As part of the month-long campaign to ensure healthy and safe working conditions at construction sites located within our district, the district mobile group conducted a monitoring of working conditions and compliance with labor protection legislation requirements.
As part of the month-long campaign to ensure healthy and safe working conditions at construction sites located within our district, the district mobile group conducted a monitoring of working conditions and compliance with labor protection legislation requirements.
The objective of the campaign is the prevention of occupational injuries, as well as the elimination of violations of labor protection legislation requirements. Construction work is associated with increased danger, especially when builders have to perform their duties at height. According to specialists, under such conditions, individuals must strictly adhere to special safety requirements.
First, the mobile group members visited the construction site of the "Children's Rehabilitation and Health Center 'Zhemchuzhina'" in the village of Borovka, Lepel district. The dormitory building is designed for 166 beds. The general contractor is the state enterprise "Chashnikskaya PMK-71". The visit, as usual, took place early in the morning when workers were just starting their duties.
Upon entering the site, the members of the raid group immediately noticed a number of violations. Workers on the construction site were working without protective helmets, which is strictly prohibited. Two truck cranes with non-factory-made platforms (cages) were used to lift workers to height.
It was also evident that the construction site was not kept clean and tidy. Household and construction waste was found near and under the temporary accommodation units. The situation inside was no better: dust, dirt, and household waste were on the floors and furniture. No handwashing facilities were observed.
A portable wooden ladder that did not meet safety requirements also "impressed" the inspectors. Temporary electrical networks were laid along the ground.
Certain concerns were raised regarding fire safety. For instance, smoking was permitted on the premises outside of specially designated areas. Additionally, specialists noted that facade insulation work was carried out in violation of the work execution project. Occupational safety and health monitoring was conducted in breach of current regulatory legal act requirements.
Subsequently, members of the mobile group visited the construction site "Capital Repair of Residential Building No. 18 in Borovka village," where employees of the contractor enterprise KUPP "Borovka" were working. Here too, violations were found. A number of remarks were made regarding occupational safety and health. Specifically, workers on the construction site were not wearing protective helmets. It was also found that they had not been familiarised with the work execution project and signed off on it.
Scaffolding was being operated in violation of safety requirements.
At first glance, the impression was that the site was clean. However, as soon as they moved to the other side, everyone's opinion changed. Near the sanitary and domestic facilities and the residential building undergoing reconstruction, there were veritable dumps of construction waste, scrap metal, domestic and construction debris, and workers were smoking in unassigned areas.
The mobile sanitary and domestic facilities were in considerable disarray, with dust and domestic waste everywhere. They were also not equipped with hand-washing facilities. Temporary electrical networks were laid along the ground.
Nearby is another construction site, "60-Apartment Panel Residential Building in Borovka village, Lepel district," with OAO "Trest No. 16, Novopolotsk" as the general contractor.
Soon, new residents will move into the spacious apartments, but for now, builders are working here. Here too, the construction site territory is not maintained in a clean and orderly manner. Near and under the sanitary and domestic facilities, there is domestic waste. The same situation prevails within the facilities themselves. Workers are smoking in unassigned, special areas.
A nearly identical situation was observed at the construction site "Restoration of a 19th-century architectural monument for a local history museum on Sovetskaya Street in Lepel," where the general contractor is DKUSP "Lepel PMK-75." Significant remarks from the mobile group members included violations such as working without safety helmets, poor sanitation in mobile sanitary facilities, and the absence of handwashing facilities in the temporary accommodation units. Furthermore, temporary electrical networks were laid on the ground, and a portable wooden ladder not meeting safety requirements was in use on the construction site.
Work is in full swing at the construction site "Construction of a supermarket in Lepel on Chuykov Street," with LLC "Yulash" as the contractor.
Household and construction waste was found near the temporary accommodation units and around the construction site. Inside the sanitary facilities, there was dust, dirt, household waste, and no handwashing facilities. No personal protective equipment was observed on the construction crew members.
It should be noted that all identified shortcomings and negative facts pose a threat to the health and life of the workers.
For reference. In the Vitebsk region, thanks to the prevention of occupational injuries, over the nine months of the current year, compared to the same period in 2018, the number of fatalities and injuries among workers in construction organizations of communal ownership has decreased due to employers' failure to ensure workplace safety. Additionally, for several years, the Vitebsk region has maintained the lowest rate of occupational diseases in Belarus.
