Labor
Respect for internationally recognized worker rights in emerging markets and developing countries is vital for achieving sustainable development and reducing poverty. Infrastructure projects require numerous workers, resulting in the need for sound labor management. Policies for addressing workplace issues can have a major impact on a project's economic performance, enhance a project’s/company’s public image, strengthen its relations with government regulatory authorities and civil society groups, and enhance its ability to foster and maintain social capital and promote the economic and social welfare of local populations that might depend on the project for their livelihoods. Labor management systems for infrastructure projects should respect and protect fundamental labor rights, including the rights set forth in all agreements to which a given country is a party, comply with country laws, and strive to structure policies and practices to meet core labor rights expressed in the International Labor Organization Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. Key labor aspects in infrastructure projects include: promote the fair treatment, non-discrimination and equal opportunity of project workers; protect project workers, including vulnerable categories of workers such as women, children and migrant workers; avoid the use of forced and child labor; provide adequate conditions of employment, work conditions and social security; and adequate road transportation.
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Safety Management in the Construction Industry
Construction safety continues to benefit from new approaches and tools, along with ongoing attention to better safety management. The latest research affirms the business benefits of safety established in the two previous studies in 2012 and 2015, and it also explores emerging trends for safety, from attention to Prevention Through Design (PtD) to the ways in which technologies are helping to improve safety onsite. Benefits of Investing in Safety Since the 2012 study, results have shown that contractors experience critical benefits from their safety investments. These not only include the core project benefits on budget, schedule and quality shown in the chart at right, but also business...read more
Guía para la elaboración de planes de respuesta a desastres y de contingencia
Las directrices de este documento se basan en una variada gama de documentos producidos o utilizados por las Sociedades Nacionales, las delegaciones en el terreno, las organizaciones asociadas y los especialistas en gestión de desastres, así como en un proceso de diálogo y de recopilación de las mejores prácticas en el lapso de dos años y en los exámenes por Sociedades hermanas del Movimiento Internacional de la Cruz Roja y de la Media Luna Roja. La información facilitada en los capítulos siguientes debe considerarse más bien como un conjunto de directrices que como normas estrictas. Las prioridades de planificación diferirán según el contexto y el alcance de la situación, sea local,...read more
Good Practice Guidance on Health Impact Assessment
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) guide published by the International Council on Mining and Metals for predicting and managing the potential positive and negative health effects of policies, plans, programs and projects on local communities in the mining sector. The purpose of this guide is to: promote the use of HIA in the mining and metals sector; introduce managers and health and safety advisors to the HIA process; provide a practical resource for conducting initial in-house rapid HIAs; support the commissioning of in-depth HIAs either as stand-alone assessments or more commonly as part of Integrated Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessments (ESHIA).read more
Addressing Grievances from Project-Affected Communities
International Finance Corporation report on mechanism to address affected communities’ concerns and complaints as a pillar of the stakeholder engagement process, creating opportunities for companies and communities to identify problems and discover solutions together. The concepts of social risk management and social license to operate have become an integral part of doing business in emerging markets. These dimensions of a company’s social and environmental strategy can be achieved with effective stakeholder engagement, based on the active participation of and feedback from groups affected by the company’s operations. Grievance mechanisms can help to reach these objectives. Where it is...read more
Al menos nueve muertos por el derrumbe de un puente en Colombia
Al menos nueve personas han muerto y tres han resultado heridas por el desplome de un puente en construcción que iba a conectar Bogotá, la capital de Colombia, con Villavicencio, una ciudad al sureste del país. La Unidad de Gestión de Riesgos, presente en el lugar del derrumbe, ha confirmado que ya no se buscan más desaparecidos. La infraestructura iba a inaugurarse el próximo marzo. El accidente ha ocurrido este lunes en una región conocida como Chirajara, un área muy montañosa donde se construye la doble calzada de la carretera Bogotá-Villavicencio, que a lo largo de sus 120 kilómetros incluye decenas de viaductos y túneles para salvar la complicada orografía de la zona. El puente de tipo...read more