1st Preoperatory Meeting Safety Health Wellness with Social Security for Construction workers engaged in Small Stand Alone Construction Sites/Individual Buildings. (Through VC)

Following Attended the Meeting:-

1. Mr.Partha Pratim  Mitra, Former Senior LEA to the Ministry of Labour & IGFP Board Esteemed Member.

2.Dr Ashok Sahu, IES(Retd.), Former SG, NHRC, New Delhi

3. Mr.Deena Dayalu 

4.Mr.Jeet Singh Mann NLU Delhi

5. Mr. N P Samy of Confederation of Construction Workers @ Bangalore

6. Mr. Manjunath Gangadhara Add LC Karnataka 

7.Mr. David Dhanashekar Karnataka Construction Union

8.Dr. K N Sen, L&T

9. Mr. S Das, RD ESIC Govt of Odisha 

10.Mr. B K Sahu, Director IGFP

11. Mr. Sanjay Nanda NASH Marketing & Consultancy

Concept Note with Flow Chart as prepared by Dr K N Sen of L & T @ Kolkata was circulated to All Concerned as Background Paper.

Takeaways:-

1.How  stand alone  Construction workers who form almost 70 % of total Construction workers in States/Indiaworker can be covered with safety, health , personal protective equipment. & Social Security is the Focus of Toda”s Deliberations

2.Karnataka model of registration for stand alone Construction level workers  as per Provisions of BoCW Board Karntaka can be replicated in other BOCW Boards of States for which Dr Manjunath will send the Model. Even Odisha Model to the effect could be tried.

It is Concern as brought out by Dr Manjunath that in majority of Accident cases, it i Migrant workers from other states who are the Victims- To be Noted for N/A by Implementing Authorities of States., if necessary by Amending BOCW Act .

3.A strong campaign (Including print & electronic media) needs to be carried out by State BoCW Boards with Help of Institutions like Resident welfare Associations/ TUs/NGOs to bring awareness among the Stand alone Construction workers Registration & Safety Health and Social Security Welfare Measures by Govt of India Welfare Schemes ( ESI/EPFO ect ) as well as of State BOCW Boards

4. Modalities for involving TUs/NGOs like RWAs ect need to be worked out by BOCW Board of States to Reach such Stand Alone Construction Workers.

5. Mr Partha Mitra is requested to prepare A Note containing above Takeaways for taking Next Step like Holding State/National Level Workshops after General Election with Coordination of MOL/ State BOCW like Karnataka/Odisha

Few Key Points:-How to identify them How to Reach themHow to Awareness training themHow to Capacity Building by giving them PPE/ Registration in Healthcare Pension Schemes of Govt of India or State government like that of Odisha which is simple direct in getting timely benefit Raising A Corpus Fund with Dedicated Team to Implement aboveFew such issues we can discuss in today’s 1st Preparatory meeting 1230 AM IST

Concept Note

Scheme for Skill Development and training & provision of Safety Equipment From Directive Principles of Constitution of India to several legislations on OSH have been enacted to ensure safety, health and wellbeing of employees through detailed provisions on safer and healthier workplaces. This is more relevant for an industry like construction which is a major employment provider and witnesses large number of incidents/accidents every year.

With the fatal accidents rate of 4 to 5 times of manufacturing sector, construction poses serious OSH risk to the construction workers. It can be attributed to unorganised nature, absence of standard health and safety systems, unskilled labour, lack of OSH awareness, absence of PPE, lack of exposure/knowledge to the global best practices etc. Common
features of construction work across India, seems lack of basic training / awareness on safety and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). This keeps workers exposed to higher level of risks at workplaces.

Safety awareness, skill-based safety training and overall development of competency are essential to improve safety and health status these workers. Hence it is necessary to intervene and facilitate suitable health and safety training/awareness to all these vulnerable workers and also provide basic PPEs to safeguard them from high risks at the construction sites.

As per Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Cess Act, 1996, Building & Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Boards are formed under the provisions of Section 3(1) and
3(3) of BOCW Act, 1996. The “Cess Act” implementing welfare schemes benefiting construction workers through “Workers’ Welfare Board” set up by the respective States.

As part of the same skill development and PPE requirements of workers can also be taken
forward as a welfare scheme by the respective State and Union Territory worker welfare
boards.

How these services can be delivered:

• The NGO approaches respective State Building & Other Construction Workers’
  Welfare Board with the proposal. (Annexure 1)
• It arrives at a cost estimates of each service like skill-based OSH training and
• providing PPE
• The NGO surveys the local/targeted projects (Preferably Government Projects) for
• identifying improvement areas (Training and/or PPE requirement)
• Determining the number of registered workers as well as facilitating eligibility
• (Registering eligible workers)
• Arranging the delivery of services in co-ordination with Worker/Labour welfare boar (Annexure 1 & 2)