The environmental concern has become the top trend nowadays and the ideas of environmental protection, green orientation and green innovation, highly concern from the last few decades in all research areas. The construction industry is one of those that has a very strong impact on the environment. Air, water, noise and vibration, as well as soil pollution caused during construction processes, negatively impact on the environment and its natural ecosystems, as well as on humans at a global level. Construction waste generated during the construction, renovation and demolition process occupies huge landfills due to significant volumes. It may also contain substances that are hazardous to the environment and human health. This paper summarizes the research results on the possibilities for more efficient construction waste management as well as the experience of companies operating in the construction sector with a purpose to reduce the causes of pollution. The data obtained within the framework of the survey on people’s understanding in the field of construction pollution and waste in Latvia have been analyzed. The main goal of the study is to present the main findings of the authors’ survey and to discuss the current construction waste management challenges and potential innovations in Latvia. The authors used the following research methods: literature review, analysis of statistical data; questionnaire creation and conduction a survey; interviews with waste management companies. The research was conducted during the period from October 2019 to July 2020. The obtained results showed that there was a huge potential for innovation because the current situation was far from ideal. The results of an empirical analysis demonstrated that the collection of sorted construction waste on construction sites currently was practically impossible, as the industry points to the human factor in the waste sorting process. Although the data obtained within the framework of the survey clearly indicated the interest of employees in sorting construction waste already on the construction site, waste industry companies currently consider such a practice impossible also due to the influence of other side factors related to economic considerations. It is necessary to develop a normative framework for the implementation of the construction waste certification system to promote the reuse of construction waste in construction as efficiently as possible. Keywords construction waste, management of technological innovation, environmental management, Latvia, sustainable development.

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The aim of the paper is to identify in the construction sector problems associated with the work at height arising from incorrect or insufficient planning and use of collective protective equipment, to provide practical proposals for the improvement of collective protection measures at construction sites. Practical suggestions for the improvement of collective protection measures at construction sites are presented in the paper: the system has been developed as a solution of for collective protection means to be foreseen and included in the project report. Practical solutions for collective protection measures are presented. A structural flowchart of the labour protection system at the construction site has been developed in order to ensure the control of the availability and technical condition of collective protection equipment as well as their advance planning and informing of the employees.

The article considers Latvian Civil Defence System (hereinafter referred to as CD), how it works in cases of possible threats, how CS system protects the safety of people and national economy as well as the interests of the entire society in case of a catastrophe; types of CD system safety measures, provision thereof, what processes affect CD system in Riga; attitude of responsible state institutions towards national safety system and environment. Based on the abovementioned, we will review how the society itself has influenced its own safety and based on its outcome we will see what protection measures should be provided from the standpoint of safe human and social life, why the drawbacks, deficiencies and indifferent attitude are allowed in relation to the safety system processes in the country and Riga. In the aspect of CD regulatory enactments methodology, an attempt is made to explain the current drawbacks in safety processes of tasks to be fulfilled by the municipality by means of calculations thus identifying the reasons that all emergency situations, breakdowns, catastrophes resulting from technogenic and natural risks depend on the attitude of state institutions, local governments and the society towards the safety, and on general economic situation.

Abstract. The aim of the study is to assess and improve the safety and health of workers at work. In order to achieve this goal, the labour protection system was analyzed at a management company (Zemgale Division).The authors used the risk assessment methods often applied in Latvia, survey of employees and have developed recommendations for improving the labour protection system. Ergonomic risk assessment methods and psychoemotional factors have been analyzed. Based the analysis of the obtained results, proposals were developed for improvement of the labour protection system, which may be suitable also for other companies.