General duties

• Pages: 5-9

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2. General duties

2.1. General duties of competent authorities

2.1.1. The competent authorities should, on the basis of an assessment of the

safety and health hazards involved and in consultation with the most representative

organisation of employers and workers, adopt and maintain in force national laws or

regulations to ensure the safety and health of workers employed in construction projects

and to protect persons at, or in the vicinity of, a construction site from all risks which

may arise from such site.

2.1.2. The national laws and regulations adopted in pursuance of paragraph 2.1.1

above should provide for their practical application through technical standards or codes

of practice, or by other appropriate methods consistent with national conditions and

practices.

2.1.3. In giving effect to paragraphs 2.1.1 and 2.1.2 above, each competent

authority should have due regard to the relevant standards adopted by recognised

international organisations in the field of standardisation.

2.1.4. The competent authority should provide appropriate inspection services to

enforce or administer the application of the provisions of the national laws and

regulations and provide these services with the resources necessary for the

accomplishment of their task, or satisfy itself that appropriate inspection is carried out.

2.1.5. The measures to be taken to ensure that there is organised co-operation

between employers and workers to promote safety and health at construction sites

should be prescribed by national laws or regulations or by the competent authority. Such

measures should include:

(a) the establishment of safety and health committees representative of employers and

workers with such powers and duties as may be prescribed;

(b) the election or appointment of workers' safety delegates with such powers and

duties as may be prescribed;

(c) the appointment by the employer of suitably qualified and experienced persons to

promote safety and health;

(d) the training of safety delegates and safety and health committee members.

2.1.6. National laws or regulations should provide for the notification by the

client to the competent authority of construction sites of such size, duration or

characteristics in accordance with such time schedule as may be prescribed.

2.1.7. National laws or regulations should provide for general duties of clients,

designers, engineers and architects to take into consideration the safety and health

aspects in the designing of buildings, structures or construction projects.