Australia Helps Develop Cambodia’s First Construction Workplace Health & Safety Guidelines

• 16 September 2021
• Local News
• 1491 Views

Australia has pledged to closely cooperate with the Cambodian government in enhancing construction safety in Cambodia after the two parties have officially signed a subsidiary arrangement.

The agreement was signed between Australia’s Ambassador to Cambodia HE Pablo Kang and Secretary of State for Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction (MLMUPC) HE Chhann Saphan on Thursday 16 September.

Under the subsidiary arrangement, Australia is supporting MLMUPC to develop Cambodia’s first legally mandated Construction Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) guidelines to improve safety and reduce the risks of deaths and accidents on Cambodian construction sites.

Work on the guideline is well underway and expected to be complete by the end of 2021. Australia will also provide capacity building to MLMUPC on overseeing and enforcing the new standards as well as raising private sector awareness of their responsibilities to promote safe worksites.

The rapid transformation of Cambodia’s cities has created new challenges, said Ambassador Kang.

“The major building collapses in recent years were tragedies. We saw it as imperative for Australia to respond quickly and effectively to the Cambodian Government’s request for support to improve the safety of Cambodia’s construction workers, their families and the public including for COVID-19 related risks,” he said.

MLMPUC Minister HE Chea Sophara stated that the cooperation agreement will improve the safety and health sector in construction sites in line with the Law of Construction enacted in November 2019.

“Since Cambodia passed its landmark Construction Law in 2019, we have been working ceaselessly on implementation,” said HE Chea Sophara, citing that enforceable safety standards for work sites are vital.

• Laws and Regulation
• Safety and Health