Initiatives to improve safety on construction sites, particularly in the area of working at heights, were announced yesterday.
The Minister of State for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt, said yesterday at the start of Construction Safety Action Week that the main purpose of such a campaign was to increase awareness.
The "Head for Heights" campaign was an initiative from the Health and Safety Authority aimed at preventing accidents when working at heights in building activities.
"Falls from heights are the single most common cause of fatal injuries in construction-related accidents, representing on average one in every two deaths in the sector, and this campaign will highlight the dangers of working at heights," the Minister said.
In launching the safety week at the building exhibition at the RDS, the authority was getting its safety message across to a targeted audience by promoting practical actions to reduce the number and severity of work-related accidents, he said.
The Minister also announced implementation dates for various new construction safety regulations.
He said they would impose a number of new legal responsibilities on project supervisors in important areas. Those areas would include safety training, welfare and safety. Among the most significant of the changes were requirements to provide a minimum level of training for all workers.