asked the Minister for Labour the directives that apply to secure the safety of persons working on youth training schemes.
Written Answers. - Youth Training Schemes.
80.
No Acts or Regulations relate specifically to the safety of persons working on such schemes. My Department is currently examining the relevance of the Safety in Industry Acts and Regulations to persons working on youth training schemes and I will take account of the result of that examination when I bring forward proposals for the reform of the safety and health system based on the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Safety, Health and Welfare at Work.
In practice, special arrangements have been made by the two principal bodies directly involved in youth training; AnCO and CERT. AnCO observes a code of safety practice which outlines minimum safety requirements for most activities conducted within training centres. Trainees attend an induction course which covers occupational safety and health. Furthermore, AnCO issues safety guidelines for community youth training programmes (CYTP) to committees and foremen stating the standards required during construction work. Before the programme starts, AnCO has responsibility for ensuring that equipment and services supplied by the sponsoring bodies of a CYTP project conform to the relevant legislation. A safety delegate, from the Safety Committee of each AnCO training centre, visits each CYTP site regularly to inspect the training conditions and to ensure that safe conditions and practices are created and observed.
Similarly, CERT ensures the safety of trainees by a range of activities which includes lectures, fire drill and first aid demonstrations, and checking of premises by a CERT training adviser.