Paraig Early, Inspector with the Health and Safety Authority talks to Oonagh Reidy about safety issues in building at present, accident statistics and site inspections.

Q Do you think, in your opinion, the construction industry in general, is doing enough in terms of health and safety and saving lives?

There are huge efforts being by both our industry partners and ourselves with the aim of saving lives in construction. Initiatives such as the new Code of Practice for Contractors with 3 or less employees, Safe System of Work Plans (SSWP) and new CSCS courses, are just some of the ways in which we are trying to improve construction worker safety.

Our approach has always been two pronged. Education, in the form of publications, codes, campaigns etc and enforcement by means of our inspection programmes and prosecutions where necessary. The industry still remains a high risk sector and we will continue to work to ensure that construction workers can work in a safe and healthy environment.

Q How would you rate the year 2007 in terms of accidents and fatality statistics, in comparison to previous years?

In 2007 there were a total of 67 accident fatalities in the workplace, 18 of which were in construction, accounting for 26.8% of the total. On reflection, 2007 was not a very good year in relation to site safety - the 18 fatalities on building sites is still far too high. In fact, even a single death is one too many, as far as I am concerned. Although last years figures were higher than ’06, over the last few years fatalities within the sector has has been on a downward trend, which is nevertheless a positive development.

We have a very strong compliance unit and with all reported accidents we look at the causes and identity trends and the sources of accidents within the industry. We then feed the information back into the inspectors, whom develop awareness of potentially high risk areas on sites when conducting inspections. It is becoming clear to us that accidents involving machinery are on the increase, and as a result we will continue to focus our on this area in 2008. Our aim is to continue trying to minimise the risks involved and create a climate of safety awareness on all sites, regardless of its size.

Q Is there any machinery in particular the HSA class as especially dangerous?

In general all plant and machinery hold a variety of risks if not used correctly and where people and plant mix, this is when accidents occur. With all inspections, our officers will always have a focus on plant and machinery, though we presume compliance, in general. However, if a site has a large number of cranes or any other type of machine, this will send off alarm bells for inspectors so we will always inspect them to ensure they are safe.

Q Are the HSA planning any future safety campaigns or inspection blitz’s targeting the construction sector?

For ’08 we are focusing on prevention in particular and are developing codes of practice and quick guides, to this end. In addition, we also are developing a Code of Practice for Three or Less Employees along with a new DVD for builders, as well as a Code of Practice for Scaffolding due either later this year or next year.

We carried out two construction campaigns in 2007 in May and October. Machinery has been one of our focus areas in campaigns and we have also focused on work at height and cement dermatitis. The information gained from research in these areas will inform our focus for 2008.

Q Do you think non national workers are more vulnerable to accidents than their Irish counterparts and how have the HSA sought to address this?

In 2006 the rate of non-Irish national workers fatalities was 3.2 per 100,000 compared to 2 per 100,000 for Irish workers. This is clearly a higher rate in the case of non nationals although a reduction from 2005 - when the rate was twice as high. In addition, no non-Irish nationals were fatality injured in 2007, meaning the trend is being reversed. We are currently carrying out a study into this area and hope to make some recommendations in the near future.

Furthermore, several initiatives have being implemented by the Health & Safety Authority to educate and increase awareness among non nationals of the hazards and controls required to eliminate risks in Construction. In particular the introduction of SSWP where language versions of the pictogram booklets have been developed and has been found to be particularly effective.