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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Sep 1999

Vol. 508 No. 1

Written Answers. - Health and Safety Regulations.

Nora Owen

Ceist:

161 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of deaths and injuries recorded in the building industry to date in 1999; the number of inspectors available to carry out inspections in the construction industry; the number of inspectors available for other responsibilities under health and safety legislation; if the extra staff promised in November 1998 to the Health and Safety Authority has actually been provided; if so, when this occurred; the other plans, if any, she has for additional inspectors to be made available; the consideration she has given to the workers' requests to appoint a safety auditor on each site; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17779/99]

David Stanton

Ceist:

168 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Authority; the number of these inspectors involved in a full-time or part-time capacity respectively whose work involves supervision and inspection of construction sites; the number of construction sites operating; the number of sites inspected by health and safety inspectors in the past 12 months; the action, if any, she has taken or will take to increase the number of inspectors and improve the resources of the Health and Safety Authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18344/99]

David Stanton

Ceist:

169 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of fatalities in the construction industry in each of the past five years; the number of reported injuries; the specific measures, if any, she has taken or intends to take to improve safety on building sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18391/99]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 161, 168 and 169 together.

The administration, enforcement and promotion of occupational health and safety legis lation is a day-to-day matter for the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health, known as the Health and Safety Authority.
Statistical information concerning the number of fatalities, injuries and inspections in any work sector is collected by the Health and Safety Authority and is therefore obtainable directly from the authority at 10 Hogan Place, Dublin 2, as is information on the number of construction sites in operation at present and the level of construction site inspection.
I have, however, been informed by the authority that the number of fatalities and injuries reported to the authority in the construction industry over the past five years are as follows:–

Fatal

Non-Fatal

1994

10

233

1995

13

266

1996

14

349

1997

15

492

1998

28

664

1999 (to date)

12

486

The recruitment of staff to the authority, and the designation of duties to those staff, is also a day-to-day matter for the authority and I have no function in this regard. However, I have asked the authority to carry out an in-depth review of all its present and projected staffing needs in the context of its statutory remit and responsibilities. This review will form the basis for detailed discussions with relevant Government colleagues on the question of additional resources for the authority. The Health and Safety Authority has a sanctioned staff complement of 132, 13 of which were sanctioned late last year. The authority undertook an extensive recruitment campaign earlier this year to fill all sanctioned posts. Offers of employment have now been made in respect of all of the advertised posts.
The Health and Safety Authority is also, at my request, currently undertaking a review of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, and associated legislation, and I expect to receive proposals from the authority before the end of the year on any improvements in the legislation that may be considered necessary, including the provisions relating to safety consultation/safety representation and enforcement. The latter issue is also being examined by the Health and Safety Authority through its advisory committee on construction safety, on which both sides of employment and other interests in the sector are represented and I expect the committee's findings and recommendations to be considered in the context of the overall review of the legislation.
I have recently met with representatives of both sides of industry and in the course of discussions have emphasised the need for a joint approach towards developing an appropriate and workable system of worker safety representation within the construction sector. I am firmly of the belief that one of the key means of promoting greater awareness of health and safety in the sector, and in improving standards, is that of ensuring that effective dialogue and co-operation takes place between all the relevant parties on site. Discussions involving both sides, facilitated by the Health and Safety Authority, are currently on-going with a view to reaching agreement on a site safety project.
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