery and working with minimum, or even insufficient information. Increasing complexity and advances in technology are added dimensions to the exposures to professional liability claims. In this context, the use of compulsory professional indemnity insurance schemes has been topical in the last decade. This paper examines the requirements on skill and competence, under statute and code of conduct of the relevant professional institutions. This paper also reports a survey study seeking to identify the common causes of exposures to professional liabilities claims faces by architects, engineers and surveyors practicing in Hong Kong. The result of the study indicates that there exists major differences in the type of exposures among the three groups of construction professional. The study also reveals that t11ese professionals prefer to rely on internal quality assurance schemes to reduce their exposure.