Updated rules governing the health and safety of employees are to be introduced in the new year, the Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Mr Tom Kitt said yesterday.
Mr Kitt is planning a series of amendments to the existing Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act which was enacted in 1989.
He said the new legislation would provide employers with a revised blueprint for work-place health and safety which would "serve to vitalise and underpin the health and safety message for the next decade and the next generation of workers".
Mr Kitt made his remarks while announcing the membership of new board of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) which will hold office until December 2004. He applauded the work of the outgoing board in fostering a stronger health and safety culture among employers and workers but said there continued to be an "unacceptably high" level of deaths, accidents and ill-health at work.
The HSA's last annual report showed 69 deaths at work and one million lost days due to work-related injury and ill-health in a 12-month period.
"The real challenge for this new board will be to build on the successes to date and to develop new approaches to both the existing and emerging work-place health and safety issues, against a backdrop of ongoing change in both the labour market and in the economy," said Mr Kitt.
Mr Frank Cunneen, who chaired the outgoing board, remains in place as chairman of the new board. Vice-chairman is Mr Sylvester Cronin, safety officer with SIPTU.
The other members are: Mr Joe Hegarty, risk management consultant; Mr Ciaran ╙ Cuinneagain, principal officer at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; Mr Desmond J. Gilroy, economist and marketing consultant; Ms Sue Corbett, consultant training developer; Mr Tony Briscoe, Irish Business and Employers Confederation; Mr Peter McCabe, Construction Industry Federation; Ms Marie Rock, Braun Ireland; Mr Fergus Whelan, SIPTU; and Ms Louise O'Donnell, IMPACT.