Seán Crowe
Ceist:17 Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the steps he is taking to reduce the number of workplace fatalities. [27324/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 7 June 2012
Ceisteanna (20)
Freagraí scríofa
The Health and Safety Authority — an Agency of my Department — is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated statutory provisions.
To date this year, 17 workplace deaths have been reported to the Authority. 54 workplace fatalities were reported for the whole of 2011.
Every workplace fatality is a tragedy. In that context, there is an obligation on everybody — Government, employers and employees alike — to play their part in helping to reduce the numbers of these tragedies.
The agriculture sector continues to have a disproportionately high number of fatalities. In 2011, of the 54 fatalities reported to the Authority, 22 occurred in agriculture and the Authority has again identified this as a high-risk sector in its 2012 Programme of Work where 3,000 farm inspections are planned this year. The construction sector will also remain a strong focus of attention.
The data so far this year shows a reduction of 32% in fatal incidents compared to the same period last year and a 23% reduction in non-fatal incidents. Hopefully, this improvement can be maintained.
The HSA's Programme of Work also outlines a comprehensive range of activities to make workplaces safer and strikes a balance between prevention, advice and enforcement activity, at a period of tighter resource constraints.
To promote smarter compliance, the Authority publishes Guidelines, Codes of Practice, web based compliance tools and other advice on workplace safety on a regular basis as well as organising sectoral seminars or conferences to promote the occupational safety and health message, as part of its advocacy role. These activities, together with the information on the Authority's website, are of critical importance to all those in the workplace as we work to improve workplace safety generally.
It is, however, important to stress that day-to-day responsibility for workplace safety rests with those in the workplace in the first instance. Safe workplaces can ultimately only be delivered by those who control and work in them, that is, by employers and employees working together. Even in these challenging economic times, it is important that we all maintain a strong focus on workplace safety.