Over 33000 work-related injuries were reported in 2017 with 80% from construction project sites. With such a trend in play, Construction Safety forum was organized for the first time to enhance the safety of those working at construction sites in the capital today.
The construction sector saw 26 fatalities and 9 cases of partial disabilities in 2017. Similarly, 60% of accidents that led to death at Hydropower Construction sites were reported between 2012 to 2015. To confront these issues, Construction Safety Seminar was organised among engineers, contractors and relevant stakeholders.
“All these challenges happen due to the negligence of our contractors, and the Construction Development Board (CDB) is responsible for the issuance of license and certificates to the contractors. We have to make our contractors liable. We have signed the memorandum of understanding so that we can fix some responsibility or accountability if they have some negligence,” said Phub Rinzin, the Director for CDB.
Shortage of human resources is one of the main challenges faced by CDB today. A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the CDB and the Labour Ministry to enforce and implement regulations in Occupational Health and Safety at construction project sites. The MoU will also inculcate Large and Medium Construction Firms to institute Safety Officers/Representatives and Safety Committees in the structures of their organization.
“The recent action we are going to take is, when the contractors register with the CDB, we have some prerequisite for the contractors to qualify as a large contractor or a medium contractor. We are going to make it mandatory for contractors to appoint safety officer and they also need to form a safety committee at their worksite,” the CDB Director added.
According to the CDB, the CDB encourages and facilitates the effective use of best practices and enhance the quality of constructions. The CDB also believes that safety at construction sites is a collective responsibility.
Tshering Dendup
