Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health – known as the health and safety authority – is the State body charged with overall responsibility for the administration, enforcement and promotion of workplace safety and health. Matters arising from this responsibility are, therefore, a day-to-day function of the authority.
I have, however, been informed by the authority that, as reported to 31 October 2002, there were 23 construction related fatalities in 2000 of which 15 were workers in the construction sector, four were workers in other sectors involved in construction activities and four were members of the public. The number of accidents in the construction sector, resulting in more than three days absence from work, reported to the authority for 2001 was 1,305.
The number of construction related fatalities reported to date for the period 1 January to 31 October 2002 is 15, of which 14 were workers in the construction sector and one was a worker in another sector involved in construction activities. The number of accidents, resulting in more than three days absence from work, reported to date for the period 1 January to 31 October 2002 is 852. In this context it should be noted that there is often a timelag in the reporting of such accidents.
Proposals to amend the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 have been developed at departmental level and are the subject of legal drafting by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The opportunity is being taken to carry out a detailed revision of the current legislative framework dealing with occupational health and safety and I expect to be in a position to introduce a safety, health and welfare at work Bill in early 2003.