Written answers

Tuesday, 6 December 2005

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Health and Safety Regulations

9:00 pm

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of fatal and serious accidents in the workplace which have been recorded since the enactment of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005; if he is satisfied that existing and planned resources will be sufficient to facilitate close monitoring and full implementation of all provisions of this legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37901/05]

Photo of Emmet StaggEmmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures he intends to take to reduce the high and rising incidence of workplace fatalities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37897/05]

Photo of Michael D HigginsMichael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the numbers of deaths and injuries reported arising from industrial accidents in each year from 2000 to 2004 and to date in 2005; the further steps he intends to take to reduce the level of such accidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37894/05]

Photo of Tony KilleenTony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 125 and 145 together.

There have been 12 fatalities in the workplace and 1,623 reported accidents since the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 came into operation on 1 September 2005. There also have been 70 fatalities in 2000, 64 in 2001, 61 in 2002, 67 in 2003, 49 in 2004 and 66 in the first 11 months of this year. I will circulate to Deputies an analysis of the 2005 figures. However, I point out that the construction sector has the highest figure at 22 so far this year and the agriculture, hunting and forestry sector has the next highest at 16 fatalities. Although there has been a downward trend in the rate of workplace accidents as a proportion of the overall number employed in the workforce, nonetheless, the figures are unacceptable.

The Health and Safety Authority recently expressed concern over the number of deaths involving non-nationals this year. I share this concern. Provisional figures indicate that eight non-nationals have died in work-related accidents out of the total of 66 so far this year. The authority considers that these figures may be indicative of a worrying trend and has called on all employers to ensure they are adequately communicating the risks and providing appropriate safety training for all employees, including those who are non-English speaking. Of these eight fatalities this year, four have occurred in construction, two in manufacturing, and two in wholesale and retail trade. The Health and Safety Authority has been working on a programme of information resources aimed at non-English speakers and specific provisions relating to such workers are now included in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 2005.

The Health and Safety Authority recognises the new challenges that the growth of non-English speaking people within the workforce brings. The authority launched earlier this year an initiative entitled Safe System of Work Plan aimed at reducing injuries and deaths on construction sites. This initiative relies heavily on pictograms to explain and clarify hazards and controls, thereby creating a wordless document where safety can be communicated to all workers regardless of literacy or 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 plan will shortly be available in a number of different languages, including Turkish and Polish. The authority's Safe System of Work Plan, SSWP, for construction was recently awarded the innovation prize for good prevention practices in the construction industry by the International Social Security Association, ISSA, during the recent World Congress on Safety.

In 2004, the authority, in conjunction with Bord Glas, recognised the multicultural nature of the horticultural workforce, with the launch of The Essential Health and Safety Guide for Horticulture, which aims to promote health and safety awareness and accident prevention in the workplace. As a labour intensive industry, horticulture is an established employer of migrant workers and 30% of these originate from the accession states, including Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. The guide is available in five different languages English, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish and Russian.

The authority is currently considering submissions received on foot of the public consultation process for draft updated Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations and draft new Safety, Health and Welfare (General Application) Regulations. The latter proposals are designed to revoke and replace in a single text the remaining provisions of the General Application Regulations 1993 as well as seven full sets of other regulations made under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989, together with certain other provisions.

To fully implement the recently enacted 2005 Act, I have asked the board of the HSA to consult the social partners and other interested parties and to bring forward proposals as soon as possible to give effect to provisions in the Act in relation to on-the-spot fines, codes of practice for the various sectors where an employer has three or less employees, and the promotion of joint safety and health agreements between employees and employers in the various sectors. I have also secured the approval of the Department of Finance to increase the financial resources of the HSA by €1.75 million this year. This increase is mainly attributable to the extra activity of the authority under the new 2005 Act.

Workplace Fatalities by NACE Sector in 2005 (to date).
Sector Number of Fatalities
Agriculture, Hunting, and Forestry 16
Mining and Quarrying 6
Manufacturing 7
Construction 22
Wholesale and Retail Trade; Repair of Motor Vehicles, Motorcycles and Personal and Household Goods 7
Transport, Storage and Communication 4
Real Estate, Renting and Business Activities 1
Public Administration and Defence; Compulsory Social Security 2
Other Community, Social and Personal Service Activities 1
Total 66
Workplace accidents for years 2000 to 2004.
Number of OIB* claims accepted Number of Employees Rate per 100,000 employees
2000 11,995 1,355,600 885
2001 12,050 1,406,400 857
2002 12,280 1,440,000 852
2003 11,096 1,502,800 738
2004 11,705 1,835,900 638
2005 figures unavailable as yet.
*Occupational Injury Benefit claims under the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

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