Site coordination

The law on the coordination of safety and health protection measures during construction work (Construction Work Coordination Act, BauKG) serves in particular to improve the safety and health protection of workers on construction sites. It is applicable to construction sites on which workers of different employers are employed simultaneously or consecutively.

Construction work within the meaning of the Construction Site Coordination Act includes:

• Excavation; earthwork;
• Construction work in the narrower sense;
• Establishment and dismantling of prefabricated building elements;
• Furnishing or fitting out;
• Conversion; renovation; repair; refurbishment, maintenance work Maintenance, painting and cleaning work;
• Dismantling and demolition work;

The client takes into account in the planning and execution of a construction project, the general principles for the prevention of hazards to health and safety in accordance with the Labor Code the relevant regulations. He may delegate for this tasks to a planning and construction site coordinator.

For construction sites where the expected duration of the work is more than 30 working days and where more than 20 workers are employed at the same time; or where the expected scope of the work exceeds 500 person-days, an advance notice shall be submitted to the Office of National Economy. The advance notice shall be provided prior to the commencement of construction.

The developer shall ensure that a safety and health plan is prepared prior to the opening of any construction site for which advance notice is required or for which particularly hazardous work will be performed.

Specially hazardous work includes:

• Work in which workers are exposed to the risk of being buried, sinking or falling, which is increased by the nature of the work, the procedures used or the environmental conditions at the workplace or construction site;
• Work in which workers are exposed to chemical or biological agents that either pose a special risk to worker safety and health or for which health surveillance is required by law;
• Working with ionizing radiation;
• Working near high-voltage power lines or gas pipelines;
• Working where there is a risk of drowning;
• Well construction, underground earthworks and tunneling;
• Working with diving equipment or pressure chambers;
• Work involving the use of explosives;
• Establishment or dismantling of heavy prefabricated elements;

Planning and Site Coordinator

The Ordinance to the Construction Work Coordination Act (Construction Work Coordination Ordinance, BauKV) regulates the professional requirements for the planning and construction site coordinator. The Office of Economic Affairs maintains a public register of all natural and legal persons who work as planning or construction site coordinators on large construction projects.

EU guide to construction site coordination

• Part 1 gives a brief overview of European and international provisions on health and safety, as well as a summary of the activities of the social partners at European level in this area.
• Part 2 shows some successful practices to prevent accidents on construction sites. It is complemented by basic information on the occurrence of accidents and diseases in the sector.
• Part 3 includes photographs illustrating the practices of Part 2 and taking into account the specificities of different construction methods and techniques throughout Europe.