300,000 building industry workers receive safety training

Minister for Trade and Commerce, Mr Michael Ahern TD, will tell an EU conference of labour inspectors later today (Wednesday19 May 2004) that over 300,000 people involved in the Irish construction industry have received training over the past five years in basic safety on building sites.

The training programme was initiated in 1999 following the setting up of the Construction Safety Partnership, representing employers, employees and Government agencies, and designed to reduce the previous high levels of injuries and fatalities in the construction sector, according to the Minister.

“Among its most significant achievements to date is that all involved in the building industry must now obtain a Safe Pass, a basic safety-training certificate, which is mandatory for all industry employees. In addition to the large number of employees who have received basic safety training, the Partnership has also resulted in a significant number of site safety representatives being trained. The aim is to have zero accidents in the sector” Mr Ahern will say.

The Minister’s remarks, on behalf of his colleague, the Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr Frank Fahey, will be made in an address to the Senior Labour Inspectors Conference, a standing committee of the EU, meeting at the European Foundation in Loughlinstown, Co Dublin. The committee comprises senior representatives of the national authorities in the Member States responsible for occupational safety and health.

According to Mr Ahern, approaches to workplace health and safety must become more innovative if the terrible toll of accidents and ill-health in the workplace is to be reduced. His Department is currently finalising a major review of health and safety legislation and expects to introduce new legislation in the Dail shortly.

The new Bill will provide for increased penalties, including heavy fines and terms of imprisonment of up to two years, and the introduction of on-the-spot fines, for a range of breaches of the health and safety code. “There will also be considerable attention paid to matters like the duties of employers, employees and safety representatives, and new requirements on people who design or commission places of work” Mr Ahern will state.

Ends/TC 97.