Work is expected to halt at construction sites in Dublin next Tuesday as building workers take part in a protest march to highlight poor safety standards.
The march, organised by the Dublin Alliance of General Construction Operatives, follows last Tuesday's death of Mr Liam McGinty (22), from Achill Sound, Achill Island, Co Mayo.
Mr McGinty was working with a JCB at Parkwest in Clondalkin when the vehicle slid backwards into a crater. He was the ninth construction worker to be killed in the State this year.
Workers are expected to gather at Liberty Hall at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for the march to the offices of the employers' organisation, the Construction Industry Federation, at Canal Road in Dublin.
"Let us send out our message loud and clear," said the chairman of the Dublin alliance, Mr Andrew McGuinness, yesterday. "Enough is enough. Our union called for practical reasonable measures to be introduced over a year ago. These ideas were snubbed by both the Minister [for Labour Affairs], Tom Kitt, and . . . the CIF."
Mr Kitt said safety was improving on sites, and this could be seen in the fact that 19 people died on sites last year while nine have so far this year, "though that is nine too many".
He knew the 10-year-old health, safety and welfare at work legislation should be strengthened, he continued. "I have asked the HSA to prepare a report on this and I am awaiting that."
The authority's deputy chief inspector, Dr P.J. Claffey, said there was "still a long way to go" in improving safety on construction sites. The HSA has nine full-time inspectors to monitor standards in the construction industry. They carry out 4,500 site inspections a year, although it is estimated there are upwards of 12,000 sites across the State at any time.
Mr Aidan Burke, chief executive of the CIF, rejected allegations of employers' "apathy" about safety. He said seven people were employed full-time in the federation's safety environmental training services unit.
