Health and Safety in the construction sector
Types of work-related hazards A hazard may be defined as the potential of a person, substance, equipment, activity or process to cause harm. Hazards take many forms, which may include: Electricity Fire Chemical Manual handling Slipping & tripping Unguarded machinery Working at height , etc. Hazards related to construction activities The construction sector has been considered as the pillar Mauritius' economic growth for a long period. In 2019, it consisted of over 120,000 workers (both directly or indirectly employed), which represented at that time around 22% of the total workforce. Today, with Rs 40 billion worth of new projects, the construction sector is has now been taken to a new level and therefore providing job security to many Mauritians. One thing to be noted however, is that according to the Mauritius Occupational Safety and Health Statistics, the construction industry is the sector with by far the highest rate of fatal accidents (see Chart below for comparison).