Safety is a team effort

The COVID-19 pandemic has led governments, employers and workers to face unprecedented challenges in relation to the virus and the many effects it has had on the world of work.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work, celebrated on 28 April, focuses on strategies to strengthen national occupational safety and health systems to build the resilience that will be useful in dealing with crises, including in the future, drawing on the lessons learned and experiences of these months.

What is World Day for Safety and Health at Work?

World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which takes place on 28 April each year, was established in 2003 by the International Labour Organisation. The global event aims to focus international attention on the importance of preventing workplace accidents and occupational diseases and the need for a collective commitment to creating and promoting a culture of safety and health at work.

Safety culture

The meaning of the safety culture is to make risk assessment and prevention a fundamental element of every political, administrative and economic development choice. A social development that looks at safeguarding human lives, which can also generate considerable savings in terms of costs and productivity.

"Promoting a culture of safety at work is the theme of this World Day," says Michele Marraffa, CEO of Marraffa srl. "In recent years we have invested in people, in their training and in the safety of our workers. And this is what we will continue to do in the coming years.

Exceptional transport of a transformer

In Castelmauro, in the province of Campobasso, Marraffa personnel were involved in transporting and unloading a transformer at the construction site.

A 400-tonne crane with 118 tonnes of ballast and various support vehicles were used to transport and assemble the accessories.

This was a complex activity, especially because of the need to coordinate the entry and exit of the vehicles on the site, which was characterised by limited space and the interference of other companies working simultaneously. The presence of some one-way streets, for access to the area, made it necessary to request special adjustments to the road system.

A total of 4 auxiliary trailers, 1 all-terrain crane, 3 safety cars, 2 auxiliary trailers, 1 auxiliary truck, 1 exceptional 10-axle vehicle were used, for a team of 15 people.

Prior to the start of work on the site, a safety introduction was held, during which, in addition to recalling the site's risk concepts, it was ensured that all the parties involved in the site were informed and trained in the safety measures in place. During the safety introduction, the Safety Coordinator on site (CSE) checks all the safety measures on behalf of the client. These are increasingly technical meetings, during which the workers involved on the site are questioned about their tasks by the CSE, who must ensure that all workers are up to standard.

The Safety Coordinator at the Execution Phase

This is a crucial figure in the context of temporary or mobile construction sites. The Consolidated Act on health and safety at work defines the Safety Coordinator during the execution phase as "the person appointed by the client or the person in charge of the works to perform the tasks referred to in Article 92, who cannot be the employer of the contractors or one of his employees or the person in charge of the prevention and protection service (RSPP) designated by him".

He acts, therefore, during the execution of the work, and should therefore be distinguished from the Safety Coordinator during the Design Phase (CSP).

What they said about our work

Enel's site coordinator, Giulio Pellegrini, expressed satisfaction with Marraffa for the transformer unloading and positioning operations, which took place - he said - "first of all safely in all its phases from the arrival of the all-terrain crane to the final dismantling, and also with punctuality and good logistic organisation". The site manager of Enel, Adriano Balestracci, also expressed his appreciation for Marraffa.

Sebastiano Piraino, team leader and site coordinator for Tamini, also praised Marraffa's commitment to safety at work.