Sir, - I congratulate Mr Justice Kelly on his strong condemnation of Zoe Developments for its total failure to provide a safe working environment for its employees.
I have just returned to Ireland after working for 10 years as a civil engineer in the United States and in England. It seems that every time I pass a construction site here I cringe in horror at the appalling disregard for safety. The most basic items of safety equipment - hard hats, eye and hearing protection - are ignored on an epidemic scale. In the United States construction companies first got the message that safety pays when financial deterrents such as stiff fines and higher insurance rates for violators were implemented. In some cases the owners of the construction companies found themselves behind bars for their negligence.
As a result of these deterrents most companies now have their own safety officer and safety education programmes. Ironically enough, companies are finding that by spending time and money on safety, they are more productive than ever because you cannot be productive if you have accidents. - Yours etc.,
Cherryfield Avenue, Dublin 12.