Enhancing safety at construction sites in Lübeck
In the city of Lübeck, concerns regarding workplace safety on construction sites have been raised by the Industry Union for Construction, Agriculture, and Environment (IG BAU Holstein). The union, citing issues such as scaffolds without safety railings, unsecured excavation sites, inadequate protective clothing, and excessive overtime, has called for increased control and enforcement to ensure the health and safety of employees.
The current situation, however, presents a challenge, with one inspector responsible for overseeing the safety of 26,976 employees in the construction sector, a mathematical impossibility according to IG BAU Holstein. This shortage of inspectors, coupled with the lack of recent data or announcements on increased staffing of occupational safety authorities in Schleswig-Holstein or Lübeck, has raised concerns about the ability to effectively and comprehensively address these issues.
While the state of Schleswig-Holstein has a substantial public workforce of approximately 60,000, precise details on the number of safety inspectors are not available due to ongoing IT and administrative reforms. The union has emphasised the need for a higher authority to bundle controls, ensuring the observance of employee rights and social regulations.
Ralf Olschewski, district chairman of IG BAU Holstein, has suggested a "labor control in one hand" approach, similar to the systems used in France and Spain, as a potential solution. This higher authority would focus not only on occupational safety and compliance with the Working Hours Act, but also on controlling black work and violations of minimum wage payments.
Olschewski has described construction sites as accident hotspots and has called for stronger control by state occupational safety authorities on construction sites in Lübeck. The union's demands come in light of a federal government report indicating that only 54 inspectors are responsible for workplace safety in all of Schleswig-Holstein.
As the issue continues to be a topic of discussion, contacting the Schleswig-Holstein Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Family, and Integration, or the local occupational safety authorities in Lübeck directly, would be advisable for the most current and precise information on efforts to combat workplace safety violations in the construction sector in Lübeck.
In the midst of these safety concerns, the finance department of Schleswig-Holstein might need to consider allocating more funds to increase the number of safety inspectors in the construction industry. This could potentially aid in addressing the current imbalance, where one inspector is responsible for overseeing the safety of a vast number of employees.
With the union advocating for a higher authority to consolidate controls, a proactive approach from the finance sector could ensure the efficient management and enforcement of employee rights and social regulations in the construction sector.
