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Safety Week is taking place for the ninth time, over 23-29 May. This is the largest initiative in Poland aimed at improving safety in domestic construction sites. The action is organised by Agreement for Safety in Construction. So far, the initiative has covered construction sites in 400 different locations in Poland and has reached more than 100,000 construction employees. This year's edition is accompanied by the slogan “Construction is coming to an end. Safety means NEVER!”
The Agreement for Safety in Construction, which was established in 2010, is an association of the leading general construction companies in the Polish market. It now comprises 15 of the largest general contractors in Poland: Budimex, Eiffage, Erbud, Eurovia, Hochtief Polska, Karmar, Mostostal Warszawa, Mota-Engil, NDI, Polimex Mostostal, Porr, Skanska, Strabag, Unibep and Warbud.
The primary objective of the Agreement remains unchanged: zero accidents on construction sites. Other priorities include promoting a safety culture, raising awareness of the dangers of working on site and minimising risks and preventing accidents. The signatories want to achieve this through the implementation of safety standards, including the introduction of systemic solutions in the scope of OHS and educational and training activities. Under the partnership, a safety knowledge sharing platform has been established, allowing for joint analysis of accident incidents. For the past nine years, the agreement has also promoted safe work through its Safety Week, which is aimed at all employees on signatory construction sites as well as subcontractors.
The main topic of this year's Safety Week is safety culture, in a broader context as a process that should include values, particular attitudes, meeting standards, but also educating our environment. This was represented in the slogan accompanying the 9th edition of the campaign “Construction is coming to an end. Safety means NEVER!”.
“Safety Week is the culmination of our year-long efforts. We all work hard to improve standards and safety on construction sites. This requires a change of mindset and new organisational skills because an employee who has an accident can often prevent this type of accident from happening in the first place. Safety on Polish construction sites has evolved considerably in recent years. Everyone is putting a lot of effort into this concept, especially the companies in the Agreement for Safety in Construction, which are implementing common procedures and solutions,” says Michał Wasilewski, Coordinating Director of the Agreement for Safety in Construction.
“Budimex is carrying out activities aimed at our staff during Safety Week. We make our employees aware of their responsibilities, and remind them how to organise construction safely, for them and for our subcontractors. The most important rule on a construction site for any employee is to take care of their safety. We educate our employees and encourage them to organise their work safely. This is our joint responsibility,” says Tomasz Janowiak, Director of the OHS Office at Budimex SA.
“This is the 9th edition of Safety Week under the Agreement for Safety in Construction. We would like to get the attention of our employee, the employees of the investor and our subcontractors that safety is important not only in the workplace, but also outside it. We should also remember about safety during our free time, when we are commuting to work and returning home. We organise a range of activities on our construction sites for our employees as well as our subcontractors. Our employees are most willing to participate in activities that are practice-related. It is practice that makes perfect,” says Monika Misterska–Kowalska, OHS Specialist at Warbud SA.
As in previous years, the action will cover all construction sites of members of the Agreement for Safety in Construction throughout Poland. Safety awareness among employees will be built through lectures, presentations and talks. The “Idea Book” prepared especially for the Safety Week contains suggestions for activities that can be carried out on Agreement Signatories' construction sites. Activities proposed in the field of OHS include training and protection for work at heights, workshops at workplaces to raise awareness of potential hazards, how to eliminate them and how to behave properly at work, as well as gymnastics exercises, tool inspection and first aid training.
A report by the Agreement for Construction Safety shows that within 10 years of this organisation’s activity, the number of people injured in accidents on construction sites in Poland has fallen almost by half, from 8684 to 4743. Today, four times fewer fatal accidents per 100 thousand employees are reported in the construction industry as compared to a decade ago. It is much to the credit of the association of the largest construction companies in Poland, which work to improve occupational safety.
The Agreement for Safety in Construction and Safety Week are supported by key industry bodies: National Labour Inspectorate, Central Institute for Labour Protection – National Research Institute, Social Insurance Institution, Union of Civil Engineers and Technicians, Chamber of Civil Engineers, "Budowlani” Trade Union, Polish Association of Construction Industry Employers, Ogólnopolskie Polish Association of Occupational Health and Safety Service Employees, “Solidarity” – National Secretariat for Construction. The Agreement partners include Polish Association of Special Foundations Contractors, Polish Association of Ready Mixed Concrete Producers and Polish Economic Chamber of Scaffolding.