Safety violations plague major housing development

Construction of 150 townhouses is underway at the massive Vonsild Bakke development in southern Kolding.

The housing project promotes values of sustainability, community, and respect for nature, featuring homes designed for both families with children and seniors.

“I’m appalled”

However, the reality for construction workers is far from green. Work is being carried out under deplorable conditions, with construction workers observed performing tasks wearing flip-flops and tennis shoes.

Martin Porsborg and Mathias Mikkelsen, neighbors to the construction site, report shocking conditions at the worksite.

“When I sit on my terrace and see what’s happening out there, I’m appalled,” Martin Porsborg tells Fagbladet 3F.

Shirtless and without hearing protection

“They’re carrying heavy tiles without lifting aids or safety boots. They’re standing around in shorts, shirtless and without hearing protection, cutting with large gasoline-powered angle grinders. And they’re crawling around on roofs without fall protection or railings, running around in flip-flops and tennis shoes,” he says.

Mathias Mikkelsen adds:

“We’ve seen homemade ladders where boards have simply been screwed between two battens, and people sitting on machine forks while they’re being driven around,” he says.

The Wild West

3F Kolding has visited the construction site multiple times and encountered conditions that Mikael Noer, chairman of the construction group at 3F Kolding, describes as “The Wild West.” The union has repeatedly reported the construction site to the Danish Working Environment Authority.

Despite multiple inspections by the Working Environment Authority, construction continues undaunted under the same conditions, according to reports.

A parallel labor market

“Unfortunately, we still see players in the construction industry who speculate on circumventing regulations, at the expense of both safety and proper working conditions,” says Mikael Noer, continuing:

“It’s deeply concerning that we can see there exists a parallel labor market: One for Danes and another for foreigners.”

Behind the prestige project stands construction magnate Anders Horsbøl’s new development company, Bennu Development.