Abstract

Today factors like international competition, the demographic change, the proceeding structural change and the growing density of information determine everyone’s lives. At the same time, due to these factors the economy, the society as well as organisations dealing with OSH like the International Social Security Association are facing major challenges worldwide in the field of the prevention of occupational diseases and injuries

Considering health as being the highest good of man, the primary focus should be on maintaining human health by all possible means. A reliable method for maintaining human health is to invest in the prevention of health hazards. At the same time investing in prevention helps to avoid much higher costs caused by occupational accidents, occupational diseases, and lost working time, and can also be regarded as a key competitive factor. Thus, prevention contributes to sustainable economic success of the companies as well as the preservation of employability of people.

The fatality rate in the field of construction is still higher than that in other industries. With its prevention strategy ‘Vision Zero’ ISSA Construction – by using appropriate preventive measures – seeks to create a working environment where no individual is injured or killed at work nor suffers from serious injuries or occupational diseases To achieve this, ISSA Construction sets seven Golden Rules and describes measures which contribute to meeting the named objectives. ISSA Construction already works together with ISSA Mining to achieve these objectives. The future ambitions to work together with all other ISSA sections on ‘Vision Zero’, thus paving the way to work together worldwide and across all sectors on a work environment with zero risk to get injured at work.

The Seven Golden Rules for ‘Vision Zero’ are the following:

Rule 1: Take leadership commitment by setting safety always as the number one priority on every agenda, by serving as a model for OSH matters, by reacting instantly to unsafe conditions and behaviour.

Rule 2: Identify hazards and risks by a systematic risk assessment, including maintenance and repairs, evaluating work accidents, diseases and near misses.

Rule 3: Set targets for safety by defining your own OSH targets, evaluating progress and adapt them if necessary, designing prevention campaigns.

Rule 4: Ensure a safe system by increasing the responsibility of all managers, implementing a safety management system.

Rule 5: Use safe and healthy technology by taking account of OSH when ordering new machinery or plant, using all machines in a safe way and checking safety installations regularly, providing safe access and egress.

Rule 6: Improve qualification by educating – because competence needs education –, by defining the required qualification for each workplace, and by setting up a plan for training and instruction.

Rule 7: Invest in people by involving your employees, using your employee’s ideas about how to safety, acknowledging good safety performance, developing confidence and a culture of prevention.