Warbud News

No matter how hard we compete with one another to win contracts and clients, there is one thing which for many years has been uniting the construction companies operating in Poland. That thing is safety. The construction industry in Poland has for many years been the leader of accident statistics. That is why general contractors have decided to act together. We have just started our biggest common initiative named the Safety Week which will last from May 8 to 14.

According to data presented by the Central Statistical Office, for many years industrial processing and construction are the leaders in accident statistics. The construction industry, which is traditionally regarded as to be the most dangerous industry, there were almost 5.5 thousand accidents including 51 fatal accidents. The data shows that the number of accidents has unfortunately increased in comparison with the previous year. It still means that one out of five fatal accidents at work in Poland took place on a construction site.

The Safety Week

In order to revert those alarming statistics, in 2010 the largest Polish general contractors set up an association named Agreement on Construction Safety. At present it gathers 12 firms who are the safety leaders in their industry: Budimex, Erbud, Hochtief Polska, Karmar, Mostostal Warszawa, Mota-Engil, Polimex-Mostostal, PORR Polska Infrastructure, Skanska, Strabag, Unibep and Warbud.

- 'Safety Week is a big celebration for the construction companies in Poland. Tens of thousands of employees of our own firms and our subcontractors will take part in int all around Poland. The slogan for this year's edition of the Week is Safety - Pass it on!' said Mr Michał Wasilewski, Coordinator of the Agreement on Construction Safety. 'During those seven days employees will participate in hundreds of trainings and presentations.' Most popular are presentations of protective equipment, drills with the participation of the State Fire Service and the Police as well as workshops organised by the State Labour Inspection. Investors and administrators of the erected buildings also actively participate in the events. It is a perfect opportunity to organise workshops and field exercises.

The Safety Week has been organised by the companies forming the Agreement for the fourth time now. As in every year, it contains a number of various activities. The most interesting include presentations with the participation of the State Fire Service or presentation of how to safely work at a height. There will also be first aid trainings, blood donation points, health consultations and a number of other activities.

Agreement on Construction Safety

The twelve construction firms constituting the Agreement on Construction Safety have implemented a number of organisational solutions in the field of occupational safety which are obligatory for all the members. Such solutions include among others "Minimum standards for subcontractors", an "Appendix to subcontracts regarding OHS", guidelines for Methods of Work, periodic trainings for employees, the obligation to use safety goggles on every construction site as well as the Safety Week - the largest common initiative for safety of work in the Polish market.

The newest project of the Agreement, which is being implemented in cooperation with Polish Social Insurance Agency ZUS, is the provision of free of charge periodic OHS trainings for small and medium sized construction companies operating in Poland. The trainings, which lasted from September to November 2016, were prepared on the basis of the shared experiences of the general contractors - members of the Agreement. The training curriculum was tailored to the needs of the construction industry and the topics cover linear works and construction of enclosed structures. The sessions were fully financed by ZUS from its accident prevention funds.

The operation of the Agreement is supported by the State Labour Inspection, Polish Association of Building Engineers and Technicians, "Budowlani" Trade Union, Polish Association of Construction Industry Employers and the Polish Chamber of Construction Engineers. The Agreement is open to new members from the construction industry who want to have their contribution in increasing safety levels in construction. Warbud has been presiding the Agreement since 2016 in a 2-year term.