SLIC construction safety campaign
THE SLIC INSPECTION CAMPAIGN – PREVENTING FALLS FROM HEIGHT
Information campaigns to draw firms’ attention to the risks and solutions are a pre-requisite for success. The Agency’s European week is one example. However, inspection campaigns, such as the one recently conducted by the Commission’s Senior Labour Inspector’s Committee (SLIC), are also valuable tools for heightening awareness and improving compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
SLIC was officially set up in 1995 by Commission Decision 95/319/EC. Its role is to assist the Commission by issuing opinions on Member States' application of Community law on health and safety at work, with a view to ensuring that it is enforced effectively and consistently throughout the European Union. SLIC also gives its opinions on the application of other European legislation which has an impact on health and safety at work.
In 2003, SLIC launched a European construction campaign focused on the prevention of falls from heights. It was the first time that Member States took a truly harmonised approach to inspections.
All Member States agreed to follow the same timetable and run identical information campaigns using the media and the press to raise awareness in the construction industry, the same inspection methods, and addressing a common set of issues.
Initial results from SLIC’s June inspection, when 16,200 building sites were visited, revealed a disturbingly low level of compliance with safety and health regulations, underlining the urgent need for action.
- At 1,510 sites – nearly 10% of all sites visited – work had to be stopped due to serious safety and health breaches. In 189 cases, legal proceedings were instituted.
- 12,051 fines and 32,269 warnings were issued for individual regulatory breaches.
SLIC run a follow-up inspection campaign in 2004.
