at his own risk and cost any works resulting from improper operation or maintenance attributable to matters for which he is responsible under clauses 5.5–5.7 – that is, training (to the extent specified in the Employer's Requirements), provision of as‐built documents and operation and maintenance manuals – or otherwise.)
These differences have now been removed in the 2017 Red Book. The Red Book Contractor now has an obligation to provide training for the Employer's employees and/or other specified personnel under clause 4.5 if this is stated in the Specification, and has the same responsibility (under clause 11.2(c)) in respect of improper operation or maintenance attributable to any failure to provide such training, operation and maintenance manuals or as‐built records as the Yellow and Silver Book Contractor.11
1.4.2 Employer Risks
Liability for care of the works and indemnities
Clause 17.3 in the 1999 editions of the three Books defines a number of Employer's risks which, if they eventuate, entitle the Contractor to claim an extension of time and/or cost for rectifying any resulting loss or damage. Clause 17.2 of the 2017 Books adds significantly to the risks borne by the Employer12 and includes in particular a general sweeping‐up provision covering any act or default of the Employer's personnel or the Employer's other contractors.
The Employer's indemnities in favour of the Contractor under clause 17.5 have also been expanded to include, as well as death or personal injury, loss of or damage to any property other than the works which is attributable to any negligence, wilful act or breach of contract by the Employer, Employer's personnel or any of their respective agents. The Employer must also indemnify the Contractor in respect of all loss or damage to property, other than the works, to the extent that it arises out of any of the events for which the Employer bears the risk under clause 17.2.13
Extensions of time
In all three of the 2017 Books the Contractor's entitlement to claim an extension of time has been increased.
(a) Access routesThe 1999 Books all provide for the Contractor to bear the costs of any non‐suitability or non‐availability of access routes for the use required by the Contractor without apparent qualification. If an access route were, for example, altered by the Employer or those for whom he was responsible, including his other contractors on site, the Contractor might be able to rely on clause 8.4(e) to claim an extension of time if he suffered delay as a result, on the basis that the alteration of the route was a delay, impediment or prevention caused by or attributable to the Employer, his personnel or his other contractors on site; but if the route were altered by a third party the Contractor would not be able to come within this ground and clause 4.15 would not appear to give him any basis for claiming an extension either.The Contractor's position has been improved by clause 4.15 of the 2017 Books, which provides (in the last paragraph of clause 4.15) that to the extent that non‐suitability or non‐availability of an access route arises as a result of changes to the access route by a third party, as well as the Employer, after the Base Date and they result in delay and/or cost the Contractor may claim an extension of time and/or payment of that cost. This fills an important gap in the 1999 forms.
(b) Private utilitiesThe Contractor under the 2017 Books is now able to claim an extension of time in respect of delays caused not only by public authorities but also private utilities in the country of the project under a new clause 8.6. In the 1999 contracts clause 8.5 permitted a claim only in respect of delays caused by public authorities. This updates the earlier forms to reflect the fact that many utilities are now provided by private entities and represents a significant addition to the Contractor's right to claim.
(c) Shortages in Employer‐supplied materialsThe Contractor may in all three 2017 Books claim an extension of time in respect of unforeseeable shortages in the availability of Employer‐supplied materials, as well as personnel or goods, caused by epidemic or government actions (clauses 8.5(d) 2017 Red and Yellow Books and 8.5(c) Silver). In the 1999 editions of the Red and Yellow Books the Contractor (by clause 8.4(d)) is only able to claim for unforeseeable shortages in personnel or goods caused by epidemic or government actions and in the 1999 Silver Book this ground is not available at all. The 2017 editions have therefore created an entirely new basis of claim for the Silver Book Contractor and increased the scope of the existing sub‐paragraph (d) of clause 8.4 in the other two Books by including Employer‐supplied materials.
Latent defects in plant
The 1999 contracts provide for defects which become apparent after the Employer's acceptance of the works (by issue of the Performance Certificate) by treating each party as remaining liable for the fulfilment of any unperformed obligations at that time, the Contract to be deemed to remain in force for the purpose of determining the nature and extent of such unperformed obligations (clause 11.10). There is no time limit placed on the extent of this liability; that question depends on the governing law.
The 2017 contracts contain the same provision for latent defects in clause 11.10, but introduce a time limit with respect to plant. In relation to plant, the Contractor is not to be liable for any defects or damage occurring more than two years after expiry of the Defects Notification Period for the plant, unless this is prohibited by law or in any case of fraud, gross negligence, deliberate default or reckless misconduct. Thus, subject to those exceptions, and unless clause 11.10 is amended in the special provisions, the Employer now faces a two‐year cut‐off for bringing any claims in respect of latent defects in plant, that is, any apparatus, equipment, machinery or vehicles whether on the site or otherwise allocated to the Contract and intended to form or forming part of the permanent works (clause 1.1.65 2017 Red Book/1.1.66 Yellow Book/1.1.56 Silver Book).
Termination for convenience and omitted work
One of the complaints contractors make about the 1999 Books is that, in the event of the Employer's terminating the Contract for his own convenience, that is, in the absence of any fault on the part of the Contractor, the Contractor is not entitled to any loss of profit suffered as a result. Instead, clause 15.5 gives the Contractor no more than he would be entitled to where there has been a termination by reason of force majeure.
This was thought to be anomalous and the position has been corrected in the 2017 Books. The Employer now faces the prospect of having to compensate the Contractor for loss of profit or other loss or damage suffered as a result of a termination for convenience under a new clause 15.6.14
There is also an important provision entitling the Contractor to loss of profit where work has been omitted from the Contract scope in order to be carried out by the Employer or others. In the 1999 contracts there was a blanket prohibition against the Employer's instructing the Contractor to omit work in order for it to be carried out by others (clause 13.1). This has been modified in the 2017 editions by permitting work to be omitted which is to be carried out by the Employer or others but (unless there has been a failure to remedy defects and clause 11.4 applies)15 only where the Contractor agrees to this (clause 13.1). In that case, however, the Contractor can include in his proposal for an adjustment to the Contract Price under clause 13.3.1 any loss of profit and other loss or damage suffered or to be suffered by him as a result of such an omission (clause 13.3.1(c)).16
Change in laws
