The Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) announced in a statement that the city’s new construction safety law was promulgated in the Official Gazette yesterday but will only take effect on November 1, adding that anyone qualified can apply for a construction safety officer (CSO) or safety supervisor licence through the bureau from today.
The bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly (AL) last month, a government-initiated law aiming to protect construction workers’ rights in line with the development of Macau’s construction sector.
The new law states that all those working on a construction site are required to cooperate and coordinate their work, including safety personnel, contractors and their subcontractors. The respective contractor is to be held accountable for each construction project, with the aim of ensuring the workers’ safety.
When there are any serious safety problems on the construction site, the law states, DSAL officials can suspend the project or ongoing work immediately, so as to protect the safety and health of the staff in particular and the public in general.
The law states that when the total number of construction workers on a construction site reaches 20, the contractor must have at least one safety supervisor. If there are more than 100 workers, the contractor must also have at least one construction safety officer, and the number of CSOs is to be raised in proportion to the increase in the number of staff.
Anyone intending to apply for a CSO or safety supervisor licence can visit the DSAL website at https://www.dsal.gov.mo/dsso/zh_tw/standard/safetyofficer.html or call the bureau on 2856 4109 during office hours.
