Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 133: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will make a statement on the report of the Health and Safety Authority on workplace accidents during 2009; the steps she will take to ensure that the decrease in workplace accidents and deaths continue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4849/10]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Health and Safety Authority has said that in 2009 there were 43 reported workplace fatalities, as compared to 57 in 2008, an almost 25% decrease in worker deaths over 2008 and the lowest number of reported workplace deaths in 20 years.

I have welcomed this positive trend, albeit with some reservations because behind each of these unfortunate fatalities there are 43 families who are mourning the loss of a family member in a workplace accident and I extend my sympathy to those families.

The year 2009 has seen not only the lowest number of workplace fatalities in absolute terms, but it is also very encouraging to see a downward trend when one considers that the workforce has significantly increased over the same 20 year period.

The high-risk sectors, Agriculture and Construction which had the highest numbers of fatalities, have shown the largest falls in recent years. In Construction, the number of fatalities was 10 in 2009, compared with - for example - 13 fatalities in 2006, 18 in 2007 and 15 in 2008. Agriculture fatalities were 21 in 2008 and 10 in 2009.

The main message in workplace safety is that many accidents are preventable but the basic procedures as regards workplace safety have often been ignored. Identifying risk, assessing it, and following up by putting in place a system to minimise that risk are the absolute minimum requirements in all workplaces. It comes down to the need for a culture of safety in workplaces and, in this regard, workplaces can ultimately only be made safe by those who control and work in them.

I have recently agreed a Programme of Work for the Health and Safety Authority for 2010 that will focus on seeking to maintain the gains that we have made in recent years. I hope to launch that Programme in the near future. The Priorities that I have agreed with the Authority for 2010 include:-

Ø A continuing focus on the highest risk areas of Agriculture and Construction

Ø Occupational health

Ø Manual handling

Ø Slips, trips and falls

Ø Work-related vehicle safety

Ø Healthcare sector

Ø Special Chemicals Inspection Programme

Ø The Authority's role under the Chemicals Act 2008.

Other sectors that continue to be identified as hazardous or higher-risk will also continue to receive Authority attention in its inspection programme. Enforcement and prevention initiatives will continue to target the main causes of accidents and ill health in these sectors.

For 2010, my hope is that there will be an increase in awareness among workers in regard to safety in the workplace which together with the work of the Health and Safety Authority will lead to safer workplaces and even fewer injuries and fatalities.