Standards of occupational safety and health on small construction sites will be reviewed at an international workshop taking place in Vientiane, Lao PDR, from 16-17 December.

The workshop will be attended by more than 50 representatives from Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam, including government officials, experts and academics.

Construction is one of the most hazardous forms of work and in the Asian region many workers are employed on small sites, where injuries, accidents and work-related illnesses frequently exceed those on large construction sites.

Common sources of injury on small sites include falling from heights, back problems from carrying heavy loads, injuries caused by nails, and exposure to heat and dust. Workers often lack welfare, work long, irregular hours and live on-site in poor conditions.

Women and migrants account for many of the workers on these small sites.

In 2003, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conducted a survey of occupational safety and health conditions in small construction sites in the Lao P.D.R., Thailand and Vietnam. The results showed an urgent need to improve workers’ safety and health, both at the national, policy-making level and in the workplace.

With funding from the Korean government the ILO began a programme to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) on small construction sites in five countries. The aim of the workshop is to assess what progress has been made since the ILO/Korea Technical Assistance Programme began two years ago.

The programme is based on the ILO’s tried and tested “Work Improvement in Small Construction Sites” (WISCON) training. Under the programme both supervisors and workers in Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam have received targeted, specially designed training in how to make their working environment safer and healthier.

“Small construction sites are common in all these developing economies. These sites face specific safety and health challenges not found on large construction projects. This training programme has been specifically designed to focus on practical, low-cost, easy-to-implement measures using local materials. After training, participants have produced many concrete improvements in their working conditions,” said Dr. Tsuyoshi Kawakami, ILO Occupational Safety and Health Specialist.

“This workshop is important because discussing and reviewing experiences so far can help us improve our programme and so promote occupational safety and health for many thousands of construction workers,” he added.

Experiences, good practices, discussions and suggestions from the workshop will also contribute to the development of the participating countries’ national OSH programmes. The Lao Government is currently preparing its national OSH programme for 2005-2009.

“The Workshop on Occupational Safety and Health in Small Construction Sites” will be held at the Don Chan Palace Hotel, Vientiane. Organized by the Lao Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, it is financed by the Korean Government.

For more information please contact:
Dr Tsuyoshi Kawakami
Occupational Safety and Health Specialist
Tel: + 662 288 1743
Email

Ms Krisdaporn Singhaseni
Information Officer, ILO
Tel: + 662 288 1664
Email