Study of the impact of investments in occupational safety and accident prevention in the construction sector

Worldwide, construction workers are three times more likely to be killed and twice as likely to be injured as workers in other areas. The costs of these accidents are enormous both for the individual, for the employer and for society and may account for a considerable proportion of the contract price. Portugal is one of the countries of the European Union that has one of the highest labor loss rates, with a higher incidence in the Civil Construction sector. The importance of this sector to the Portuguese economy is very well known, since it is a direct source of employment of workers. Its activity moves several sectors, which is why it is considered one of the driving forces of the national economy, not only because of its specific weight in wealth creation but also in employment, taking into account the Its obvious multiplier effect, and is therefore a fundamental activity for the growth of the economy. Therefore it is urgent to change this paradigm, in favor of occupational safety and prevention. This is a sector with a low-skilled workforce, presenting a great precariousness and job instability, offering low salaries and demanding high levels of income. It is also characterized by a large and constant displacement of personnel from site to site, who are also required a frequent change of place and job within each work. It also requires a great deal of versatility on the part of workers in that it has a huge diversity of activities and professions.