Construction Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (COHSMS)

An occupational health and safety management system need to be put in place in an organization and systematic fashion as a management tool.

The independent preparation and secure and effective implementation of such a system by enterprises themselves lead to "elimination and reduction of potential business disaster risks", to "improvement of workers' health and creation of comfortable working conditions" as well as to "enhancement of corporate occupational safety and health standards."

Based on this understanding, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare related "The Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (Notification No.53)" in April 1999.

Taking into account the characteristics of the construction industry, where enterprises carry out their work on a temporary, fixed term project basis and principal contractors and their subcontractors cooperate with each other in preventing occupational accidents, JCOSHA published "The Construction Occupational Health and Safety Management System (COHSMS) Guidelines" in November 1999 in accordance with the above-mentioned Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's guidelines. In addition, for the purpose of promoting and disseminating COHSMS among construction companies and improving occupational safety and health standards in the construction sector, JCOSHA is engaged in the following activities.