In 1988, the ILO adopted the Safety and Health in Construction Convention (C167) and Recommendation (R175). This Convention and Recommendation applies to all construction activities, namely building, civil engineering and the erection and dismantling of prefabricated buildings and structures, the fabrication and erection of oil rigs, and of offshore installations while under construction on shore, operation or transportation on a construction site, from the preparation of the site to the completion of the project.
CONSTRUCTION
(i) building, including excavation and the construction, structural alteration, renovation, repair, maintenance (including cleaning and painting) and demolition of all types of buildings or structures;
(ii) civil engineering, including excavation and the construction, structural alteration, repair, maintenance and demolition of, for example, airports, docks, harbours, inland waterways, dams, river and avalanche (snow slides) and sea defence works, roads and highways, railways, bridges, tunnels, viaducts and works related to the provision of services such as communications, drainage, sewerage, water and energy supplies;
(iii) the erection and dismantling of prefabricated buildings and structures, as well as the manufacturing of prefabricated elements on the construction site;
ARTICLE 13 - SAFETY OF WORKPLACES
1. All appropriate precautions shall be taken to ensure that all workplaces are safe and without risk of injury to the safety and health of workers.
2. Safe means of access to and egress from all workplaces shall be provided and maintained, and indicated where appropriate.
3. All appropriate precautions shall be taken to protect persons present at or in the vicinity of a construction site from all risks which may arise from such site.
4. Where workers cannot be protected against falls from heights by any other means- adequate safety nets or safety sheets and safety harnesses should be provided and used.
5. The employer should provide the workers with the appropriate means to enable them to use individual protective equipment and should ensure its proper use.
6. The safety of construction machinery and equipment should be examined and tested by type or individually, as appropriate, by a competent person.
ARTICLE 14 - SCAFFOLDS AND LADDERS
1. Where work cannot safely be done on or from the ground or from part of a building or other permanent structure, a safe and suitable scaffold shall be provided and maintained, or other equally safe and suitable provision shall be made.
2. Every scaffold and part thereof should be of suitable and sound material and of adequate size and strength for the purpose for which it is used and be maintained in a proper condition.
3. Every scaffold should be properly designed, erected and maintained so as to prevent collapse or accidental displacement when properly used.
4. The working platforms, gangways and stairways of scaffolds should be of such dimensions and so constructed and guarded as to protect persons against falling or being endangered by falling objects.
5. No scaffold should be overloaded or otherwise misused.
6. Scaffold should not be erected, substantially altered or dismantled except by or under the supervision of a competent person.
7. Scaffolds as prescribed by national laws or regulations should be inspected, and the results recorded, by a competent person-
(a) before being taken into use;
(b) at periodic intervals thereafter;
(c) after any alteration, interruption in use, exposure to weather or seismic conditions or any other occurrence likely to have affected their strength or stability.
ARTICLE 15 - LIFTING APPLIANCES AND GEAR
Every lifting appliance and item of lifting gear, including their constituent elements, attachments, anchorages and supports, shall-
(a) be of good design and construction, sound material and adequate strength for the purpose for which they are used;
(b) be properly installed and used;
(c) be maintained in good working order;
(d) be examined and tested by a competent person at such times and in such cases as shall be prescribed by national laws or regulations; the results of these examinations and tests shall be recorded;
(e) be operated by workers who have received appropriate training in accordance with national laws and regulations.
ARTICLE 16 - TRANSPORT, EARTH-MOVING AND MATERIALS-HANDLING EQUIPMENT
1. All vehicles and earth-moving or materials-handling equipment shall-
(a) be of good design and construction taking into account as far as possible ergonomic principles;
(b) be maintained in good working order;
(c) be properly used;
(d) be operated by workers who have received appropriate training in accordance with national laws and regulations.
2. On all construction sites on which vehicles, earth-moving or materials-handling equipment are used-
(a) safe and suitable access ways shall be provided for them; and
(b) traffic shall be so organised and controlled as to secure their safe
operation.
ARTICLE 17 - PLANT, MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT AND HAND TOOLS
1. Plant, machinery and equipment, including hand tools, both manual and power driven, shall-
(a) be of good design and construction, taking into account as far as possible ergonomic principles;
(b) be maintained in good working order;
(c) be used only for work for which they have been designed unless a use outside the initial design purposes has been assessed by a competent person who has concluded that such use is safe;
(d) be operated by workers who have received appropriate training.
2. Adequate instructions for safe use shall be provided where appropriate by the manufacturer or the employer, in a form understood by the users.
3. Pressure plant and equipment shall be examined and tested by a competent person in cases and at times prescribed by national laws or regulations.
ARTICLE 18 - WORK AT HEIGHTS INCLUDING ROOFWORK
1. Where necessary to guard against danger, or where the height of a structure or its slope exceeds that prescribed by national laws or regulations, preventive measures shall be taken against the fall of workers and tools or other objects or materials.
2. Where workers are required to work on or near roofs or other places covered with fragile material, through which they are liable to fall, preventive measures shall be taken against their inadvertently stepping on or falling through the fragile material
ARTICLE 19 - EXCAVATIONS, SHAFTS, EARTHWORKS, UNDERGROUND WORKS AND TUNNELS
Adequate precautions shall be taken in any excavation, shaft, earthworks, underground works or tunnel-
(a) by suitable shoring or otherwise to guard against danger to workers from a fall or dislodgement of earth, rock or other material;
(b) to guard against dangers arising from the fall of persons, materials or objects or the inrush of water into the excavation, shaft, earthworks, underground works or tunnel;
(c) to secure adequate ventilation at every workplace so as to maintain an atmosphere fit for respiration and to limit any fumes, gases, vapours, dust or other impurities to levels which are not dangerous or injurious to health and are within limits laid down by national laws or regulations;
(d) to enable the workers to reach safety in the event of fire, or an inrush of water or material;
(e) to avoid risk to workers arising from possible underground dangers such as the circulation of fluids or the presence of pockets of gas, by undertaking appropriate investigations to locate them.
ARTICLE 20 - COFFERDAMS AND CAISSONS
1. Every cofferdam and caisson shall be-
(a) of good construction and suitable and sound material and of adequate strength;
(b) provided with adequate means for workers to reach safety in the event of an inrush of water or material.
2. The construction, positioning, modification or dismantling of a cofferdam or caisson shall take place only under the immediate supervision of a competent person.
3. Every cofferdam and caisson shall be inspected by a competent person at prescribed intervals.
ARTICLE 22 - STRUCTURAL FRAMES AND FORMWORK
1. The erection of structural frames and components, formwork, falsework and shoring shall be carried out only under the supervision of a competent person.
2. Adequate precautions shall be taken to guard against danger to workers arising from any temporary state of weakness or instability of a structure.
3. Formwork, falsework and shoring shall be so designed, constructed and maintained that it will safely support all loads that may be imposed on it.
ARTICLE 23 - WORK OVER WATER
Where work is done over or in close proximity to water there shall be adequate provision for-
(a) preventing workers from falling into water;
(b) the rescue of workers in danger of drowning;
(c) safe and sufficient transport.
ARTICLE 24 – DEMOLITION
When the demolition of any building or structure might present danger to workers or to the public-
(a) appropriate precautions, methods and procedures shall be adopted, including those for the disposal of waste or residues, in accordance with national laws or regulations;
(b) the work shall be planned and undertaken only under the supervision of a competent person.
ARTICLE 25 – LIGHTING
Adequate and suitable lighting, including portable lighting where appropriate, shall be provided at every workplace and any other place on the construction site where a worker may have to pass.
ARTICLE 26 – ELECTRICITY
1. All electrical equipment and installations shall be constructed, installed and maintained by a competent person, and so used as to guard against danger.
2. Before construction is commenced and during the progress thereof adequate steps shall be taken to ascertain the presence of and to guard against danger to workers from any live electrical cable or apparatus which is under, over or on the site.
3. The laying and maintenance of electrical cables and apparatus on construction sites shall be governed by the technical rules and standards applied at the national level.
ARTICLE 28 - HEALTH HAZARDS
1. Where a worker is liable to be exposed to any chemical, physical or biological hazard to such an extent as is liable to be dangerous to health, appropriate preventive measures shall be taken against such exposure.
2. The preventive measures referred to in paragraph 1 above shall comprise-
(a) the replacement of hazardous substances by harmless or less hazardous substances wherever possible; or
(b) technical measures applied to the plant, machinery, equipment or process; or
(c) where it is not possible to comply with subparagraphs (a) or (b) above, other effective measures, including the use of personal protective equipment and protective clothing.
3. Where workers are required to enter any area in which a toxic or harmful substance may be present, or in which there may be an oxygen deficiency, or a flammable atmosphere, adequate measures shall be taken to guard against danger.
4. Waste shall not be destroyed or otherwise disposed of on a construction site in a manner which is liable to be injurious to health.
Article 29 - FIRE PRECAUTIONS
1. The employer shall take all appropriate measures to-
(a) avoid the risk of fire;
(b) combat quickly and efficiently any outbreak of fire;
(c) bring about a quick and safe evacuation of persons.
2. Sufficient and suitable storage shall be provided for flammable liquids, solids and gases.
ARTICLE 30 - PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
1. Where adequate protection against risk of accident or injury to health, including exposure to adverse conditions, cannot be ensured by other means, suitable personal protective equipment and protective clothing, having regard to the type of work and risks, shall be provided and maintained by the employer, without cost to the workers, as may be prescribed by national laws or regulations.
2. The employer shall provide the workers with the appropriate means to enable them to use the individual protective equipment, and shall ensure its proper use.
3. Protective equipment and protective clothing shall comply with standards set by the competent authority taking into account as far as possible ergonomic principles.
4. Workers shall be required to make proper use of and to take good care of the personal protective equipment and protective clothing provided for their use.
Article 31 - FIRST AID
The employer shall be responsible for ensuring that first aid, including trained personnel, is available at all times. Arrangements shall be made for ensuring the removal for medical attention of workers who have suffered an accident or sudden illness.
Article 32 - WELFARE
1. At or within reasonable access of every construction site an adequate supply of wholesome drinking water shall be provided.
2. At or within reasonable access of every construction site, the following facilities shall, depending on the number of workers and the duration of the work, be provided and maintained-
(a) sanitary and washing facilities;
(b) facilities for changing and for the storage and drying of clothing;
(c) accommodation for taking meals and for taking shelter during interruption of work due to adverse weather conditions.
3. Men and women workers should be provided with separate sanitary and washing facilities.
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