Institutional portal - Municipality of Milan

THERE IS NO BONUS WITHOUT JOB SAFETY
The great recovery in construction work has introduced new safety problems which, if poorly managed, expose the citizen/client to civil and criminal charges:

• the presence of companies and professionals who are inexperienced or have migrated from other production sectors;
• workers, equipment and materials are undersized compared to market demands with the work carried out in fits and starts depending on their availability;
• unsuitable companies, for example companies which carry out mere labor intermediation or which have just been established to exploit the contingent moment.

When construction or renovation works are carried out, individual private clients (in the case of condominium works the client condominiums who determine the choices of the assembly) have a role of fundamental responsibility for the direction towards works managed safely and professionally.

Access to tax bonuses is subject to compliance with workplace safety regulations by the client.

In fact, among the causes for forfeiture of bonuses is the violation of some obligations of the client (or his alter-ego, the Works Manager) regarding the preliminary notification and appointment of safety coordinators.

MANAGING AND NOT SUFFERING THE WORKS: ROLE OF THE CUSTOMER AND THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR
It has become customary for the client to entrust all "turnkey" works to a general contractor (who therefore assumes the role of entrusted company, as defined by law) believing that he no longer has responsibilities and duties of control over the safety of the construction site .
This presumption is incorrect, because the principal can transfer his obligations, but only formally appointing a Works Manager (RL), who will replace him in responsibilities for site safety.
Obviously, although there are no technical requirements for the appointment of the RL, the person identified must have adequate skills, abilities and powers for the role.

TO EACH HIS ROLE
An important role of the client (or the RL if appointed) is the verification of the suitability of companies identified to carry out the works, which must be technically suitable and not just those currently available. Among the eligibility requirements, for example:

• has regularly hired workers;
• has specific technical expertise;
• has an adequate organization for the activity to be carried out;
• has suitable work equipment and personal protective equipment.

When the intervention of multiple companies is envisaged (practically always, in works with tax bonuses of significant amounts), the works must be coordinated by professionals appointed by the client: the Coordinators for Safety in planning (CSP) and execution (CSE).
If the client identifies a company general contractor must verify and demand that it exercises its role of operational management of the construction site, with control of the safety level in all the work carried out both by its workers and by subcontractors, not limiting its functions to a mere task of administrative and commercial intermediation .