Seán Ryan (Dublin North, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to the claim made by a trade union leader (details supplied) that safety on the nation's building sites was deteriorating rather than improving; the number of persons killed and injured in accidents on building sites during 2004; the steps being taken to deal with this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6167/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, the National Authority for Occupational Safety and Health, known as the Health and Safety Authority, is the State body charged with overall responsibility for administration, enforcement and promotion of workplace safety and health.

The management of health and safety in all sectors of employment is based on the principles of legislation, enforcement, information and awareness-raising, coupled with a partnership approach involving all the main players. The partnership approach was further advanced with the establishment, in November 1999, of the Construction Safety Partnership, or CSP, which includes representatives of the CIF, ICTU, HSA and other relevant agencies and Departments. The overall aim of the CSP is to achieve the highest possible standard of safety, health and welfare in Irish construction.

The Health and Safety Authority is fully committed to furthering the principles agreed by the CSP and is actively engaged with all parties to the CSP in enhancing safety, health and welfare on sites.

Among the major initiatives undertaken and ongoing are the safe pass and construction skills certification schemes. Greater employee representation in health and safety matters and the safety representative facilitation scheme has been further supported to continue the work of increasing safety consultation on sites.

In 2004, HSA inspectors visited over 5,000 construction sites and closed 26, one by court order and 25 by agreement, until safety deficiencies were remedied and safety management systems put in place.

The HSA also has an advisory role illustrated by a range of initiatives including the development of a code of practice for safety in roof work, the development of a code of practice for avoiding danger from underground services, the approval of Irish Standard 360: 2004 Code of Practice: Safe Use of Cranes in the Construction Industry as a code of practice for the purposes of the safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2001, and ongoing drafting work on the development of a wide range of other construction safety guidance material.

The authority recently published a new aid, the safe system of work plan, or SSWP, aimed at reducing injuries and deaths on construction sites. That initiative relies on pictograms to explain and clarify hazards and controls, thereby creating a wordless document where safety can be communicated to all workers, regardless of language skills. The safe system of work plan aims to focus on those in the construction industry who are most at risk and empowering them to ensure that all necessary safety controls are in place prior to the commencement of planned work.

The attached table shows the key employment and accident figures for the construction industry in the last six years.