Knesset bill seeks to shutter unsafe construction sites

When the Knesset returns from its summer recess at the end of October, one of the bills set for approval will aim to tackle the issue of work accidents at construction sites.

It will set out to attain that goal by enforcing an automatic closure at any site where a worker dies or is seriously injured, as well as by punishing with fines or prison terms owners who don’t correct safety issues.

The rate of worker deaths in Israel is among the highest in the West and double that of the European Union average, according to the findings of an Economy Ministry and National Insurance Institute report published in May.

Sponsored by MKs Eli Alalof (Kulanu), Eyal Ben-Reuven (Zionist Union) and Abd al-Hakim Hajj Yahya (Joint Arab List), the bill also stipulates that during any closure, construction workers would continue to be paid.

In July, the Knesset Labor Welfare and Health Committee approved the bill for a second and third reading in the Knesset plenum.

— Stuart Winer