|
|
|
|
Health & Safety News Brief
Occupational Health & Safety Information Service
Health and Safety Authority Annual Report reveals increase in inspection activity
 The Health and Safety Authority's latest Annual Report for 2005, reveals a refocusing of the Authority's efforts on inspection activity.
Last year the Authority carried out 13,552 workplace inspections, compared to 11,382 in 2004 and a low (for this century) of 10,704 in 2003.
This would suggest that the Authority, which some years ago suggested it would be focusing on fewer inspections, which were described as "quality inspections", has now decided that the way to improve compliance and performance is to carry out more inspections.
This renewed focus on inspection activity is likely to see the Authority carry out over 16,000 this year.
The Annual Report 2005 records that 10,992 inspections were compliance inspections, 1,489 inspections were investigating complaints and 1,068 were accident investigations.
Over 6,000 (6,203 investigations were carried out in the construction sector), 2,227 in manufacturing, 1,257 in the wholesale/retail sector and 1,187 in agriculture.
The inspection figures show that only 76% of workplaces inspected had safety statements and only 55% of these safety statements are described as being either fully or broadly compliant. Four per cent were found to be non-compliant or at best revealed only limited compliance. While the rates of consultation were high in some sectors, apart from the utilities sector (electricity/gas/water) the rates of safety representation seem low.
During the year the Authority prosecuted 40 cases: 55% summary prosecutions in the District Court and 45% prosecutions on indictment in the Circuit Court. Convictions were obtained in 85% of the cases. This is about half the number of prosecutions taken some years ago, though more cases are now taken in the Circuit Court.
The Authority's statistical report 2004/2005 records that 73 people (64 were workers and 9 non-workers) were killed in work-related accidents in 2005. The report highlights the high fatality rate of non-Irish national workers, particularly in the construction sector.
The statistical report shows that 7,790 accidents were reported to the Authority in 2005. The top two accident triggers are manual handling (32.1%) and slips/trips/falls on the same level (15.3%). The report, citing figures from the CSO National Quarterly Household Survey (see HSR, May 2005, p2) shows an increase in occupational illnesses.
However the CSO has warned that the illness figures should be treated with caution and has declined to publish a figure for the number of days lost owing to occupational illness.
The June issue of Health and safety Review includes a detailed statistical supplement, full reports on the figures and analysis of HSA activity.
Herbert Mulligan
Editor
www.healthandsafetyreview.ie.
|
|