THIRTY-THREE of Singapore's biggest contractors, property developers and associations have pledged to keep their worksites injury-free by 2011.

Their chief executive officers and top suits will lead in the attempt to cut the number of injuries on their worksites by putting in place safety management plans and spreading the safety message from top management down to the last man on the line, among other measures.

They signed this pledge at the Construction CEO Summit on Tuesday, witnessed by Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong.

'By signing the Charter, these CEOs acknowledge that the management's priorities go beyond traditional business concerns to include safety performance,' said Mr Gan.

He also unveiled new guidelines to design, build, maintain and demolish buildings at the event held at The Regent Hotel.

The 'Design for Safety' guidelines, modelled after Britain's Construction, Design and Management (CDM) regulations, are aimed at removing risks at every stage of construction.

Mr Gan said the guidelines will 'eliminate risks at the source' by 'factoring in risks and safety considerations at the planning stage.'

For instance, a designer should specify the use of less hazardous materials like water-based paints during construction or design safe access to rooftops to reduce the use of scaffolds and ladders.

The guidelines also stipulate that the appointment of a project safety and health coordinator to oversee the project from start till end.