Anyone working on high scaffolding, with heavy machinery or in potentially dangerous environments should be protected by good occupational safety measures. Companies can have such safety measures promoted by the Employers’ Liability Insurance Association of the Construction Industry, BG BAU for short. In its catalogue for occupational safety premiums 2020, the Employer’s Liability Insurance Association lists various equipment and articles that are eligible for promotion.
Industrial safety measures as an investment in the future
The construction industry is one of the sectors in which special attention is paid to the safety of workers. Mistakes or inattention can have far-reaching consequences and lead to serious accidents. Employers are responsible for the safety and health of their employees. Therefore, investing in effective measures is essential for companies and has many benefits:- Avoidance of occupational accidents, occupational diseases and occupational hazards to employee health
- Increase of satisfaction and motivation
- Encouraging smooth operation
- Long-term cost savings (e.g. due to fewer days lost)
In addition, BG BAU promotes this commitment by assuming a share of the costs for selected products and measures designed to prevent accidents and maintain worker health. The premium subsidy relates, among other things, to safety technology for manual machines and additional equipment for construction machinery, but also to measures for organising occupational health and safety.
Even sole traders can benefit
Not only large companies but also individual entrepreneurs qualify for the BG BAU occupational health and safety awards. It is important to note that only commercial member companies as well as commercially active entrepreneurs with voluntary insurance with BG BAU are entitled to the subsidy.
In the following, we present some examples of products from the BG BAU catalogue that contribute to more safety on construction sites.
Precise drilling, minimal dust exposure
With suction drills, the dust generated when drilling into concrete or masonry is extracted immediately. This makes it possible to drill almost completely dust-free, which means that even with certain systems the partial blowing out of the drill holes is no longer necessary. These tools are therefore particularly suitable for indoor use and also increase productivity by combining two work steps.
However, not only the annoying cleaning of the environment is omitted. The avoidance of dust also minimizes health risks. The dangers of dust range from toxic effects on the respiratory tract to the formation of tumours. Minimising dust emissions therefore makes a significant contribution to the health protection of employees. For this reason, the purchase of an extraction drill is subsidised with 50 percent of the costs (max. 200 Euro).
Preventing electrical accidents
PRCD-S are not bound to a specific location and have an electronic residual current evaluation which is intended to ensure safe current consumption. Personal protection switches are used as protective distributors on construction sites. They are simply plugged in between consumers and existing sockets.
A PRCD-S not only protects against accidents due to faulty electrical installations or external voltage, but also in case of defects in the connected electrical equipment or system faults in the fixed installation. The personal protection switches are available in 1-phase or 3-phase versions. BG BAU will pay 50 percent of the purchase costs, but not more than 50 or 100 euros.
A further measure to protect against electrical accidents is the installation of type B residual current devices. The RCD type B is used when cranes and power-regulated drives are used on construction sites. The conventional type A does not offer sufficient protection here, as it can become ineffective, for example, due to faulty frequency control. The subsidy for a conversion or new acquisition is 25 percent or a maximum amount of 300 euros per RCD type B.
Use safe hand machines
Saws are required for many construction site jobs and must always be handled with special care. Therefore it is not only important to provide safe but also appropriate equipment. For example, the chain saw can often be replaced by more suitable, less dangerous versions. Battery-powered saws offer an additional degree of mobility and help prevent accidents caused by cable tripping or electric shock.If you work with wood, plastic, metal or similar materials, it is usually advisable to use reciprocating saws or foxtail saws. With a cordless circular saw, companies are also well equipped for various activities, such as carpentry work or renovations. In particular, the potential danger when cutting panels can be reduced by using a hand-held circular saw. This occupational health and safety measure is also subsidised with 50 percent or a maximum of 150 euros.
Security measures pay off
The protection of workers requires long-term commitment on the part of companies. Individual measures or acquisitions are not enough. Machines should be regularly adapted or replaced to the latest state of the art in order to minimize risks.
Another point besides the provision of safe work equipment is the training of employees. For all these measures, BG Bau offers various subsidies to make it easier for companies to invest, so that adequate occupational safety and health protection remains a matter of course.
