The new office holders
Mar 31, 2026
Construction Site Officers: The New Responsibility Structure
By: Itzick Simon
The regulations are not content with defining responsibility at a principled level, but rather define a set of officials through whom the requirements are actually implemented on the site.
In practice, responsibility is not assessed solely by the formal division of roles, but by the manner in which those in charge act, make decisions, document, and respond to risks in real time.
This means that the role holders are not just “role holders,” but part of the project’s control and management mechanism, which may also be examined on a professional and personal level, and not just at the operational level of the site.
Safety Controller: An Independent Role with Clear Responsibilities
The safety inspector is appointed by the client. He must be a registered engineer in the civil engineering field, a registered engineer in the civil engineering field, or a holder of a valid certificate of competency as a safety inspector who has undergone industry-specific training in construction.
He cannot simultaneously serve as a foreman, site manager, or safety supervisor or in any other position at the same site.
He must schedule site visits at least during the excavation, foundation, skeleton, and finishing stages, and in addition, at a frequency of no less than once every three months. During each visit, he must review the implementation of the safety plan and the responses given to risks, including protective measures and training, and report in writing to the client and the operator within 48 hours. If he finds an unacceptable risk, he must report it immediately and in writing to the client, the operator, the site manager, and the construction manager.
Failure to conduct audits at the required frequency and stages may be considered a material breach of duty under the terms of the project's operation.
In terms of risk management, this is a role that produces ongoing and substantial documentation of the safety status on the site and how risks are handled throughout the life of the project.
The safety controller as the control arm of the work orderer
The role directly reflects the change in the structure of responsibility brought about by the regulations. For the first time, the client, who is in most cases the developer, is not left outside the control mechanism, but rather appoints a professional who acts on his behalf and reports to him regularly on the safety situation at the site.
In this way, the entrepreneur becomes an active part of the control system, and not just a factor approving the start of work.
In terms of responsibility, the meaning is twofold.
On the one hand, the safety controller acts as an independent professional entity with a duty to inspect, warn, and document.
On the other hand, the mere existence of a systematic and documented control mechanism creates a basis for examining the conduct of all parties involved in the project, including the client himself.
The role directly reflects the change in the framework of responsibility introduced by the regulations. For the first time, the party commissioning the work, usually the developer, is no longer outside the oversight mechanism. Instead, they appoint a professional who acts on their behalf and provides regular reports on site safety.
This makes the developer an active participant in the oversight system, rather than merely the party authorizing work to begin.
The implications for responsibility are twofold.
On the one hand, the safety controller acts as an independent professional with duties to inspect, warn and document.
On the other, the existence of a systematic, documented oversight mechanism provides a basis for assessing the conduct of all parties involved in the project, including the party commissioning the work itself.
In practical terms, the safety controller’s role consists of several core activities, assessed both operationally and from an evidentiary perspective:
Verifying that a safety plan exists and assessing its suitability for the project’s risks before work begins.
Reviewing the allocation of resources needed to implement the plan in practice, rather than merely confirming contractual commitments.
Conducting site inspections at key project stages and at least once every three months.
Identifying safety deficiencies and submitting written reports within prescribed timeframes.
Immediately reporting unacceptable risks to all relevant authorized parties.
Following up on corrective actions and verifying that deficiencies have actually been resolved.
Maintaining ongoing records that demonstrate how risks have been managed throughout the project’s life.
The core functions of the actual safety controller
In practical terms, the role of the safety controller boils down to a number of core actions, which are examined both at the operational and evidentiary levels:
Checking the existence of a safety plan and assessing its suitability for the project risks before work begins.
Examining the allocation of resources required for the actual implementation of the plan, not just its contractual existence
Conducting site inspections during key project stages and with a frequency of no less than once every three months
Identifying safety deficiencies and submitting written reports at set intervals
Immediate reporting of unacceptable risks to all authorized parties
Monitoring the correction of defects and verifying their actual closure
Creating ongoing documentation that allows you to prove how risks are managed throughout the life of the project
Foreman: No longer a formal role
The regulations clarify the status of the construction manager as an inspector on behalf of the construction operation for compliance with safety regulations, and as someone who performs any duty imposed on him by law. At the same time, they establish a register of construction managers open to public inspection, managed by a chief construction manager or someone appointed to do so.
The practical meaning is that validity, eligibility, and registration are not merely formal matters, but fundamental conditions for operating the site. Disqualification, deletion, or non-renewal of registration are not theoretical events. They may halt an active site, and even affect the legality of continuing work.
Furthermore, the construction manager is the central entity that holds the day-to-day operational control of the site. He is not just a “supervisor”, but the one who is required to actually ensure that the safety instructions are implemented, and that the risks are managed in real time. The gap between formal appointment and actual control is one of the significant failure points in projects. The role of the construction manager reflects the connection point between the contractual arrangement and the actual conduct on the site. While the agreements define responsibility, the construction manager is the entity that is actually required to implement it.
Therefore, in considering liability, the question is not only whether a foreman was appointed, but whether he:
Actually present on site
Authorized to make decisions
Operates independently
and implements effective control mechanisms
When these conditions are not met, the mere appointment is insufficient, and the site is run without effective risk control.
When considering responsibility, the central question is not only what was stipulated in the agreements, but who had actual control over the work and decision-making in real time.
Core duties of the acting foreman
In practical terms, the foreman's role focuses on the following activities:
Ongoing supervision of the execution of work in accordance with safety instructions and the law
Identifying risks in real time and taking actions to prevent them
Stopping work in cases of real risk or failure to meet requirements
Ensuring the existence of protective measures, training and proper work procedures
Managing the interface with the site officials, including the safety controller and other supervisors
Reporting deficiencies and incidents in accordance with legal and procedural requirements
Creating ongoing documentation of control activities and site conduct
The foreman as a test point for actual control
Site Foreman: More Than a Formal Appointment
The regulations clarify the site foreman’s role in supervising compliance with safety requirements on behalf of the party responsible for the construction works and performing all duties imposed on them by law. They also establish a publicly accessible register of site foremen, maintained by the Chief Labor Inspector or an appointed representative.
In practical terms, valid credentials, qualifications and registration are fundamental conditions for operating a construction site. Disqualification, removal from the register or failure to renew registration are not merely theoretical possibilities. They can bring an active site to a standstill and affect the legality of continuing the work.
The site foreman also exercises day to day operational control over the site. They are more than an appointed official: they must ensure that safety requirements are implemented and risks are managed in real time. The gap between formal appointment and actual control is a significant point of failure in construction projects.
The foreman’s role connects contractual arrangements with actual site practices. While agreements define responsibilities, the foreman must implement them in practice.
When assessing responsibility, the question is therefore not simply whether a site foreman was appointed, but whether they:
Are physically present on site.
Have authority to make decisions.
Act independently.
Implement effective oversight mechanisms.
Where these conditions are absent, the appointment alone is insufficient, and the site operates without effective risk control. The central question when assessing responsibility concerns both the contractual provisions and who actually controlled the work and decision making in real time.
The Site Foreman’s Core Duties in Practice
In practical terms, the site foreman’s role focuses on:
Ongoing supervision to ensure that work complies with safety requirements and the law.
Identifying risks in real time and taking preventive action.
Stopping work where there is a substantial risk or failure to meet requirements.
Ensuring that protective measures, training and proper working procedures are in place.
Coordinating with site personnel, including the safety controller and other appointed officials.
Reporting deficiencies and incidents in accordance with legal requirements and procedures.
Maintaining ongoing records of oversight activities and site operations.
Addressing an Unacceptable Risk
After the safety controller reports an unacceptable risk to the party commissioning the work under Regulation 2a(c), that party must confirm in writing, within 48 hours of the report, that the risk has been addressed. The confirmation must be provided to the party responsible for the construction works.
The 48 hours constitute the deadline for the commissioning party’s confirmation; they do not permit a risk to remain unaddressed. Regulation 2(f) requires the party responsible for the construction works to act immediately to address an unacceptable risk and update the safety plan.
Site Manager: The New Control Layer in Large Projects
At a construction site whose area according to the building permit is at least 15,000 square meters, it is mandatory to appoint a site manager. The required qualification is a registered engineer in the civil engineering branch or a registered engineer in the civil engineering branch, and he cannot also be a foreman or safety inspector at the same site.
The website administrator must, among other things:
Confirm with his signature that answers have been given to the risks during the construction stages
Conduct monitoring of the implementation of the measures at least once every 30 days and prepare a report
Confirm that the required engineering plans exist
Conduct an inspection at least once every 30 days to ensure that employee training is being provided and submit a report to the construction operation.
To order the cessation of work related to the risk if an unacceptable risk is found and resources are lacking to provide a response, and to immediately report this to the operator, the client and the safety inspector.
This is a fundamental change. The site manager is no longer a convenient coordinator. He holds a position with stopping power, documentation, and a duty to warn.
At a construction site with an area of at least 15,000 square metres, as specified in the building permit, a site manager must be appointed in accordance with the regulations.
The site manager must be a registered civil engineer or a registered practical engineer in civil engineering. They may not also serve as the site foreman or safety controller at the same site.
The site manager’s duties include:
Confirming by signature that risks have been addressed at the various construction stages.
Reviewing the implementation of risk control measures at least once every 30 days and preparing a report.
Confirming that the required engineering plans are available.
Checking at least once every 30 days that workers receive training, and submitting a report to the party responsible for the construction works.
Ordering work associated with a risk to stop if they identify an unacceptable risk and insufficient resources to address it, and immediately notifying the party responsible for the construction works, the party commissioning the work and the safety controller.
This is a substantive change. The site manager’s role extends beyond coordination: it carries the authority to stop work, documentation responsibilities and a duty to raise the alarm.
When a safety officer is appointed on site, the regulations add an additional layer of reporting to him. If he detects a safety hazard or a violation of safety instructions, he must submit a report to the foreman and the site manager, if appointed, as soon as possible, and within 48 hours at the latest. A copy of the report will be attached to the general register and will be available on site.
This means that the reporting team on the site is becoming denser, and it will be more difficult to claim in retrospect that a hazard was not reported or was unknown.
The appointment of a safety officer is not required at every site, but rather according to the scope of the activity, the type of work, and the requirements set forth in the law. However, once appointed, his role is not merely advisory, but part of a mandatory control mechanism, which creates clear reporting and documentation obligations.
The safety officer in the relationship between the officials
The integration of the safety supervisor creates a structure in which several factors operate in parallel:
The work manager – responsible for managing the actual execution and safety.
The safety inspector – conducts periodic inspections on behalf of the work client.
Safety Supervisor – Identifies risks and reports regularly as part of the safety system
This structure is not merely hierarchical, but overlapping. This means that in many cases there are several parties with a duty to identify, warn, and report the same risk.
The advantage is the strengthening of the control mechanism.
The risk is creating a lack of clarity about actual responsibility.
The point of failure: overlap without definition
When a clear division of roles is not defined between the parties:
A hazard may be identified by more than one party – but not actually addressed.
Or alternatively, each party assumes that the other is responsible for the treatment
Therefore, the mere existence of several functionaries does not guarantee better control, but rather requires a clear definition of:
Who recognizes?
Who reports?
And who is responsible for the actual care?
Safety Supervisor: An additional layer of control in the site system
Core duties of the acting safety officer
In practical terms, the role of the safety officer focuses on the following activities:
Identifying safety hazards and violations of safety instructions during work
Submitting a report to the relevant parties on site close to the date of identification, and within 48 hours at the latest
Documenting the findings and transferring them to the general ledger
Monitoring the treatment of hazards and warning in the event of failure to repair
Integration into the site's overall control system alongside the foreman and safety controller
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