International Vision Zero Conference on Construction Safety

An International Vision Zero Conference on Construction Safety was organised on February 8, 2023, by CoERS, IIT Madras in association with the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Government of India and Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (DGUV) – the German Social Accident Insurance, to reduce injuries and fatalities on construction sites in India. The conference’s objectives included sharing global best practices and understanding different approaches towards Vision Zero.

Overview

Smt Michaela Küchler, Honourable Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of India, Chennai, and Prof Venkatesh Balasubramanian, Head, CoERS, inaugurated the conference. 

The conference explored aspects such as digitisation to reduce construction accidents, personnel protection equipment to minimise onsite accidents during construction, and presenting a case study from India on risk prevention and communication. 

The delegates from Germany, including Prof Karl-Heinz Noetel, President of ISSA Construction, Germany; Dr Sven Timm, Vice President of IISA Information; Director of Central Prevention Division, DGUV, Germany; Petra Jackisch, Secretary General ISSA Construction, Department DGUV Cooperation, Head of International Affairs, BG BAU, Germany, Dr Mark Füllemann, Founder/Director Practice & Experience Ltd, Switzerland and Dr Ursula Schies, Department DGUV Cooperation, Head of PF+, BG BAU, Germany, anchored the session. 

The second half of the conference explored aspects such as the incumbent national standards employed in India on construction safety, best practices on operational safety and health on construction sites, hazards and risks on Indian construction sites, and scaffold safety.The delegates from India included Shri G P Nijalingappa, Deputy Director General, DGFASLI; Dr K N Sen, Head EHS, L&T Construction Minerals and Materials; Shri V Janardhanam, Deputy Chief Safety Expert, NKAB, Chennai, and Shri V Subbarao, GM, CMS Risk Services, anchored the session. 

The key takeaways from the workshop: 

• Being home to a vast unorganised sector, India must build awareness amongst the labourers and train them to follow safety strategies. 

• The Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions Code 2020 replaced The Factories Act of 1948 and its significance. 

• The new Code has also considered the scope for using technology such as robotic systems to set up safety on labour sites. 

• The role of the government in creating training modules for workers, amongst other initiatives, is to establish safety systems. 

Click here for the detailed agenda and registration link