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OPINION: Health and Safety in the Construction Industry

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Pre-Construction Phase

According to the Construction Regulations the owner of the project or client is responsible for the preparation of a Pre-construction Health and Safety specification highlighting all risks not successfully eliminated during the design stage of the project. The Pre-construction specification also acts as the basis for the drafting of the construction phase Health and Safety specification. 

Construction Phase

An active construction site is a dangerous and hazardous place. Workers in the Construction industry are most likely to die or get injured on the job than any other industry. The Occupational Health and Safety Act No. 85 of 1993 makes provision for safety in the workplace by emphasizing the appointment of Health & Safety representatives and establishment of safety committees in the workplace. The Compensation for Occupational injuries and Diseases Act No 130 of 1993 makes provision for compensation for people injured in the workplace. 

Also read: Deploying digital technologies can be threat to Construction Professionals if not done correctly

Herewith consequences of poor Health and Safety management: 

  • Financial downtime on site, medical bills and investigation of accidents/incidents that can cause delay to projects result in financial trouble.

  • Loss of life, loss of people with skills and unskilled labour number expands. This has a negative impact on the skills shortage in the country.

  • Affects the country's GDP because accidents can be costly.

The stats of fatalities keep on increasing per year due to poor Health and Safety on construction sites here is why:

  • Non-compliance by stakeholders when it comes to Construction Health and Safety Regulations.

  • Lack of visibility of Safety Inspectors from the Department of Labour on Construction sites

  • Lack of education and awareness about Health & Safety. Qualified, trained and competent safety personnel should be encouraged to educate and check compliance on contractors and clients to help reduce fatalities in the Engineering and Built Environment field.

  • Ignorance of safety rules by the employees on site.

The construction industry still has room to improve when it comes to health and safety. A shift must take place from cost and the improvement of construction technology. The focus should be on how to find innovative ways to mitigate accidents on site, improve the education about health and safety and ensure the compliance of employers to the law. Money is important so are the lives of the people in the construction industry. 


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