Madam, - I read with dismay of the death of four workers engaged in preparatory construction work for the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing ( The Irish Times, April 2nd).
The report stated that the construction firm failed to report the accident for hours and instead tried to rescue the trapped workers on its own.
In 2004, while no official figures were kept of the numbers killed during construction work for the Athens Olympics, it was widely reported that the number was between 14 and 40. By contrast, the work associated with the Sydney games in 2000 claimed one life.
Construction work will continue for more than a year before the Beijing games in August 2008. I believe the Olympic Council of Ireland must call upon the International Olympic Committee to take immediate action to ensure that the highest standards are employed now and in future Olympic projects to protect the lives of workers.
Since the very best is expected from the Olympic competitors surely it is fitting that the best safety standards be employed to protect those who make the games possible. - Yours, etc,
MARK DUGGAN, Templeogue, Dublin 6W.