Address by Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs at the North/South Launch of the Construction Safety Management System Certification Schemeon 25th October, 2000 at the Ballymacscallon Hotel, Dundalk.

Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, and thank you for inviting me here to the launch of the Construction Safety Management System Certification Scheme. I always welcome any initiative which aims to improve safety in the construction sector and, indeed, I also welcome any initiative which will develop and improve north-south co-operation and relations, and when the two dovetail, such as in this case, it is all the more welcome.

Achieving good standards of health and safety on construction sites is not always necessarily an easy task for the industry. But it is, however, an attainable task. Dealing with the constantly changing working conditions on site represents a challenge for all of the industry representatives. The desirability of developing a Safety Management System is referred to in the recommendations of both the Forum for the Construction Industry and the Construction Safety Partnership. Both of these Programmes underpin and highlight the need to address safety issues in the construction sector in a holistic and broad-based manner, rather than the crisis-based response which has been the case so often in the past. I know that the Construction Industry Federation is involved, and committed, to both fora and I commend the Federation for taking on board its collective responsibility in making the construction sector a safer place to work.

The main reason for ensuring adequate on-site safety should not simply be to avoid prosecution, but it should be to avoid loss of life and the occurrence of injuries to construction workers. It is, however, over simplistic to present safety problems in the construction sector as being solely as a result of non-compliance with safety legislation by unscrupulous employers. The reality is that employers and the workers and the State all have a finely balanced role to play.

In this regard while comprehensive and appropriate workplace health and safety legislation is essential, proper guidance and information is also necessary. A Safety Management System such as this one can provide a tangible standard of safety which all construction companies can strive to achieve. Its relevance will lie in its applicability at the level of the construction site and the independent auditing of the Scheme will help to ensure that it is indeed "best practice" that is being employed.

With dedicated effort from all sides I believe that we can achieve lasting and genuine improvements in construction safety. This launch is yet another step in the right direction. In relation to my own area of responsibility, the establishment of the Construction Safety Partnership, the development of the Construction Safety Partnership Plan and the progress being made in implementing the recommendations of that Plan, in particular, the launch of the FAS Safe Pass Scheme and the development of the Safety Representatives project are all, I believe, helping to change the culture surrounding safety in the sector.

In addition the Health and Safety Authority, which is the Irish State Agency with responsibility for the enforcement and promotion of workplace health and safety legislation, is aiming to double construction site inspections in 2000 as a result of the additional resources which I secured for it earlier this year. The Authority is also working on amending the construction regulations to introduce mandatory training for all workers, and to address the issue of safety representation on construction sites. Again these are moves which will have long-term benefit for safety in the sector.

The Construction Industry, and its workforce, is one of the largest industrial sectors in the South of Ireland and contributes significantly to the national economy. It is critical to future prosperity and success, and to the improvement of the economic and social infrastructure. It is also one of the largest employers and therefore it behoves the industry to set a positive example in providing the highest of health and safety standards. It is estimated that there will be 170,000 in direct employment in the construction sector in the Republic at the end of this year. This is far too many people to put at risk, either in the short-term or the long-term.

So, yes, progress is being made, but the challenge now is to maintain this progress and the 16 fatalities in the construction sector in the South, so far this year, are testament to the fact that health and safety in the construction sector is still literally a life and death issue, and there is no room for complacency.Thank you.