Written Answers. - Health and Safety.
Eamon Gilmore
Question:
20
Mr. Gilmore
asked the
Tánaiste
and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of persons killed and injured in accidents on building sites during 1998; if her attention has been drawn to the serious concern expressed by trade unions regarding inadequate health and safety standards; the steps, if any, she is taking to ensure improved safety standards in the construction industry; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8314/99]
The Health and Safety Authority is the State body charged with responsibility for the administration, enforcement and promotion of all workplace health and safety legislation.
A total of 26 fatalities were reported to the authority in the construction and construction maintenance sector in 1998. There were 579 non-fatal accidents in the sector reported to the authority and these are estimated to be about a quarter of all reportable injuries sustained in the sector.
The management of health and safety in all sectors of employment is based on the principles of legislation, enforcement, information and partnership. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, the 1993 General Application Regulations and the 1995 Construction Regulations all provide a strong legislative base by which safety standards in the construction sector can be managed.
This legislation is enforced in a targeted and proactive manner by the Health and Safety Authority. However, both I and the Authority are of the firm belief that for greater health and safety improvements to be brought about in the construction sector there must be a stronger partner ship approach – by all the parties at all levels in the sector – to the issue of safety.
During 1998 I launched the Construction Action Programme – this action programme was drawn up by the Health and Safety Authority after consultation with both sides of industry. The programme is designed to address the specific issues surrounding health and safety in the construction sector.
As part of the programme, a team of inspectors was established within the authority dedicated to the inspection of construction sites. The task force has been operating in the Dublin area since September 1998 and will continue to target unsafe building sites. Other elements of the action programme include the following; all public sector clients – Government Departments and their agencies – have been asked to ensure that construction contracts are only awarded to firms or contractors with a safety statement in place; the development of a code of practice and accompanying video in safe scaffolding, both of which are expected to be ready for launch shortly; the preparation of a code of practice for fragile roofs with a view to improving safety standards; leading private sector companies who participate in the authority's good neighbour scheme will be asked to focus particularly on the safety standards of contractors undertaking construction and maintenance work for them; the authority's construction safety advisory committee, which includes representatives of both sides of industry, is continuing its work, including examination of the safety, health and welfare recommendations arising from the Forum on the Construction Industry, which was established following the strategic review of the industry commissioned by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government; the committee is also considering in detail the issue of safety representation and consultation in the construction industry and it is expected that recommendations in the matter will be submitted to the Board of the Authority shortly; the role of clients in construction safety is also being examined by the advisory committee with a view to producing practical guidelines; improvements in the training of workers is another key area of concern. In this regard, FÁS has brought together various training programmes under the construction skills certification scheme. The authority has discussed with representatives of both sides of industry ways of ensuring that training initiatives such as this have a maximum take-up.
The construction action programme is an example of the pro-active approach of the authority to its statutory functions and obligations. It is a wide-ranging exercise which seeks to involve all the players, from client to workers, and to highlight their respective roles in improving site safety. In addition, the authority has continued to meet with both sides of industry as part of the drive to improve the safety culture of the construction sector at all levels.
The authority's programme of work for 1999 plans for a further 4,300 pro-active inspections in the construction sector in 1999, compared with an outcome of 4,662 in 1998, with the main focus on safety management including training; manual handling; noise control; safety in low-rise housing and welfare facilities.
Key accident prevention areas will include scaffolding, roofwork, opening and edge protection and site traffic.
Our health and safety legislation is fundamentally sound legislation which provides effective mechanisms for the proper management of workplace health and safety. Nonetheless, as the principal legislation in this area was ten years old last year, I asked the tripartite board of the Health and Safety Authority to review the legislation and report back to me on any proposals to improve it further. I look forward to receiving that report at an early date. In the meantime, the existing legislation continues to be enforced in a targeted manner by the Health and Safety Authority and is complemented by the commitment and activities of the social partners. It is through this continued commitment from all sides that we can bring about real improvement in safety standards.
