Australian ambassador to Cambodia Pablo Kang hands the new book of regulations to land management minister Chea Sophara on May 24. CHEA SOPHARA VIA FACEBOOK
In recent years, several tragic construction site tragedies have occurred in Cambodia. To address the dangers and safety of worksites, the Australian embassy and the Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction have jointly come up with a set of guidelines on Construction Workplace Health and Safety (WHS).
The guidelines, to be distributed to construction and architecture companies, and other relevant stakeholders in the construction sector, are focused on avoiding dangers at construction sites, and health and safety of workers.
According to a joint statement, the guidelines have three volumes, covering WHS responsibilities, the use of personal protective equipment, first aid and the protection of children and young workers.
They provide additional protection for female construction workers, including procedures for recognising and addressing gender-based violence and harassment at construction sites.
The guidelines, developed with support from Australia’s flagship A51.7 million programme called “Investing in Infrastructure”, will be shared during workshops in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Mondulkiri’s Sen Monorom town in June.
Over 500 participants, including ministry staff, construction companies and other stakeholders will review and discuss the WHS requirements during the workshops.
“The approved construction WHS guidelines will become an integral component of Cambodia’s Construction Law and are both timely and essential for Cambodia’s growing construction industry,” said the press statement.
Australian ambassador to Cambodia Pablo Kang expressed satisfaction over the May 24 launch of the guidelines, which he said is an “important” step to improving the health and safety of Cambodians in the construction sector.
“Apart from focussing on safety on construction sites, the guidelines also cover important issues like public safety and Covid-19 mitigation measures,” he added.
In a tweet, Kang noted that the recent tragic event in Sihanoukville, where four workers died in an elevator that plunged 15 storeys in a construction site, has shown that implementation of the guidelines was a “key next step”.
According to the land management ministry, over 57,000 construction permits have been issued across Cambodia in the last 20 years, with an estimated investment of $66 billion and an average employment of 150,000 workers a day.
“Such a rapid pace of construction and urban growth requires the development and implementation of formal standards in construction quality, structural design and workplace safety,” the statement said.
Minister Chea Sophara reminded that construction is one of the four main pillars for Cambodia’s economy apart from tourism, agriculture and industry.
Therefore, it is important to have the construction guidelines for workplace health and safety to help minimise risks and ensure improved safety at construction sites and surrounding areas.
“I highly encourage investors, employers, employees and relevant [stakeholders] to pay close attention to the guidelines, educate their people and effectively implement the guidelines at their construction sites,” Sophara was quoted as saying.
Cambodia has experienced tragic construction site accidents in the past few years including the death of seven people and the injury of 18 people in Kep province when a six-storey building they were working in collapsed in January 2020.
In June 2019, 25 people died when the top floors of a building under construction in Sihanoukville gave way and fell on them while they were sleeping.
