All-Ireland construction safety agreement reached

A historic agreement that will ensure higher safety standards in the construction industry and facilitate increased labour mobility for workers in the sector has been reached.

The Joint Council for the Building and Civil Engineering Industry (Northern Ireland) and FAS, the Training and Employment Authority for the Republic of Ireland, have signed an agreement will ensure the mutual recognition of the health and safety training element of the CSR Scheme and the 'Safepass' Programme. Both safety programmes focus on training all construction site personnel in the prevention of accidents in the sector.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Joint Council spokesperson, Tony Doran, said: "This is a further example of the industry co-operating in both the North and the South to improve the quality and standards of operatives in the industry and the service we offer to our clients. 'Safepass' has been very successful because of the statutory requirements that are in place in the Republic. We would call on Government here to follow suit to ensure that further accidents and fatalities can be averted."

Chief Executive of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Allan McMullen added that he hoped the signing of the document would lead to greater mobility of the workforce.

He added: "Fatalities in the construction sector are a sombre reminder to us that the need for construction safety training has never been greater."

(CL)