Construction industry to get new health and safety code

Thursday 21 August 2014

Jersey’s construction industry is to get a new health and safety code of practice next year after calls for clarification.

The industry accounts for 30% of all work related accidents and ill health reported to Social Security each year – the highest amount for any sector in the island.

A new consultation paper details proposed changes and as part of the formal process, the government has invited construction companies to offer their views.

Colin Myers, Health and Safety Inspector, said: “The industry has called for the regulations to be updated. Current laws date back to the 1970s and need updating to be in line with modern construction management practices.

“The old regulations are very prescriptive as they emphasise specifics which aren’t all necessarily relevant today. The new regulations will place more emphasis on assessing the competences of people, and identifying risks so they can put measures in place to control them.”

The Code of Practice will apply to all commercial construction projects, with additional requirements for major projects which are defined as those lasting longer than 30 working days or involving more than 500 person days of construction work.

Mr Myers said: “The construction industry is already doing many of the things the consultation paper is proposing. The paper just sets it out with more details to make things clearer.

“There will be health and safety measures which some smaller construction companies don’t do at the moment, and some companies may complain that the regulations will make projects take longer or cost more money. However, they are things they should be doing already.

“This will make some of these companies step up to the mark and will help create a level playing field between the companies who are doing things correctly and those who are not.”

The proposed Approved Code of Practice for Managing Health and Safety in Construction identifies how those with responsibility under Part 2 of the Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law, 1989, can meet the legal duties placed on them under Part 2 of the Law.

Mr Myers said: “The industry has a significant number of accidents which we know could be prevented and we regularly identify issues which could be prevented. Over the years the construction industry accounts for about 30% of all accidents and ill health reported to Social Security. However, it’s the individuals who get hurt and who suffer the ill health.

“It’s a challenging area because construction sites are not static like offices. They change all the time so require a higher degree of management to minimize the risks.”

The draft ACoP can be downloaded from the website www.gov.je/consultations and comments should be sent to the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate before 19 September.