Czech Republic: new health and safety obligations on construction projects
Construction companies and their clients face new obligations from 1 January 2007, now that the Act on Additional Health and Safety Conditions has come into force. It does not apply to construction projects for which the Construction Permit was issued before 1 January 2007.
The new Act implements EU law and also adds further health & safety requirements to those in the New Czech Labor Code (also effective from 1 January). It makes construction companies primarily responsible for the health and safety of their employees, but also requires co-operation from the client (developer). There are additional requirements on construction projects involving more than 500 man days of work or lasting more than 30 working days with at least 20 workers being on site at once for more than one day.
Key changes include requirements for the client on larger construction projects to:
- appoint a qualified person as a “Health & Safety Coordinator” to coordinate situations when employees of more than one contractor are on site at the same time and give them all the information they need to do this
- require the contractors to co-operate with the Coordinator during construction
- notify the Health and Safety Authority at least 8 days before handing over the site to the contractor and also display copy of the notification at the site
- prepare a health and safety plan complying with all legal requirements where extraordinary dangerous works are to be carried out on the site.
Construction companies, Health & Safety Coordinators and individuals participating personally in the construction also face new obligations under the Act.
Law: Act no. 309/2006 Coll., Act on Additional Health and Safety Conditions.
