Do you do something or simply file documents?

Although BAC's purpose is straightforward and specific, it often turns into a mere exchange of documentation between the parties with no practical and effective contribution to the goal initially pursued and thus into a sterile and unproductive process which is merely going through the motions to meet statutory requirements. The most common contributing causes are:

• Highly defensive BAC procedures exclusively designed to demonstrate legal compliance with a predominance of:
  • Piling up documentary evidence, including information which has nothing to do with health and safety in a concurrence situation.
  • No analysis of the information received, meaning that no specific measures are taken based on its content to help monitor risk situations.
• BAC is seen in isolation as something completely disconnected and detached from the work prompting it. CAE is usually seen as a one-off management task, to be performed prior to the start of the project, and not as a continuous and simultaneous process during its implementation. In most cases, this entails:
  • There are no means of coordination, or where they do exist, they are inappropriate for the type and circumstances of the work.
  • There is no follow-up or supervision of the progress of the work, which is in stark contrast to the effort put into compiling documents.