R055 - Co-operation in Accident Prevention (Building) Recommendation, 1937

 [Replaced / Superseded by the Safety and Health in Construction Recommendation, 1988 (No. 175)]

Preamble

The General Conference of the International Labour Organisation,

Having been convened at Geneva by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and having met in its Twenty-third Session on 3 June 1937, and

Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to co-operation in accident prevention in the building industry, which is included in the first item on the agenda of the Session, and

Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of a Recommendation,

adopts this twenty-third day of June of the year one thousand nine hundred thirty-seven, the following Recommendation, which may be cited as the Co-operation in Accident Prevention (Building) Recommendation, 1937:

Whereas it is considered that in addition to the Safety Provisions (Building) Convention, 1937, the Safety Provisions (Building) Recommendation, 1937, the Inspection (Building) Recommendation, 1937, and the Prevention of Industrial Accidents Recommendation, 1929, it is desirable to make a specific recommendation concerning the prevention of accidents in the building industry by means of safety organisations;

The Conference recommends that each Member of the International Labour Organisation should take the following principles and rules into consideration in connection with accident prevention in the building industry:

1. 1. There should be established safety organisations within the industry to secure the collaboration of all concerned in effecting a reduction in the number and severity of accidents with particular regard to accident risks for which there are no statutory requirements.
2. 2. In order to render this collaboration effective there should be set up within each undertaking, where it is possible, a special safety organisation including representatives of the employer and the persons employed.
3. 3. It would also be desirable to have direct collaboration between the competent inspector, the employer and the representatives of the persons employed in the undertaking in the form and within the limits fixed by the inspection authority.
4. 4. Safety propaganda in the building industry would be more effective if there were constant co-operation between the inspection authority and all the organisations concerned: safety organisations (joint or separate) of employers and workers; trade unions and employers' associations; associations of architects or engineers; standards associations, etc.; accident insurance institutions (public, semi-official or private).
5. 5.
   • (1) Periodical meetings should be held by representatives of the organisations mentioned in the preceding paragraph and representatives of the inspection authority, together with representatives of any other public bodies concerned.
   • (2) The purpose of such meetings should be to examine jointly the methods that might be taken to improve accident prevention in the building industry.
6. 6. The inspection authority should promote accident prevention by collaborating with all parties concerned in the necessary propaganda, which might take such forms as safety education by training courses, demonstrations, meetings, lectures and films; the distribution of manuals, pamphlets, magazines or publications reproducing or analysing accident statistics; and the distribution of posters and notices which should as far as possible be illustrated.