I am pleased to be here this morning to launch the Health and Safety Authority’s Work Programme for 2001.

As in previous years, this is a comprehensive document which reflects the diversity of demands which are now placed upon the Authority. In line with the Government’s Strategic Management Initiative, the Authority continues each year to measure its performance by setting challenging, but realistic targets for itself. This Programme of Work is the starting point for this year containing as it does, detailed information in relation to the Authority’s targets. I look forward to seeing these targets reflected when the Authority produces its Annual Report for this year so that we can measure them against the actual work which was undertaken during the year.

But I can see that the Programme of Work we are launching here today is different to those launched in previous years. The style, layout and content have changed significantly which enhances the publication from a reader’s perspective. But this is not, however, mere window dressing as the Work Programme also contains useful statistical information including a breakdown of key accident data.

Frank has referred to some of the key themes which have been prioritised in this year’s programme and it is clear that much important work is being done. The Work Programme with which I have been presented here today prioritises high-risk sectors and targets inspection resources at those organisations or employers who do not take their legal and moral responsibilities in this area seriously. The planned 14,300 inspections are intended to reduce the toll on individuals, businesses and the national economy from preventable workplace injuries.

The high-risk sectors of agriculture and construction are being prioritised again this year. There continues to be a high rate of fatal accidents and injuries in these sectors and it is, of course, entirely right that the Authority should target both sectors for particular attention.

The year 2000 was an extremely successful one in raising the level of awareness of workplace health and safety issues in the construction and agriculture sectors. However, I know the Authority is now keen to build on this increased awareness level and move key audiences from awareness to action.

As such, the promotional campaign planned for 2001 is very much an action-based one, with a range of activities which inform the public not only of the major health and safety issues, but also of the practical actions that they can, and should, take to create a safer working environment in these sectors.

The Code of Practice on Child Safety and the planned Farm Safety Action Week are just two of the measures which I expect will achieve this aim in the farming sector. I expect also that the Construction Safety Partnership will continue to provide a focus for a joint approach to tackling health and safety in the construction sector by overseeing the implementation of the three-year construction safety plan which I launched in February of last year.

One of the main activities undertaken by the Authority is of course its Annual Conference. This year’s conference will be the seventh joint conference to be co-hosted by the Authority and its counterparts in Northern Ireland, the HSEni. It will be an action based Conference. Under the banner of "A Stitch in Time – Preventing Accidents in the Workplace", it aims to provide practical solutions to persistent health and safety problems so that the level of workplace accidents can be reduced.

Another highlight of the year will be European Safety Week, which, this year, will also adopt this action-based theme of Accident Prevention. Accident prevention is the key factor in any discussion or debate about health and safety. The Guidelines on Safety Statements in the farming sector should provide the necessary technical know-how to enable all farmers to carry out detailed risk assessments and put them in writing, while the extended Good Neighbour scheme will, as in previous years, encourage a range of activities designed with the theme of accident prevention in mind.

I am also pleased to see that the Safe Working campaign is being expanded this year to include Ennis, Monaghan, Dundalk, Kilkenny, Enniscorthy, Arklow and Tullamore. I understand that based on the experience gained in the pilot phase of this scheme a revised format is being proposed which should allow for increased benefit and participation at local level. I would encourage all employers, employees, and anyone with an interest in the field of health and safety in each of these towns to ensure that they take advantage of the opportunities which these campaigns offer.

While the traditional so-called problem sectors of construction and agriculture will continue to make the headlines, a more thorough examination of the Authority’s activities shows that less traditional health and safety issues are also very prominent in this Work Programme. Workplace health and safety has physical, medical and psychological elements and stress, violence and bullying in the workplace are as detrimental to the safety, health and welfare of a worker as any physical hazard and will continue to be tackled in 2001. The Task Force on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying, which I set up, is completing its work under the Chairmanship of Dr. Eileen Doyle and I look forward to receiving its report in the near future.

The development of a stress checklist and the piloting of this checklist in five companies should enable the Authority to build up its expertise in this area which heretofore has been little studied. Likewise, the establishment of a Working Group to review smoking at work and the noise inspection programme in places of entertainment will enable the Authority to develop a picture of the extent of these problems in the workplace and thus facilitate an effective response to these important issues. The Health Services Advisory Committee will also produce its report and I am pleased to see will be follow-up meetings with the Chief Executive Officers of the Health Authorities to ensure that the Advisory Committee’s recommendations are effectively implemented.

Other activities that the Authority will involve itself in, throughout 2001, include the 2nd scheme of Awards for Health and Safety Innovation which is aimed at encouraging creativity and excellence in occupational health and safety management. This scheme, which I launched in 2000 will complement the wide range of initiatives planned by the Authority under the theme of Accident Prevention.

The lengthy list of representative activities included in this Work Programme highlights the Authority’s commitment to a partnership approach, but also, it must be said, provides a clear indication of the sheer volume of activities which must be undertaken by the Authority on an ongoing basis.

The Authority’s education programme is also extremely comprehensive and I look forward in particular to seeing the completion of a health and safety module for inclusion in construction and architecture courses. After all, accident prevention must be prioritised by our architects, designers and project supervisors as much as by employers and employees.

The legislative programme will ensure that existing legislative provisions, including the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, are updated in line with a rapidly-changing workplace, and I would ask the Chairman and the Board to ensure that the review of the 1989 Act is concluded, and presented to me, as soon as possible.

For my part, I was pleased to be able to secure what I regard as a substantial further increase in the non-pay financial allocation for the Authority in 2001. This, together, with the significant increase in staff resources sanctioned last year places the Authority in a much stronger position going forward than in any previous year since its establishment. I trust that with these increased resources to underpin its wide ranging programme of work, the Authority will be well placed to achieve the targets set out in the programme. Given the partnership structure on which our approach to workplace health and safety is currently based, the continued proactive engagement and co-operation of all parties is essential if we are to maximise the effort to develop a genuine health and safety culture in all our workplaces.

May I conclude by commending the Health and Safety Authority on the production of a very comprehensive and challenging Programme of Activities and wishing you every success in its implementation during the year ahead.