Address by Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs at the Launch of the 'Health and Safety Annual Report 2000' in the Health and Safety Authority, Hogan Place on Tuesday, 19th June 2001

Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to be here today to receive the 2000 Annual Report from Frank Cunneen on behalf of the Board, Management and staff of the Health and Safety Authority.

I welcome this Report which is a well presented record of the work undertaken by the Authority during 2000 and provides an opportunity to focus on the specific achievements of the Authority, and the general advancements being made to improve health and safety standards in all workplaces. As in other years, last year, was a productive and challenging year for the Authority and one in which, I am pleased to see, that the majority of the Authority’s targets were met, and many exceeded.

While the public role of the Authority will most often manifest itself through inspection and enforcement activities, this Annual Report also draws out the legislative, promotional, educational and awareness-raising activities undertaken by the Authority. It is clear from the range of issues covered in this Report, that there is a huge diversity of functions and responsibilities that come within the remit of the Authority.

The traditional sectors of construction, farming and mines and quarries continue to require targeted attention and actions, while other areas also requiring attention include occupational health, stress and bullying. It is also worth bearing in mind that, given that the clientele of the Authority includes every employer and employee in the country, the balancing of this diversity of functions, and of the demands placed upon the Authority, requires careful and strategic planning and management.

For my own part, I was particularly pleased to be able to secure a substantial increase in staffing and financial resources for the Authority in 2000. This increase placed the Authority in a much stronger position going forward than in any other year since its establishment.

The statistical information section of the Report for 2000 has been expanded to provide additional analysis on complaints received. This new section will be an invaluable source of information in helping to develop strategic sectoral approaches to ensuring safer workplaces.

The Report shows that a large proportion of complaints (more than one in three) related to construction activities. While this may be, in part, due to the fact that construction activities are, by their nature, highly visible to the public, we must also recognise that this figure is indicative of a high-risk sector attracting a significant degree of public concern about its safety standards. This has been taken into account in the Authority’s programme of activities for this year, where construction safety has again been prioritised in terms of the inspector and other resources allocated to it. I was pleased to receive recently the first Progress Report of the Construction Safety Partnership. The Report details the progress made in relation to this area over the last 12 months, in particular the initiation of the Safety Representatives Pilot Project, the undertaking of a major training programme for safety officers and safety managers, increased inspection by the HSA, the establishment of a Joint ICTU/CIF Safety Council in addition to the development of legislative amendments to the existing construction regulations.

Agriculture was another sector which, again, received priority attention in 2000. I was pleased to have the opportunity to work closely with the Authority in promoting farm safety, and in particular, child safety on farms throughout the summer months of last year. While the number of child fatalities fell significantly from 9 in 1999 to 2 in 2000, this is an area which still requires ongoing vigilance and attention as the figures so far this year show. I would like to take this opportunity to again appeal for the utmost care in this area now that we are at the start of the school summer holiday period.

The Annual Report also contains, for the first time, a breakdown of occupational injury statistics on a regional basis and again the value of this information is that it can be used to inform and develop targeted regional strategies. The Authority is fortunate in that its already established network of offices throughout the country and its regional advisory committees, places it in a position to continue to develop and implement targeted approaches to preventing workplace accidents at regional level.

The inspection and enforcement role continues to be a primary function for the Authority and in fact, the number of inspections carried out by the Authority increased by 56% to more than 13,700, while enforcement action also increased significantly. However, as I have said before, the Health and Safety Authority is not just about enforcement. The Authority has long since recognised the importance of a proactive approach to encouraging the development of a health and safety culture within companies. This Report sets out the actions taken by the Authority, with a view to developing a preventative and partnership approach to workplace health and safety.

Examples of this type of approach in 2000, were the establishment of the Safe Working Towns Campaigns, which has been further extended this year, and the initiation of the Millennium Awards Scheme. These campaigns are a good example of the Authority’s commitment to the promotion of regional safety in a sustainable manner.

The Millennium Awards Scheme is aimed at organisations that have developed innovative workplace health and safety projects and the objective of the Scheme is to encourage the development of practical and cost-effective ways of reducing the risk of injury or ill health. This initiative represents the essence of good health and safety management in that it focuses on prevention. It provides an opportunity for organisations with innovative safety ideas to share their expertise, and by promoting "best practice" solutions, to directly influence a reduction in workplace accidents. I welcome the continuation of the Award Scheme this year, and I commend the Authority for their role in this regard.

Last year also saw the completion of a comprehensive review of the structure and organisation of the Health and Safety Authority. The review was initiated against the background of the tenth anniversary of the Authority with this being seen as an appropriate time to evaluate the shape and direction of the Authority. The review was also particularly timely given that the rapidly changing work environment and the consistently growing labour force have placed increased and varied demands upon the Authority’s resources and responses. The recommendations of the review have been endorsed, in principle, by the Board of the Authority and I have asked the Board to prepare a detailed phased and costed implementation plan which I look forward to receiving in the near future.

In relation to the review of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, I was pleased to receive recently the Board’s Submission and Recommendations on the outcome of its review of the Act. This Submission is presently being examined by my Department with a view to developing appropriate legislative proposals.

The activities outlined in this Annual Report not only provide a clear indication of the sheer volume of activities, undertaken by the Authority on an ongoing basis, but also highlight the Authority’s commitment to a partnership approach to health and safety.

While there can be no doubt that in recent years there has been an increase in the levels of awareness of occupational safety and health issues, and an increase in the sense of partnership between all parties concerned in the drive to improve safety standards, the fact remains that one death in the workplace, in any sector, is one too many. Accident prevention is everyone’s responsibility, from the board room to the shop floor and we must continue to work together to encourage active participation on the ground in the campaign of accident prevention.

I commend the Board, Management and Staff of the Authority for their work in 2000 in achieving the targets set out in this report, and I welcome the new staff who joined the Authority and who also contributed to the progress made. This Annual Report is a good overview of all of your collective achievements over the past year and I wish you success during the year ahead.

I would also like to compliment the staff involved with the publication of this report. I am pleased to accept it and I look forward to examining it in more detail in the future.