Work safety decree approved by the Cabinet: digital badges, rewards for virtuous companies and more inspectors at construction sites
The badge has been being tested since this summer on construction sites in the metropolitan area of Rome, but - thanks to specific agreements - has also been activated for post-earthquake reconstruction and in some areas of Emilia Romagna, with the aim of automatically detecting presence on construction sites, ensuring effective control over compliance with safety regulations and the regularity of contributions
Key points
Rewards for virtuous companies, new hires of inspectors, and the adoption throughout Italy of digital worksite badges, as well as maximum attention to young people and training: these are some of the innovations contained in the new decree for safety at work approved by the current Council of Ministers. Focusing precisely on training, prevention and controls, the measure, the result of repeated discussions with the social partners, aims to put a stop to the continuous deaths at work that are reported in the news almost daily. Anmil counts one death at work every 8 hours, a "tragically high" number, as the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella recently defined it.
The digital site badge
It is precisely for this reason that first of all the obligation is being introduced for all contracting and subcontracting companies, both in the public and private sectors, to adopt the digital construction site badge, an identification card for employees with a unique anti-counterfeiting code. The badge has been being tested since this summer on construction sites in the metropolitan area of Rome, but - thanks to specific agreements - it has also been activated for post-earthquake reconstruction and in some areas of Emilia Romagna with the aim of automatically detecting the presence on construction sites, ensuring effective control over compliance with safety standards and regularity of contributions.
In general, the decree is intended as a regulatory tool to increase the ability to prevent accidents, improve the effectiveness of controls, strengthen training, and activate initiatives to raise awareness of the culture of safety at work, starting from schools. As the Minister of Labour, Marina Calderone, has repeatedly emphasised, there is in fact 'an issue related to information, adequate training, workers in the workplace, but also schools'. The aim is to create 'an overall awareness' of safety by including accidents en route, which, unlike in Italy, in other countries are not even tracked. To this end, Inail will play a special role, which in the decree is entrusted with the task of promoting information campaigns and training projects, in favour of educational institutions, with particular reference to road safety in the teaching of civic education.
Calderone: scholarship fund from 3 to 7 thousand euro
"Established a scholarship fund that we will pay to the orphans of victims of accidents at work. Provided for scholarships paid annually in amounts from 3,000 to 7,000 euros to attend courses," said Marina Calderone, Minister of Labour, at a press conference at the end of the CDM, which approved the new decree on safety at work.
Stop school-work in high-risk activities for pupils
Agreements stipulated between schools and companies will no longer be able to provide for school-to-work training activities in high-risk jobs for students. This is the provision approved today by the Council of Ministers on school-to-work training. At the same time, Inail will promote information campaigns and educational projects in schools dedicated to spreading the culture of health and safety at work as part of the teaching of civic education. 'School-to-work training must represent an opportunity for growth, not a risk,' says Minister Giuseppe Valditara.
