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Construction Industry: New health and safety guidelines from CIDA by end February
In an effort to minimise accidents at construction sites, the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA), the apex regulator of the construction industry in the country, intends to publish new health and safety guidelines by end February.
The “Guidelines for Construction Safety and Occupational Health in Sri Lanka,” would detail broad measures to ensure safety at construction sites, officials stressed. “Though they are labelled as guidelines, we hope to persuade the Labour Department to make them mandatory through other laws,” said CIDA Director (Development), Savindra Amarasekara.
Last week, the Sunday Times reported how outdated legislation and a lethargic attitude towards occupational health and safety are among the major obstacles in preventing accidents at construction sites.
The draft guidelines compiled by CIDA have been sent to Government institutions and professional bodies to be reviewed, CIDA officials stated.
This will be the first time that national level guidelines concerning safety and occupational health in the construction industry will be published.
CIDA currently registers and grades prospective contractors to determine their general ability to undertake different types of projects of varying scopes, without reference to any specific contract. Under the revised grading system established in 2015, contractors are graded under 11 categories, from CS2 down to C9. The topmost grades, which comprise large construction companies (CS2-C3), even now have stricter regulations on safety and must employ managers, officers and supervisors of occupational health and safety to oversee projects. The requirements do not apply to those below these grades.
Nevertheless, when bidding for Government tenders, a contractor, irrespective of their grade, must set aside a lump sum to provide all necessary safety measures.
“In case of a work site accident resulting in death or permanent or partial disability, severe penalties can be imposed on contractors, if an inquiry ascertains that failure or negligence by the contractor to implement proper safety procedures and practices led to the accident,” Mr Amarasekara elaborated.
“Penalties include downgrading by one grade for a period of two years, and imposition of heavy fines. Detection of mosquito breeding grounds at the site could lead to the contractor’s name being displayed on the CIDA website as an errant contractor, and downgrading by one grade if such breeding sites are found on 3 separate occasions. Such strict penalties can put an errant contractor completely out of business and, as such, most of the top tier contractors have taken stringent precautions regarding occupational health and safety,” he added.
Meanwhile, CIDA Assistant Director (Supervisory & Management Training), K.A.S. Stanly, whose department is responsible for training programmes, said the authority is trying to develop a “safety culture” within the industry. To this end, two specialised training programmes at the Certificate and Diploma level are already being provided for senior officials involved in occupational health and safety at construction sites.
“Meanwhile, CIDA is also exploring a proposal to issue a ‘safety passport’ to workers at the completion of induction programmes, to make them safety oriented at work sites,” Mr Stanly revealed. The passport would certify the worker to be competent in safety and he/she would not be allowed to enter a site without it. “A thorough medical examination would also be carried out on workers to identify any medical conditions they have, prior to a safety passport being issued,” he added.