Construction site safety

Construction is the most dangerous land based work sector (fishing is more dangerous). In the European Union, the fatal accident rate is nearly 13 workers per 100,000 as against 5 per 100,00 for the all sector average (Source: Eurostat).

The problem is not that the hazards and risks are unknown, it is that they are very difficult to control in a constantly changing work environment.

The two main safety hazards on site are falls from height and vehicles, but there are many more (electricity and being buried while working in excavations are just two.

Some of the main health hazards on site are asbestos, solvents, noise, and manual handling activities.

In the European Union, there are a range of Directives in place to protect workers, notably Directive 89/191 (the Framework Directive) and Directive 92/57 (the Temporary and Mobile Sites Directive). This legislation is transposed into the Member States and places requirements on employers (and others) to assess and protect workers health and safety.