Frances Fitzgerald
Ceist:65 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps she has taken to improve the safety record on building sites; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17866/00]
Written Answers. - Health and Safety Regulations.
The administration, enforcement and promotion of occupational health and safety legislation is a day-to-day matter for the national authority for occupational safety and health, known as the Health and Safety Authority.
The proper management of workplace 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 and should be managed. Good management of health and safety on a day-to-day basis is the responsibility of the employer in the same way as quality management or financial management comes within the remit of an employer.
Earlier this year, I secured Government sanction to allow the authority to increase its staff numbers in 2000. Of 20 new inspectors being recruited by the authority, nine are intended for assignment to the construction sector. These additional resources will be a valuable asset and the authority plans to be able to double the rate of construction industry site inspections by the end of this year. I also secured additional funding for the authority for this year to enable it to undertake awareness-raising activities with regard to workplace health and safety and some of this campaign will be specifically targeted at the construction sector.
I would point out, however, that the activity of the authority is but one element in the drive to improve safety standards in all sectors of employment. While the primary statutory duty of care to ensure a safe place of work rests with the employer, joint responsibility, commitment and participation, from all sides, is necessary to foster safe work practices at ground level. Nowhere is this more vital than in the construction sector.
Such a partnership approach is the construction safety partnership which I launched in October last year and which resulted in turn in the launch of the construction safety partnership plan on 28 February 2000. The plan focuses on improved worker safety representation on site, safety training for all in the industry, structured skills training and other measures. These measures, will be strongly supported and implemented under the guidance of the Construction Industry Federation, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, FÁS, the Health and Safety Authority and the other participants in the construction safety partnership. It is recommended that these measures become mandatory in the future. It is intended that all workers in the construction sector will be covered by the plan.
Given that the plan is based on a partnership approach, all the parties to the plan will be contributing as appropriate to its implementation. The partnership will meet on a quarterly basis initially during the first year of the plan to oversee the implementation of the recommendations as well as provide a policy focus for other related consultative structures in the industry.