Remarks by Minister for Labour Affairs, Mr. Tony Killeen T.D., at the Launch of the Health Audit Tool

In the Davenport Hotel on Tuesday 1^st March 2005

Health and Safety is a key issue within the workplace. Last year 50 people died in workplaces with a further 8,052 people injured. These are significant figures and while I welcome the reduction in fatalities from 70 in 2003 to 50 last year, it still means that someone dies at work every week. This is unacceptable. No one should work in an unsafe environment and we are determined to ensure that new and better systems of management are put in place to guarantee workplace safety.

It needs to be said however that the responsibility for providing a safe place to work lies primarily with the employer. The Health and Safety Authority have launched some very worthwhile safety initiatives including the Safe System of Work for the construction industry, which I recently launched.

This year has seen 12 people die already from accidents at work compared to only 9 for the same period last year. Employers and employees alike need to work together and put in place a proper health and safety management system to reduce and eliminate deaths and injuries in the workplace.

The new Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Bill, which will be enacted within the next couple of months, will open up a new era in health and safety at the workplace.

The Health Service Audit Tool, which the HSA is launching today, is an important initiative as it moves the health and safety issue into the mainstream of management and develops a comprehensive health, safety and welfare management system.

We need to put in context the Health Sector with other economic sectors performance in regard to injuries and accidents at work. The CSO's National Household Survey of 2003, looked at the rate of occupational injuries per 1,000 of the population. The construction industry topped the table with 39.8 injuries per thousand with agriculture at 31.5, manufacturing at 27, hotels and restaurants with 29.9 and the health and social work sector with 26.6 injuries per thousand. While it does point up the obvious that construction and farming are the two sectors where there are serious issues to address, it also highlights that employers in a whole host of other sectors have much work to do.

The majority of accidents in the health sector result from handling, lifting and carrying (36%), slips, trips and falls (22%) and from injuries by a person (19%).

Excellence in corporate governance is essential for a strong health and safety regime. It requires managers at all levels, supported by their employees to work to ensure that safety is an essential part of everyday practice.

I welcome this initiative and the importance placed in it by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children. I wish the pilot sites and the HSA well as they embark on their efforts to produce a first-rate health, safety and welfare management system.

ENDS

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