Contractors will have to prioritise site safety at the design and planning level under new proposals from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and Construction Safety Partnership (CSP).
The CSP Plan 2003-2005 focuses heavily on safety at the pre-construction, design and procurement stages as well as highlighting the need for enhanced training at the pre-construction and on-site stages.
It is the second report from the body, which was created in 1999 to reduce the high levels of injuries and deaths in the construction sector.
There were 22 deaths in construction-related activity last year.
Among the proposals are the introduction of a pre-qualification safety system for contractors that will address safety as a requirement in qualifying to tender for a project.
Other proposals include the setting up of a register of project supervisors at the design, planning and construction stages to ensure only those with necessary qualifications will be recognised to hold key positions.