Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Nov 1998

Vol. 495 No. 7

Written Answers. - Health and Safety Regulations.

Emmet Stagg

Ceist:

63 Mr. Stagg asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if her Department has undertaken any action to reduce the death rate on building sites in view of the number of deaths in 1998; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21129/98]

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. T. Kitt)

I assure the Deputy that I share the concerns of both the public and the Dáil in relation to the continuing high rate of accidents and fatalities in the construction sector. However, I should point out that the Health and Safety Authority is responsible for the day-to-day enforcement of health and safety legislation.

The approach which is taken to the management of occupational health and safety is based on the principles of legislation, enforcement, information and partnership.

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989 is the principal piece of legislation dealing with occupational health and safety. It sets out in clear and unambiguous terms the responsibilities which both employers and employees have in relation to providing and maintaining a safe working environment. This Act is comprehensive in its application — it applies to all places of work and all employers, employees and self-employed are covered by this Act.

The 1995 construction regulations implement a European Union directive concerning minimum safety and health requirements on construction sites. These regulations constitute one of the most detailed pieces of legislation dealing with any one specific industry. The regulations introduce the concept of a chain of responsibility thus making health and safety an integral part of construction work from inception through to completion, and they place very specific obligations on all the participants, i.e., clients, designers, contractors, employers and employees.

Legislation, however, needs to be enforced in a targeted and structured manner if it is to be really effective. Earlier this summer, I launched a new Construction Action Programme, drawn up by the Health and Safety Authority, and aimed specifically at addressing the health and safety situation in the construction sector. This programme includes the setting up of a dedicated team of construction inspectors within the authority. This team is now operational and the inspectors have been targeting unsafe building sites. I have also written to all my Government colleagues asking them to ensure that where public sector construction contracts are being awarded, the firm or contractor in question has a safety statement, as required under the 1989 Act.

In addition, the authority's advisory committee on construction safety, on which the key players in the construction industry are represented, is also actively seeking to address safety in the industry. It has produced a code of practice and video on safe work with scaffolding which will be launched shortly. It is also in the process of establishing sub-groups to consider the whole issue of consultation in the construction industry and to draw up improved guidelines for clients on their responsibilities for safety on their sites.

I have also recently sanctioned the recruitment of an extra 13 staff to the Health and Safety Authority. This is in addition to the seven previously sanctioned for this year and is a total increase of 20 personnel or 18 per cent. This is an indication of the firm commitment of this Government to protecting the health and safety of our workforce.

The total staff complement in the authority will now be 132, a significant boost to the resources of the authority. This will put it in a better position to meet the ever increasing demands being placed upon it and to continue to approach all of its work in a targeted and structured manner.

In addition, I recently met with trade union and employer representative bodies in order to discuss my concerns on the issue of construction site safety. At these meetings, both sides outlined to me the considerable extent of the activities which they themselves have undertaken to promote safety on building sites. Over 8,500 construction workers have received on-site training under the auspices of the construction safety mobile training unit. The unit is sponsored by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Construction Industry Federation, the Health and Safety Authority and FÁS and is an excellent example of the value and benefit of a co-operative partnership approach to a shared concern.

Our health and safety legislation is fundamentally good legislation which provides effective mechanisms for the proper management of workplace health and safety. It is enforced in a targeted and pro-active manner by the Health and Safety Authority. It is complemented by the commitment and activities of the social partners. What I would like to see, however, is a stronger promotion at individual site level of the approach to safety which is espoused by the national representative bodies of the social partners. Where legal obligations are not being adhered to nor forthcoming on a voluntary basis they will be pursued by the Health and Safety Authority in the courts.

Finally, I would like to remind the Deputy that I have already asked the board of the authority to conduct a general review of the 1989 legislation in the context of the tenth anniversary of its enactment and I look forward to the outcome of that review in due course.