Construction-site safety: the amendment taking effect in October 2026

To an apartment buyer, site safety looks like a matter for the contractor and the workers, not for them. That is legally true and practically false: a site halted by an accident or a stop-work order is a site that does not hand over apartments on time.

The framework is the Work Safety (Construction Works) Regulations, 5748-1988, and they have received a substantial amendment:

Who carries the duties: the construction executor

The regulations do not place the duty on the site or on the company in the abstract. They place it on the construction executor, who is treated as the occupier of the factory under the Work Safety Ordinance. That party must:

• Appoint a works manager and the further role-holders the regulations define.
• Approve and sign the safety plan and keep it current.
• Notify the regional labour inspector — of the commencement of work, including the appointment of a safety inspector; of the completion of work; and of any change of role-holder.
• Ensure the presence and supervision of the works manager or site manager, and provide the required resources.

That distinction connects directly to the question of who sells and who builds. Explained in the article on development versus execution.

The two new roles

Safety inspector — carries out periodic site inspections, checks that the safety plan is being implemented and reports risks. The appointment forms part of the commencement notice, so the role is not added after the fact but exists from day one.

Site manager — responsible for controlling implementation of the safety plan, worker training and approving engineering drawings. Here there is a number that triggers the duty: a site of 15,000 sq m or more. Below that the duty does not arise.

Precision warning: the amendment comes into force in October 2026, so the requirements — and in particular the powers and qualifications for the new roles — will be implemented gradually across the market. Any specific duty or qualification is checked in the text of the regulations themselves and with the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health, not in an article.

What it says about a company, and how to check

Safety is not a figure published in a table, so companies cannot be ranked on it from the internet. What can be checked are three figures that intersect with it:

1. The contractor classification — branch, grade and scope. It is checked in the contractors' register and is a condition for bidding in public tenders. Explained in the article on contractor classification.
2. A quality management standard — ISO 9001:2015 is not a safety standard, but it does require defined processes, documentation and a mechanism for handling non-conformities. Explained in the article on ISO 9001:2015.
3. A history of work for public bodies — work for a local authority or a budgeted institution passes through a tender, a classification requirement and the client's own supervision. The list is in the article on the public buildings.

None of the three measures safety directly. Together they measure whether a company has a system — and a system is what safety requires.

The three figures above are checked alongside what is actually visible on site — fencing, signage, helmets, order, and who is present during working hours.

What a buyer can ask, and why it concerns them

1. Who the construction executor is — the registered name, not the brand name.
2. Who the works manager on site is — that role has a specific holder, not "someone from the company".
3. What the site's area is — above 15,000 sq m a site manager is required.
4. Whether notice was filed with the regional labour inspector — that is a duty, not a practice.
5. What the delay clause in the contract says — a stop-work order or a safety incident moves a handover date, and the contractual consequence sits in that clause. Explained in the article on late handover.

The company's projects, by field and status, are on the projects page, and the sale documents are available through the contact page.