Europeís social partners first to sign up to ëBuilding in Safetyí campaign charter

Europeís social partners in the construction industry, FIEC and EFBWW, representing over 80 unions and federations across the continent, have signed the new ëBuilding in Safetyí campaign charter, launched by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

The campaign charter, which is part of the Agencyís 2004 European Week on Safety and Health at Work (18-22 October 2004), aimed this year at construction work, commits signatories to contribute to the campaign and to improve safety and health standards in the sector via training, information and other initiatives. In return for their commitment, signatories will receive a ëbuilding in safetyí certificate from the Agency.

Both European Social Partners - the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) and the Federation of European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) - were the first to sign the charter at the official launch of the Agencyís European Week in Dublin on 30 April 2004. The FIEC currently represents 32 national federation members in 25 countries, while the EFBWW has 50 affiliated unions in 17 countries, representing over 2 million workers.

Peter Andrews, the FIEC Vice President responsible for social affairs says: ìFor us, the key objective is to ensure that this campaign reaches the widest possible audience. This new charter is an important means of increasing individual commitment to health and safety initiatives on-site and we see this as a continued part of our efforts to achieve real progress across the European construction industryî.

Harrie Beijen, General Secretary of the EFBWW, comments: ìThe life and health of every construction worker can be better protected by joint efforts of all parties concerned; governments, clients, architects, engineers, contractors and workers. We can learn from one another and set specific benchmarks for specific problems. If this European campaign can encourage this then we have already won a lotî.

ìHaving FIEC and EFBWW as the first signatories to our campaign charter not only demonstrates their strong commitment to raising safety and health standards in construction but will also encourage others to follow their lead,î adds Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, Director of the Agency. ìOur common goal is to reduce the appalling human and economic costs of occupational accidents and ill-health in construction, so we need everyone with a stake in the industry, from building firms to architects and engineers, to get involved and to sign up.î

To sign the online charter, and for further information about the Agencyís 2004 European Week, visit: http://ew2004.osha.eu.int. Registration takes just five minutes. The web site also provides information on how to improve safety and health standards, including good practice examples and related links.