Preparations for EURO 2012 under the supervision of labour inspectorate

National Labour Inspectorate is planning to make best possible use of its statutory rights in order to secure safety of construction works during preparations for EURO 2012 – Roman Giedrojć, Deputy Chief Labour Inspector, announced on 23 April 2008 at the meeting in Warsaw with representatives of government and economic institutions involved in organization in our country of European Football Championship.

According to what he said, in order to be up to the challenge – in recent years a significant increase in accident rate in construction sector has been observed, Polish labour inspectors looked up to experiences of their colleagues from Portugal, country which organized EURO 2004. They were largely impressed by what they had observed. Portugal, a country with 10 million residents, managed to build 10 considerable stadiums for EURO and none of the workers erecting it died in an accident at work. Such good results were achieved as an aftermath of close cooperation between investors, contractors and a body for supervision of working conditions. National Labour Inspectorate is aiming at similar results in Poland.

Dariusz Smoliński, adviser to the Chief Labour Inspector, presented the concept of inspection and supervision of EURO 2012-related investments prepared upon the application of management of the institution. He emphasized that National Labour Inspectorate shall not close its eyes to and tolerate instances of illegal employment and inappropriate working conditions on construction sites in relation to EURO 2012. Inspections are thus unavoidable. Nevertheless, special emphasis is to be placed on preventive activities. It is because prevention is much cheaper and far more effective compared to costs of inappropriate OSH conditions which directly impact the investment costs.

Hence, the declaration of NLI offering various forms of support for investors, designers and contractors of premises construed for the use during Europe’s championship. NLI intends to help via intensified supervision of the investment process, organizing of trainings, counseling in legal and technical matters. It also encourages the investors to appoint coordinators for safety and protection of health already at the stage of projects. These people should make sure that designers consider the possibility of safe construction works. They shall constantly stay in touch with the labour inspectorate which, on its part, has already appointed own EURO 2012 coordinators in each district inspectorate. These are specially trained inspectors with many years of experience in inspection and supervision activities on construction sites. Investments related to EURO 2012 shall be inspected according to clearly stated procedures which will be communicated to investors and contractors so that NLI’s inspections are not a surprise.

The aforementioned suggestions were warmly received by representatives of Ministry of Sport and Tourism, employees of the company “PL 2012” – general coordinator of the project of the European football championship in Poland and the company National Sport Center (Narodowe Centrum Sportu) whose responsibility is to build the stadium in Warsaw.

Krzysztof Kowalik, Director of Prevention and Promotion Department and Izabela Waga, Deputy Director of Working Conditions Department at NLI also attended the meeting.