COHSMS Guidelines

1. Purpose

The purpose of these Guidelines is to raise the level of safety and health in the construction workplaces.To achieve this objective, these guidelines have been designed to encourage employers to adopt, in cooperation with their employees, with the business office and the project sites as an integrated organization, a set of process such as four step process;"Plan-Do-Check-Act". By those continual and voluntary safety and health activities, they may prevent industrial accidents at construction work places, by promoting physical and mental health of construction workers and employees of the business office, and facilitating the establishment of a comfortable work environment.

2. Intent

The provisions of these guidelines stipulate basic requirements to establish occupational health and safety management system at construction workplaces. However, these guidelines do not stipulate specific measures that contractors are required to adopt in accordance with the Industrial Safety and Health Law, to reduce or eliminate the risks and/or hazards or health impairment associated with machines, equipment, chemical substances, etc.

3.Definitions

The terms that appear in these Guidelines are used in accordance with the following definitions.

3.1Construction Occupational Health and Safety Management System

Construction occupational health and safety management system (hereinafter referred to as "COHSMS") constitute a set of measures concerning health and safety management that are implemented and operated continually and holistically, conducted in conjunction with other management systems, such as construction management system. The system comprise the following;

Declaration of policies related to health and safety (hereinafter referred to as "health and safety policy" or "project health and safety policy")
Investigation of risks and/or hazards and determination of countermeasures to be taken based on the result of the investigation
Maintaining and promoting physical and mental health of construction workers and employees of the business office, and facilitating the establishment of a comfortable work environment
Adoption of targets for health and safety (hereinafter referred to as "health and safety targets" or "project health and safety targets"
Formulation, implementation, evaluation and improvement of plans for health and safety (herein after referred to as "health and safety plans" or "project health and safety plans"

3.2Construction Workplace: A construction workplace is a unit comprising of a business office and project sites, who have agreed to undertake the work in the contracted project.

3.3Contractor: A contractor is a corporate body (an employer) executing construction business at a construction workplace.

3.4Business Office: A business office is an organization, either a head office or a branch office (of a contractor) that instructs, supports, and manages project sites.

3.5Project Site: A project site is an organization executing a construction project at its site.

3.6Construction Workers: A construction worker is a worker engaged in construction work including employees related to construction site, subcontractors, other people concerned, dependent contractors, self-employed people, family employees (hereinafter referred to as "dependent contractors"), and technical intern trainees and project site managers of prime contractors.

3.7Other People Concerned: Other people concerned is a person come in and go out a construction work site including construction supervisor, separate ordering trader, people related to business office, trader related purchase, material supplier, material carrier and food service provider, etc..

3.8Public Disaster: Public disaster is harm and trouble to the life, body and property of a third party other that people related to the construction work including a passerby.

3.9System Audit

A system audit is an inspection and assessment carried out periodically by the contractor, with health and safety plan period in mind, to determine whether the measures are appropriately taken as required by the system. Measures taken according to the system shall basically be implemented in a unit comprising of a business office who signed the contract and the project sites where the contracted works are to be carried out.

4.Scope

In order to establish, implement and operate the system continuously and appropriately, contractors and project site managers should carry out the following general requirements.

5.General Requirements in Establishing COHSMS

5.1General Requirements at a Business Office

5.1.1Declaration of Health and Safety Policy

Contractors should announce their health and safety policies for the workplaces, and ensure that construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office are fully informed.
A health and safety policy is an expression of basic concept for safety and health of a construction workplace, to improve health and safety level of a construction workplace, and should provide for the following;
1. The objective is prevention of industrial accidents.
2. Promote and maintain physical and mental health
3. Carry out health and safety activities with cooperation of the workers.
4. Compliance with all safety and health laws and regulations and with all rules pertaining to a construction workplace (hereinafter referred to as "construction workplace safety and health rules"), etc.
5. Proper implementation and operation of the measures stated in COHSMS.

5.1.2 Feedback Employees' Opinions in Health and Safety Measures: When contractors set up health and safety target, or draft, implement, evaluate, or improve health and safety plan, they must set up procedures for incorporating employees' opinions and feedback.
Such procedures may include, for example, the use of a health and safety committee, etc.(health and safety committee, safety committee, or health committee)

5.1.3 Establishment of a System Implementation Structure

In order to establish an organization to run the system at a construction workplace properly, contractors should take the following measures.

Contractors should appoint an overall controller who will oversee entire a construction workplace as the top COHSMS manager, and stipulate clearly his/her roles, responsibilities, and authority.
Contractors should appoint persons responsible for the system management at every level and stipulate their roles, responsibilities, and authorities.(these include〈1〉directors, division heads and section chiefs of a "health and safety division", "construction management division", etc.
in the business office〈; 2〉project site manager, chief engineer, etc. in the project sites.)
Contractors should fully inform construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office about the aforementioned roles, responsibilities and authority.
Contractors should make an effort to ensure sufficient personnel and funds for the establishment, implementation and operation of their COHSMS.
Contractors should fully utilize health and safety committees for the implementation and operation of their COHSMS.

5.1.4 System Education and Training: Contractors should establish and implement procedures for education and training of their employees about COHSMS.

5.1.5Evaluation of Subcontractors' Health and Safety Management Capabilities

Contractors should establish procedures for evaluating their subcontractors' capabilities regarding health and safety management, so that they can select or upgrade capable subcontractors, and also evaluate the subcontractors following the procedures.
Contractors should utilize the result of the aforementioned evaluation for education of subcontractors and also for selection of subcontractors in other projects.

5.1.6 Documentation

Contractors should clarify the following in writing.
1. Health and safety policy
2. Roles, responsibilities, and authorities of the top COHSMS manager and persons responsible for system management at all levels
3. Health and safety targets
4. Health and safety plan
5. Following procedures established in accordance with the provisions concerning general requirements at a business office
  1. Feedback employee's opinion
  2. System education and training
  3. Evaluation of health and safety management capability of subcontractors
  4. Document management
  5. Investigation of risks and hazards and determining measures to be implemented
  6. Promoting and maintaining physical and mental health and facilitating the establishment of a comfortable work environment
  7. Implementation of health and safety plans, etc.
  8. Routine inspections and improvements, etc.
  9. Investigating causes of industrial accidents
  10. System audit
6. Following procedures established in accordance with the provisions concerning general requirements at a project site
  1. Feedback opinion of construction workers and employees of the business office related to the project
  2. Evaluation of health and safety management capability of subcontractors
  3. Document management
  4. Records
  5. Investigation of risks and hazards and determining measures to be implemented
  6. Promoting and maintaining physical and mental health and facilitating the establishment of a comfortable work environment
  7. Implementation of project health and safety plan, etc.
  8. Routine inspections and improvements, etc.
  9. Investigating causes of industrial accidents
Contractors should establish procedures for the handling of the above mentioned documents and implement in accordance with the procedures.

5.1.7 Records: Contractors should keep and store records of their COHSMS implementation and operation, including the implementation and operation of their health and safety plans, and the results of system audit etc.

5.1.8 Investigation of Risks and/or Hazards and Determination of Countermeasures

Contractors should adopt specific procedures to investigate construction activity risks and/or hazards according to "guidelines on investigation of risks and hazards", set by article 28 clause 2-2 and "guidelines on investigation of risks and hazards from chemical substances", set by article 57 clause 3-3 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law, and also investigate risks and/or hazards in accordance with the procedures.
Contractors should adopt specific procedures to determine measures to be taken in order to reduce or eliminate the risks and /or hazards or health impairment investigated as specified in 5.1.8, paragraph
1., and also determine necessary countermeasures in accordance with the procedures.
Contractors should adopt specific procedures to determine measures to be taken that are required under the terms of industrial safety and health laws and related regulations, as well as construction workplace safety and health rules, and also determine necessary measures in accordance with the procedures.

5.1.9 Promoting and Maintaining Physical and Mental Health and Facilitating the Establishment of a Comfortable Work Environment

Contractors should adopt specific procedures to grasp status of employees' health set by article 66 clause 1 and 2 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law, and also grasp status of employees' health.
Contractors should adopt specific procedures to conduct medical examination for assessing the degree of a mental burden of the employee according to "", set by article 66 clause 10-7 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law, and also conduct medical examination for assessing the degree of the employee's mental burden.
Following the procedures specified in 5.1.9-1.)-2.), contractors shall adopt specific procedures to promote and maintain employees' physical and mental health and establish a comfortable work environment and also promote and maintain employees' physical and mental health and establish a comfortable work environment.

5.1.10 Adoption of Health and Safety Targets

Contractors should adopt health and safety targets based on their health and safety policies, taking the following into account. By doing so, the contractors declare the goals to be achieved within the limited period, and ensure that construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office understand the goals.

The result of investigation of risks and/or hazards
The result of health check-up and medical examination for assessing the degree of a mental burden
Past records of achievement of health and safety targets, and industrial accident data

5.1.11 Implementation of a Health and Safety Plan

Contractors should formulate health and safety plans within the limited period to achieve their health and safety targets, based on the result of investigation of risks and/or hazards and the result of mental and physical health check, and ensure that construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office are informed of such plans.
A health and safety plan should contain description of actual activities and schedules to achieve the health and safety target, and should include the following;

Measures described in 5.1.8-2.) and 3.) and implementation schedules
Efforts described in 5.1.9-3.) and implementation schedules
Special events related to health and safety, and anything related to daily health and safety activities such as Safety Work Cycle etc.
Contents of health and safety education/training, and implementation schedules
Measures to be taken for subcontractors and implementation schedules
Issues related to work site instructions and support
Issues related to period of health and safety plans
Issues related to revision of health and safety plans

5.1.12 Implementation of a Health and Safety Plan

Contractors should establish and implement procedures for implementing and operating their health and safety plans continuously and in an appropriate manner.
Contractors should establish and implement procedures for informing construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office about measures that are required for the appropriate and continuous implementation and operation of the health and safety plans.

5.1.13 Measures for Emergency Situations: Contractors should establish procedures to follow when an industrial accident is imminent (hereinafter referred to as "emergency situation"), to prevent industrial accident from happening, and also must act appropriately following the procedure.

5.1.14 Routine Inspections and Improvements etc.

Contractors should establish and implement procedures for investigating the causes of industrial accidents should they occur, and also the procedures for determining the causes and problems of such accidents, and formulating countermeasures to eliminate these problems.
When contractors formulate a new health and safety plan for a different project, they should incorporate into the plan the results of the measures called for in the previous paragraph.

5.1.15 Investigating Causes of Industrial Accidents etc.

Contractors should establish and implement procedures for investigating the causes of industrial accidents should they occur, and also the procedures for determining the causes and problems of such accidents, and formulating countermeasures to eliminate these problems.
When contractors formulate a new health and safety plan, they should incorporate into the plan the results of the measures called for in the previous paragraph.

5.1.16 System audits

Contractors should formulate a plan for periodical system audits, and establish and implement procedures for the implementation of the audits on articles described from 5.1.1 to 5.1.15, and from 5.2.1 to 5.2.14.
Based on the system audit results described in paragraph 1), if it is found necessary, contractors should improve the manner in which COHSMS is operated.

5.1.17 Revisions to the system: Based on the result of the system audit described in 5.1.16-1.), contractors should revise their COHSMS to maintain the appropriateness and effectiveness of their COHSMS, by regularly revising their health and safety policy, the procedures established on the basis of these guidelines.

5.2 General Requirements at a Project Site

5.2.1 Declaration of Project Health and Safety Policy

The project site manager should announce his project health and safety policy, and ensure that construction workers, people concerned, and employees of the business office related to the project are fully informed.
The project health and safety policy shows basic concept towards construction work to ensure health and safety of the project site, and takes into consideration special features of the work at the site, the health and safety policy, the health and safety target, and the health and safety plan set by the contractor.

5.2.2 Feedback Opinion of Construction Workers and Employees of the Business Office related to the Project in Health and Safety Measures: The project site manager should endeavor to incorporate opinion of construction workers and employees of the business office related to the project in setting a project health and safety target, as well as in planning, implementation, and evaluation of the project health and safety plan, following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).

5.2.3 Ensuring understanding about an Organization for the system

The project site manager should fully inform construction workers and other people concerned, and employees of the business office related to the project about roles, responsibilities, and authority of all who are responsible for the system management at every level.
The project site manager should clearly show by using organization chart etc., who are appointed as persons responsible for the system management at every level related to the project.

5.2.4 Evaluation of Subcontractors' Health and Safety Management Capabilities: The project site manager should evaluate the subcontractors' capabilities regarding health and safety management etc. in accordance with the procedure specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ), to select better subcontractors and also to foster good ones in terms of safety and health. The project site manager should report the result to the contractor.

5.2.5 Documentation

The project site manager should clarify the following in writing and keep those documents following the procedure specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).
1. A project health and safety policy
2. A project health and safety targets
3. A project health and safety plan
The project site manager should submit all the documents described 1) to the contractor following the procedure specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).

5.2.6 Records

Following the procedure specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ), the project site manager should keep and store records of their COHSMS implementation and operation, including the implementation and operation of project health and safety plan, routine inspections and improvements etc., and keep all those records.
The project site manager should submit all the records described in 1) to the contractor following the procedure specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).

5.2.7 Investigation of Risks and/or Hazards and Determination of Countermeasures

The project site manager should investigate construction activity risks and/or hazards related to the project following procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ) based on "guidelines on investigation of risks and hazards" stipulated by article 28 clause 2-2 and "guidelines on investigation of risks and hazards from chemical substances", stipulated by article 57 clause 3-3 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law.
The project site manager should determine measures to be taken in order to reduce or eliminate the risks and /or hazards or health impairment related to the project investigated as specified in 1), following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).
Following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ), the project site manager should determine measures to be taken that are required under the terms of industrial safety and health laws and related regulations, as well as construction workplace safety and health rules.

5.2.8 Promoting and Maintaining Physical and Mental Health and Facilitating the Establishment of a Comfortable Work Environment

The project site manager should grasp implementation status of health check-up following procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ) based on the article 66 clause 2 and 3 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law.
The project site manager shall check implementation status of medical examination for assessing the degree of employees' mental burden following procedures specified in 5.1.6-1.) (Ⅵ) based on the article 66 clause 10 of the Industrial Safety and Health Law.
Following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ), the project site manager shall establish a comfortable work environment.

5.2.9 Adoption of Project Health and Safety Targets

The project site manager should adopt project health and safety targets, based on the project health and safety policy, taking the following into consideration. By doing so, the project site manager declare the goals to be achieved within the construction period or the limited period. The project site manager should ensure that construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office related to the project understand the goals.

Result of investigation of risks and hazards
Industrial accident data at same projects.

5.2.10 Formulation of a Project Health and Safety Plan

The project site manager should formulate the project health and safety plans within the construction period or the limited period, to achieve project health and safety targets based on the result of investigation of risks and/or hazards related to the project. The project site manager should also ensure that construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office related to the project are informed of such plans.
In order to achieve project health and safety targets, a project health and safety plan should include the following;

Measures described in 5.2.7-2.), 3.), and implementation schedules
Special events related to health and safety, and anything related to daily health and safety activities such as Safety Work Cycle etc.
Content of health and safety education/training, and implementation schedules
Measures to be taken for subcontractors and implementation schedules
Issues related to period of the project health and safety plans
Issues related to revision of the project health and safety plans

5.2.11 Implementation and Operation of a Project Health and Safety Plan

The project site manager should implement and operate appropriately and continuously the project health and safety plans following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).
The project site manager should inform construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office related to the project about measures that are required for the appropriate and continuous implementation and operation of the project health and safety plans, following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).

5.2.12 Measures for Emergency Situations: The project site manager should adopt project health and safety targets, based on the project health and safety policy, taking the following into consideration. By doing so, the project site manager declare the goals to be achieved within the construction period or the limited period. The project site manager should ensure that construction workers, other people concerned, and employees of the business office related to the project understand the goals.

5.2.13 Routine Inspections and Improvements etc.

The project site manager should carry out routine inspections and improvements of the project health and safety plans, following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).
If the project health and safety plans have been set up for a certain period, the project site manager should reflect the result of routine inspections and improvements described in 1) to the next project health and safety plans.

5.2.14 Investigating Causes of Industrial Accidents etc.

When an industrial accident occurs at the project site, the project site manager should investigate the causes of the accident, determine the problems, and make improvements, following the procedures specified in 5.1.6-1) (Ⅵ).
If the project health and safety plans have been set up for a certain period, the project site manager should reflect to the next project health and safety plans, the result of the investigation of the industrial accident and its cause, determination of problems and improvements described in 1).

History
Established on November 16th, 1999
Revised on June 1st, 2006
Revised on April 1st, 2018