Safety Standards Are Important When Building People's Homes - IELTS Task 2 Band 9 Sample Essay

Sample Essay 1

Ensuring structural safety in residential buildings is crucial to protecting lives and property. While some argue that builders should take primary responsibility, I firmly believe that it is the government that must enforce strict building codes. This essay will argue that only governments have the authority and resources to ensure compliance at scale, and that relying on private builders risks widespread negligence due to profit motives and lack of oversight.

Governments are uniquely positioned to establish, monitor, and enforce safety regulations in the construction industry. They possess legal authority, dedicated institutions, and access to public resources needed to develop standardized building codes and ensure their implementation. For example, in countries like Japan, where earthquakes are frequent, the government mandates advanced seismic safety standards and conducts regular inspections, significantly reducing fatalities in disasters. Without centralized enforcement, individual compliance would be inconsistent and vulnerable to corruption or incompetence. Furthermore, only the government can impose penalties or revoke construction licenses when standards are breached, creating a legal deterrent against malpractice. Delegating this responsibility to builders, many of whom may prioritize profit over safety, would leave the public exposed to substandard housing and long-term risks.

Entrusting builders alone with safety responsibilities is not only unrealistic but also dangerous, as it creates a clear conflict of interest. Most private developers operate under financial constraints and competitive pressures, leading some to cut corners to reduce costs or meet tight deadlines. A tragic example is the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, where unauthorized structural modifications by the owner caused the deaths of over 1,100 people. This catastrophe underscores the risk of leaving safety in the hands of private individuals without regulatory intervention. Moreover, ordinary homebuyers lack the technical expertise to assess building integrity, meaning they rely on legal safeguards and governmental inspections for protection. Without mandatory compliance frameworks, builders are under no obligation to follow best practices, especially in low-income or informal housing sectors.

In conclusion, although builders play a critical role in construction, the responsibility for enforcing safety codes must rest with the government. With its regulatory powers and impartial authority, the state is best equipped to uphold building safety and protect its citizens from structural failures.

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Sample Essay 2

The structural safety of residential buildings is undeniably vital, but opinions differ on who should bear the burden of enforcing strict building codes. While many believe governments should lead this effort, I argue that the primary responsibility should lie with those who construct the homes. Builders possess the technical know-how, are directly involved in the construction process, and can swiftly implement safety measures. This essay will demonstrate that builders are best placed to uphold standards due to their immediate accountability and technical control, and will critique the inefficiencies of over-reliance on government enforcement.

Builders are the most directly accountable actors in the construction process, making them the most logical enforcers of safety codes. Unlike government regulators, who operate at a distance, builders are present on-site and involved in each phase of a project—from foundation to finish. This proximity allows them to detect and rectify safety breaches in real time. For instance, a structural engineer working with a construction team can adjust reinforcement placement instantly if discrepancies are noticed, which a government inspector might not detect during occasional visits. Moreover, empowering builders to self-regulate fosters a professional ethic of responsibility and deters the culture of passing blame onto external agencies. In industries like aviation and pharmaceuticals, manufacturers are held primarily responsible for quality control—construction should follow the same model. Delegating enforcement solely to external bureaucracies risks reducing builders to passive agents, rather than proactive guardians of structural integrity.

Relying heavily on government enforcement often results in systemic inefficiencies, limited accountability, and delayed interventions. In many developing nations, overburdened regulatory bodies suffer from understaffing, corruption, and outdated inspection methods. This creates a compliance environment based more on paperwork than actual safety practices. For example, in certain regions of South Asia and Latin America, buildings often “pass” inspection due to bribery rather than adherence to standards. If builders were directly responsible for enforcement—with legal consequences for non-compliance—there would be stronger incentives for maintaining quality. Additionally, modern technology such as AI-powered construction analytics and on-site monitoring tools now allows builders to maintain rigorous standards autonomously. Entrusting them with enforcement, therefore, not only streamlines the process but also minimizes dependency on flawed external systems.

In conclusion, while governments can provide overarching guidelines and legal frameworks, the real responsibility for enforcing safety standards should fall on those who build the homes. Builders have the technical ability, immediate control, and ethical obligation to ensure structural safety from the ground up.

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