Committment Reviewed To Reduce Workplace Deaths

Mr Tony Killeen, the Minister for Labour Affairs, delivering the opening address at the Construction Safety Summit has stressed the need to reduce workplace deaths and injuries.

At the summit, jointly organised by the Construction Industry Federation, Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Health & Safety Authority, the Minister stressed the need to “renew commitment to reduce workplace deaths and injury in the sector” in the face of a rise in fatalities on Irish construction sites in the last year.

In 2005, 23 people lost their lives in accidents on construction sites; this puts the Construction Industry second only to the agricultural sector as the most dangerous place to work.

Minister Killeen signalled the imminent delivery of the awaited Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations. These regulations have been subject to a comprehensive public and stakeholder consultation during the drafting process at the Health & Safety Authority.

The regulations are expected to be signed into law in the next 2-3 months.

The Minister cautioned that the new regulations will tighten controls to ensure that existing loopholes are closed and that no offenders escape from the rigours of the law.

Minister Killeen urged the industry to face new challenges to occupational health and safety: “We must also take account of the changes in the workplace arising from use of new technologies, the growing number of non-Irish national workers on work sites, through the increasingly mobile nature of the workforce and the changing nature of the accidents and injuries suffered on sites to name but a few."

In 2005, the Construction Sector employed over 240,000 workers, an increase of 70,000 on 2001 figures, and erected almost 81,000 homes. The Minister expressed concern that “a whole new set of problems” was emerging from this success and suggested that the industry now had the opportunity to be the first to formalise a Joint Safety Agreement under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.

On-the-spot fines are also set to be introduced by regulations currently being prepared by the Health & Safety Authority. These regulations are expected before the Board of the Authority in the coming months.

(CD)