The Health and Safety at Work Act requires the appointment of a BAS-U for each construction project. Their main responsibility is to coordinate health and safety issues and ensure that all rules and regulations are followed to minimize risks at the workplace. However, this does not mean that the OSH representative must be present at the workplace during every stage of the work.
In practice, the BAS-U can carry out its work both remotely and on-site, depending on the needs of the project and the nature of the work. In smaller projects, the BAS-U can carry out occasional visits to check safety and coordinate, while larger projects with more complex risks may require a more present BAS-U actively monitoring the work.
Most importantly, BAS-U needs to be able to act quickly when needed, and clear communication channels need to be in place to manage risks. Digital tools now make it possible to coordinate many safety-related actions remotely, but a physical presence may still be necessary for particularly risky operations.
Whether BAS-U is on site all the time or not, it is important to ensure that everyone involved understands their roles and that the Health and Safety at Work Act is followed to the letter. Safety is always number one.
BAS-U role in the construction project - when is physical presence required?
The main task of the BAS-U is to coordinate and monitor compliance with health and safety issues during the execution of the construction project. However, the frequency with which BAS-U needs to be physically present depends on the size and complexity of the project. In some projects, BAS-U presence may be sporadic and occur at specific times, such as during particularly hazardous works or important safety reviews. Larger projects, on the other hand, may require BAS-U to be more active on site to ensure ongoing compliance with health and safety rules.
It is important to clearly define when the BAS-U needs to be present to reduce the risks in the project and create a safe workplace for all involved.
Can a BAS-U work remotely?
Thanks to digital tools and technological advances, the possibilities for BAS-U to carry out its work remotely have increased. Using digital platforms, BAS-U can monitor and coordinate health and safety issues without being physically on site every day. Project managers and BAS-U can communicate in real time and quickly share important safety documents and updates.
Remote working works particularly well in projects where it is easy to visualize the work steps or where the risks are not as complex. However, for some high-risk or complex work, physical presence may still be necessary to ensure that everything is done correctly.
It is not always easy to determine when BAS-U really needs to be physically present. In some cases, it may be obvious - for example, when particularly hazardous work is to be carried out, or when there are major changes in the working environment. At such times, BAS-U presence is important to be able to intervene quickly if something goes wrong.
