Health and safety at the construction site – the most important aspects
Although accidents happen less and less on Polish construction sites, their prevention is still a very important issue in the organization of work. What should I know about this issue?
Construction is one of the industries in which employees are most exposed to accidents. It is clearly visible in the statistics, according to which this sector is among the most risky. However, it must be admitted that the situation on Polish construction sites improves significantly with each passing year. While in 2009 there were on average 21.49 fatal accidents for every 100,000 employees, a decade later this ratio was reduced to 5.18.
This is primarily the result of the implementation and increasingly rigorous compliance with health and safety standards. Safety regulations are therefore one of the most important aspects of the functioning of any construction site. Which of them are the most important? What are the duties of the investor, contractor and construction manager? How are the individual types of work regulated by the standards? We answer these questions in the following paragraphs.
Safety At The Construction Site. What Laws Regulate Them?
The most important legal act regulating the issue of safety on the construction site is, of course, the Labor Code – and specifically its section 10. We will find in it fundamental provisions on the basis of which other acts and standards are created. Among other things, KP says that it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure safety at the construction site and to bear all the related costs. It is also responsible for the development of general rules (BIOZ plan), their implementation and training of employees. In the event of a danger or an accident, he should also inform everyone on the site and secure the site accordingly.
Detailed information on good practices and obligations of the contractor is also provided in the publications of the National Labor Inspectorate (eg Construction. Work safety requirements) and guidelines published by industry organizations. The latter usually concern narrow, precisely defined issues – e.g. work on scaffolding and at heights, making formwork, marking communication routes or work organization. The requirements as to the specification of individual devices and equipment are also regulated by Polish PN standards.
Health And Safety At The Construction Site – The Most Important Aspects
Although accidents happen less frequently on Polish construction sites, their prevention is still a very important issue in the organization of works. What should I know about this issue?
Construction is one of the industries in which employees are most exposed to accidents. It is clearly visible in the statistics, according to which this sector is among the most risky. However, it must admitted that the situation on Polish construction sites improves significantly with each passing year. While in 2009 there were on average 21.49 fatal accidents for every 100,000 employees, a decade later this ratio was reduced to 5.18.
This is primarily the result of the implementation and increasingly rigorous compliance with health and safety standards. Safety regulations are therefore one of the most important aspects of the functioning of any construction site. Which of them are the most important? What are the duties of the investor, contractor and construction manager? How the individual types of work regulated by the standards? We answer these questions in the following paragraphs.
Safety At The Construction Site. What Laws Regulate Them?
The most important legal act regulating the issue of safety on the construction site is, of course, the Labor Code – and specifically its section 10. We will find in it fundamental provisions on the basis of which other acts and standards created. Among other things, KP says that it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure safety at the construction site and to bear all the related costs. It is also responsible for the development of general rules (BIOZ plan), their implementation and training of employees. In the event of a danger or an accident, he should also inform everyone on the site and secure the site accordingly.
Detailed information on good practices and obligations of the contractor is also provided in the publications of the National Labor Inspectorate (eg Construction. Work safety requirements) and guidelines published by industry organizations. The latter usually concern narrow, precisely defined issues – e.g. work on scaffolding and at heights, making formwork, marking communication routes or work organization. The requirements to the specification of individual devices and equipment also regulated by Polish PN standards.
Communication On The Construction Site – The Most Important Rules
A large proportion of accidents at construction sites are the result of incorrect movement or being in the wrong places. Therefore, health and safety regulations attach great importance to the organization of communication routes and the exclusion of places where employees should not be at a given moment. The most important rules concern:
- the necessity to prepare routes for movement and work at heights and the prohibition of staying outside them;
- no stay under the loads being lifted;
- regulation of the operation of systems and devices for the transport of loads (lifting hooks, platforms and ramps, and vehicles moving on the construction site).
Work At Heights. How Should It Secured?
Another common cause of accidents mistakes made while working at heights. In order to minimize the risk of their occurrence, the following rules should adhered to:
- the obligation to provide employees with collective protection measures (this is primarily about handrails for communication routes);
- obligation to provide appropriately selected personal protective equipment (these protect not only against accidents at heights, but also other hazards and, depending on the specificity of the work, include helmets, harnesses, safety glasses, gloves, dust masks, etc. – available at https: // pol-paw .pl /)
- separation of danger zones.
- Working with machines – key safety rules
The last group of works associated with the greatest risk of an accident is machine operation. To ensure safety, the employer should ensure that:
They Have Valid Documents Proving The Authorization For Their Operation;
before the commencement and after completion of works, they have undergone technical inspection checks and are fully operational;
- operated by trained and – if necessary – properly authorized personnel;
- not repaired and serviced when running.
- Correct marking on the construction site – information signs
Caring for safety on the construction site, you should also pay great attention to marking the construction site. Available at https://pol-paw.pl/znaki-bhp-c-64.html OHS signs will allow you to easily and effectively mark places inaccessible to various groups of people, warn against dangers (e.g. noise, the possibility of injury or explosion) and they will indicate evacuation points or the location of first aid kits. All of them comply with international standards, which guarantees their intelligibility by speakers of different languages - and thus increases the level of security.
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