What is the solution for safety in construction?

(Baonghean) - Tightening safety in construction projects, but not causing difficulties for investors, is a "problem" that requires coordination and increased responsibility of related parties to find the "answer" together.

Walking around Vinh city, it is easy to see many new and spacious constructions, mixed with many constructions still under construction. The investment of many enterprises in construction works has made the face of Vinh city increasingly change, contributing positively to the socio-economic development of the province.

However, the situation of safety violations in construction activities tends to increase, typically the tower crane collapse incident in Vinh City, causing damage to people and property... In response to this situation, the Provincial People's Committee issued Directive No. 18/CT-UBND, on strengthening the management of construction order, ensuring safety in construction works in Nghe An province.

A construction tower crane extends over Le Hong Phong Street (Vinh City), posing many potential risks of accidents.

As a locality with many high-rise building construction projects under construction, Mr. Le Sy Chien - Vice Chairman of Vinh City People's Committee, said: The issuance of Directive 18 is very necessary to strengthen management, restore order and discipline in construction investment, rectify unsafe situations and prevent the possibility of incidents during construction, ensuring the safety of people and property of the people, workers and project investors themselves.

Implementing Directive 18 of the Provincial People's Committee, Vinh City People's Committee has directed the city's functional agencies to organize inspections and reviews of construction works, especially tower cranes being installed and constructed in the city. Through inspection, Vinh City currently has 23 tower cranes of 21 investors installed to serve construction in 10 wards and communes.

Of these 21 tower cranes, 17 tower cranes extended beyond the project's land area, reaching into the roads and houses of the residential area. The city's Urban Order Management Team has drawn up a record, and the city's Urban Management Department has issued a decision to suspend the construction of 17 tower cranes that are causing unsafety to the residential area and nearby public areas.

Immediately after receiving the decision to suspend construction, many project investors reported that the suspension of construction had caused many difficulties for businesses such as: prolonged construction progress, damaged materials, and increased bank loan interest rates.

At the end of the year, near Tet, the suspension of 17 projects with nearly 2,000 officials and workers without jobs will cause economic damage to businesses...

In fact, although the Vinh City authorities have conducted inspections and issued decisions to suspend construction, many projects using tower cranes that pose a risk to the safety of residential areas and nearby public areas are still operating openly under the pretext of “ensuring progress”.

In these places, giant blocks of steel and concrete still hover, rotating over the heads of passersby and even into residential areas.

Mr. Tran Anh Son - Vice Chairman and General Secretary of Nghe An Outstanding Business Association, representing the businesses, said: Recently, in our province, construction safety management has not received due attention, so the case of a tower crane collapsing and killing someone is extremely regrettable.

The issuance of Directive 18 by the People's Committee of Nghe An province to tighten safety management in construction, which emphasizes the need to rectify the use of tower cranes in high-rise construction projects, is correct. However, the need to rectify and replace tower cranes within 10 days is difficult to achieve. We suggest that the People's Committee of the province and localities reconsider the deadline for enterprises to convert equipment to ensure construction progress; in addition, enterprises also need to enhance their responsibility to the community, ensuring the harmony of interests of all parties.

Discussing this issue, Mr. Chu Tu Duong - representative of TECCO Central region said: It is necessary to tighten the reach of tower cranes appropriately to ensure safety for people and create favorable conditions for businesses.

Because, if the company is suspended or forced to replace tower cranes at unfinished construction projects within a short period of time, it will cause difficulties and economic losses for investors.

Tower cranes for construction work extend out to Le Loi Street - Vinh City.

To ensure safety for people and create conditions for businesses to find suitable construction solutions, on the afternoon of December 15, 2016, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong chaired a dialogue with businesses and investors on the implementation of Directive No. 18/CT-UBND.

At the dialogue, representatives of relevant departments, sectors, localities and enterprises all acknowledged: In the past, the management of construction safety at construction sites has not been strict; labor safety has not been focused on. Strict implementation of Directive 18 of the Provincial People's Committee is necessary; local authorities and enterprises need to inspect and consider each project specifically, to come up with appropriate solutions, both ensuring safety and reducing losses for enterprises.

After listening to the opinions of the relevant parties, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee concluded: Functional sectors, localities, and enterprises need to strictly implement Directive 18 and regulations on labor safety according to the law; ensure safety for people and create business development; consider each specific case, if any project is unsafe during construction, it must not be implemented.

The direction of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee at the dialogue session has "untied" the "bottleneck", creating conditions for localities, functional sectors and enterprises to coordinate and effectively implement Directive 18. To restore discipline and ensure safety in construction works in the province, localities and functional sectors, such as the Department of Construction, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Police... must properly perform their roles and functions, promote inspection, timely detect and strictly handle violations of construction order and labor safety in construction in the area in accordance with the provisions of Decree No. 180/2007/ND-CP dated December 7, 2007 of the Government on guiding the implementation of a number of articles of the Construction Law on handling violations of construction order and current related legal regulations... and investors and enterprises must keep their commitments, do not ignore them for immediate profits. Construction safety regulations to avoid "double loss" when accidents occur.

Duc Dung