CONSTRUCTION SAFETY

“The increase in construction fatalities is a grave reminder to companies to keep focussed on safety every day, commented Tom Parlon, CIF Director General, responding to recent Health and Safety Authority statistics. He added: “The CIF is reiterating its call to construction companies to continue to build on the significant investment in safety on sites over the past two decades. There’s been a consistent fall in fatalities from 2015 until this year’s spike. In 2020, we’ll be redoubling our efforts to continue the long-term downward trend in fatalities.

“Our focus must continue to be keeping the 150,000 employees in our 47,000 enterprises safe, reducing fatalities to zero and minimising accidents on site. Construction activity is growing at around 10% per annum since the recovery started in 2013. 1000 people have entered the construction industry workforce per month since mid-2013. An estimated 3,000 new companies have also set up in that period. It’s vital that new entrants as well as existing companies continue to prioritise safety on-site.

“Over the past few years, the highest proportion of fatalities occur within the micro-enterprise and sole-trader cohorts of industry. The CIF and its members have devoted huge resources attempting to get the safety message to these cohorts and are asking companies to ensure they are compliant, avail of training and ensure their employees are constantly engaged in developing a safety culture.

“We’ll continue to work with unions and the Health and Safety Authority within the Construction Safety Partnership to bring all the stakeholders together on this critical issue and improve safety in construction.”