A three-pronged initiative to improve safety standards on building sites was announced yesterday by the Construction Industry Federation.
Announcing the plan, the CIF said it was committed to the elimination of all fatal accidents in construction and a "steady reduction" in non-fatal injuries.
Nine people have been killed in construction site accidents this year, despite demands for higher safety standards following the deaths of 22 people on sites in 2002.
Mr Gerald Purcell, the CIF president, said building contractors had invested "enormous resources" in site safety, health and welfare in recent years.
There were now more than 1,000 people employed in the industry with direct responsibility for health and safety, and 230,000 workers had taken the "safe pass" course.
"We have an ongoing and expanding programme of training, awareness schemes, publications and promotional programmes all devoted to health and safety," he said.
The initiative announced yesterday comprised action on three fronts:
publication of a site safety resource pack for contractors;
a "safety statement compiler" on CD, described as a "support tool for contractors to prepare and update site-specific safety statements";
and a new training course aimed aimed primarily at office and site administration staff.
Each of the measures was the result of "a long process of consultation and debate" within the industry, Mr Purcell said.
The CIF, he added, believed a much stronger emphasis on health and safety should be part of the training of all construction apprentices.
"Likewise, all third-level construction-related courses should incorporate health and safety modules".
Everyone in the industry, he said, including clients, site managers and workers, had a part to play in developing and implementing safe work practices.
