Twelve people have lost their lives in construction-related incidents so far this year, reflecting the rising number of people killed during construction work over the past five years.
Between 2010 and 2014, 39 people died in construction-related activities, with the death rate in the sector steadily increasing from 4.1 per 100,000 workers in 2010 to 9.8 in 2013.
Speaking at the launch of a Health and Safety Authority (HSA) sponsored children's book Grandad Built My House, Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash highlighted the importance of raising awareness among families of construction workers of the risks involved in the industry.
‘High-risk sector’
“We know that construction is a high-risk sector and unfortunately when someone is seriously injured or killed in the workplace this has a devastating effect on families,” said Mr Nash at the launch of the children’s book.
The work, which will be distributed to all primary schools in the State, includes artwork, stories and poetry on health and safety from 89 schoolchildren from around Ireland.
Chief executive of the HSA Martin O’Halloran said children were “uniquely placed” to influence their family members, adding their stories and drawings had the power to open up “a new conversation around choosing safe behaviour on-site”.
“Their work is both a celebration of the industry and a cautionary tale of the consequences when things happen to their loved ones at work.”
Ciara Mullally (10), from Kilkenny, wrote about family and friends who were injured on construction sites. “My uncle PJ, he was cutting and his hand slipped and he cut off his two fingers,” she wrote in her contribution to the book. “My neighbour was putting sheeting on the roof and it fell and cut his toe off.”
Important to learn
Carl Meehan (10), from Crumlin, said it was important to learn of the skills and safety measures needed when working on a building site.
“It’s important to me because if I’m gonna be a builder when I’m older I can look back through it and I’ll know what to do,” said Carl. “They [builders] have to be careful that they always wear a harness if they’re going close to the edges, in case they fall.”
Orla Kenny, creative director with Kids’ Own Publishing, said the book would help ensure the voices of children could be heard in the debate around health and safety in the workplace.
“Literature by children is a very different matter from literature for children,” said Ms Kenny.
“Children have a significant role to play in achieving cultural change through active participation within society.”
