Africa-Press – Mauritius. A one-day workshop on ‘Health and Safety Regulations, Hazard Identification and Risk Management on Construction Sites’ opened, this morning, at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis.
The Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram; the Chairperson of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Council, Mr Tarkaswar Cowaloosur; the Officer-in-Charge of the CIDB, Mr Trilock Bhunjun; and other personalities, were present. The event was organised by the CIDB for construction and building workers from both the private and public sectors.
The objectives were to raise awareness on the health and safety measures that should be implemented to reduce work-related accidents in the construction industry, and to impart best practices so that the participants would carry out risk assessment in a systematic manner as well as identify and evaluate workplace hazards on construction sites.
Participants were thus given an overview of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 2005 and the risk assessment and regulations related to construction.
Other subjects discussed during the workshop comprised hazards identification and classification on construction sites, human factors leading to accidents, risk management, and risk control strategies on construction sites.
In his address for the occasion, the National Infrastructure Minister stressed the importance of health and safety on construction sites as the country was presently engaged in multiple significant infrastructure projects.
He pointed out that not complying with health and safety regulations might result in physical injuries, disabilities and even fatalities. “One injury on a construction site is one too many,” he affirmed.
According to Mr Hurreeram, the most effective way of preventing accidents on construction sites was through site discipline among workers. He thus encouraged them to respect the dos and don’ts to minimise risks in the workplace.
The upcoming Construction Industry Authority Bill was also mentioned by the Minister. He stated that the Bill would enable the establishment of an apex body, by merging the CIDB and the Building Control Advisory Council, that would oversee the construction sector.
Mr Hurreeram was of the view that this initiative would, among others, contribute to strengthen safety regulations on construction sites. For his part, the Officer-in-Charge of the CIDB talked of the responsibilities and activities of the Board, including the registration of consultants, contractors, service providers, and suppliers of construction materials.
He listed too the measures implemented to enable small contractors to secure projects. The improvement of the quality of service provided by the CIDB was highlighted by Mr Trilock Bhunjun as well. He mentioned the introduction of the Quality Management System and the electronic platform for registration purposes.
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