The construction industry is one of the most dangerous sectors. The incidence of fatalities, injuries and illnesses to construction workers are among the highest in most of the countries. With a view to preventing accidents and diseases among workers in the construction industry, in 1988 the International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Safety and Health in Construction Convention (No. 167), and Recommendation (No. 175).

This document was elaborated for the International Training Centre of the ILO by Mr. Luis Alves Dias,Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture of Instituto Superior Técnico -Technical University of Lisbon and an international OSH expert in construction. We thank Mr. Luis Alves Dias for the preparation of this handbook and the Government of Italy for the financial support which made this publication possible.