Ministry of National Planning and Infrastructure has begun implementing the newly amended construction safety protocol, on Wednesday.
The aim of the amendment was to establish a minimum safety standard across the construction industry. Furthermore, the regulation established penalties for companies violating the new code.
Regulations also dictated that a safety handbook must be formulated for projects that cost over MVR 1,500,000 to construct. Additionally, the regulation declared that safety gear such as belts, helmets, gloves, boots and welding masks must be provided for construction workers in a matter of months after the regulation is ratified.
It is also mandated to appoint a site inspector for all construction sites and that workers must be medically insured if the project is worth more than MVR 5,000,000.
The regulation also set procedures for matters pertinent to the health and safety of labour workers.
However, the state will begin penalizing the companies in violation with regulations after 90 days from January 30, the date of enforcement.
The Civil Court on January 15, ordered the state to enact 13 out of 14 of the pending regulations, including the Building Code and regulations on safety protocols. The deadline for the safety protocols was the end of January, while the court extended deadlines throughout March for the rest.
There are over a dozen regulations still unimplemented as per the Act which came into effect last year. The court issued the order after looking into a Public Interest Litigation, which was filed jointly by several lawyers after the death of a young girl who was struck by a falling cement bag at a construction site on December 2018.
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