Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

275. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of reports that the Health and Safety Authority have received to date from members of the public of incidents arising from building contractors installing or attempting to install water meters in residential areas on behalf of Irish Water; the number of occasions the Health and Safety Authority has conducted investigations of such incidents; the number of times work stations been closed down even on a temporary basis; and the number of findings have been made against contractors installing water meters for unsafe work practices. [1704/15]

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (the Act) applies to Irish Water and all other employers/contractors engaged in activities relating to the installation of water meters and the Health and Safety Authority retains all powers conferred on it by the Act.

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 duties are placed on employers in regard to the retention and preservation of the health and safety of their employees, and similarly to others including non-employees either present at a place of work under the control of the employer or employees not in the direct employment of the employer responsible for the place of work. As with all workplaces, any works carried out by Irish Water in respect to the installation of water meters can be subjected to a workplace health and safety inspection. Similarly, as with all employers, the company is required to prepare and maintain a written risk assessment relating to all work practices and the outcome of this risk assessment must be taken into account in the preparation, by the company, of its safety statement.

The carrying out of inspections and investigations of incidents or complaints relating to sub-categories of contractors form part of the day to day operational functions of the Health and Safety Authority and I, as Minister with delegated responsibility for occupational safety and health, have no direct function in regard to these day to day matters.